Dozens of climate ministers are in Germany to discuss priorities ahead of the UN-sponsored negotiations being held in Turkey and co-hosted with Australia in November.

The two-day Berlin meeting takes place as nations struggle with energy shortages and soaring prices, with some governments rationing fuel and looking to coal to shore up supply.

Global energy supply chains are facing a historic upheaval as the Iran war disrupts shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, the key transit point for Gulf oil and gas exports.

Turkey's climate minister and COP31 president Murat Kurum said the crisis "has shown us, once again, that fossil fuels do not guarantee energy supply security".

"Investment in alternative energy sources, in particular to support energy diversity, means stability, resilience and clean development," Kurum said through a translator.

"This is what we must all pursue," he added, stressing that nations would respond differently given individual economic circumstance.

Australia's Climate Minister Chris Bowen, who is steering the negotiations at COP31, said nations could shore up energy security and "block the impacts of future fossil fuel shocks" through renewables.

"Renewable energy is a proven proposition and the cheapest form of energy ever know," said Bowen, who spoke via video link after cancelling his trip to Berlin over the fuel crisis in Australia.

"As our energy supply and economies face headwinds, now is not the time to hesitate, but the time to act with clarity and conviction to continue our transition to clean, cheap, reliable energy," he added.

Roughly twice as much investment goes into clean energy as fossil fuels, which are the primary driver of human-caused climate change.

But heat-trapping emissions from burning coal, oil and gas rose again in 2025 to a record high.

Nearly 200 countries agreed at COP28 in 2023 to transition away from fossil fuels, but efforts to turn that pledge into action have faced strong resistance since.

It remains to be seen how the issue may be addressed at COP31. Australia is a major producer of fossil fuels, and Turkey is heavily reliant on coal for energy.

Turkey and Australia both wanted to hold COP31 but reached a co-hosting arrangement where the summit would be held in the Mediterranean city of Antalya and Bowen would preside over the negotiations.