The 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) will take place in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026, bringing together world leaders, government representatives, scientists and civil society to discuss international climate action. 

The conference comes amid rising global temperatures, increasingly severe weather events and growing pressure on governments to turn international climate commitments into concrete measures. Negotiations will focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, supporting vulnerable countries and accelerating the transition towards cleaner energy systems.

What is COP31?

COP31 marks the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a treaty adopted in 1992 to address climate change. The annual conferences, held since 1995, bring governments together to review progress, negotiate climate policies and coordinate international action.

Among the major agreements reached through these negotiations is the Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, which sets the goal of keeping global temperature rise well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, while pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.

This year's conference will take place in Türkiye, with Murat Kurum, Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, serving as COP President, and Chris Bowen, Australia's Minister for Climate Change and Energy, leading the negotiations as President of Negotiations.

The programme also includes a World Leaders' Summit on 11 and 12 November, bringing together Heads of State and Government to discuss international climate priorities.

What is at stake at COP31?

As countries prepare for COP31, attention is turning to the implementation of existing climate commitments. While clean energy technologies continue to advance, divisions remain over climate finance, emissions reductions and the responsibilities of individual countries.

The main issues on the negotiating agenda include:

• Climate finance: Developing countries are calling for greater financial support to address climate change, while negotiations continue over funding responsibilities and access to financial resources.
• Just transition: Countries will discuss how to implement a mechanism supporting the transition towards cleaner economies while considering its social and economic impacts.
• Climate adaptation: Negotiators will work on measuring progress in adaptation and addressing the financial needs of countries particularly vulnerable to climate impacts.
• Emissions reductions: Governments will discuss how to strengthen action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and deliver on existing climate commitments.

COP31 will also mark the launch of the second Global Stocktake, a process established under the Paris Agreement to assess collective progress towards its long-term climate goals.

Türkiye's focus on sustainability

As host country, Türkiye has highlighted zero waste, the circular economy and sustainable resource management as important elements of its approach to COP31.

According to the COP31 Türkiye website, the country's priorities include waste reduction, water and food security, access to climate finance, and the participation of young people and cities in climate action. These priorities reflect an emphasis on practical measures, alongside the broader international negotiations taking place during the conference.

Although COP31 is not specifically focused on the Arctic, the international negotiations are relevant to the region. Discussions on greenhouse gas emissions, climate adaptation and environmental policies are connected to the global drivers of climate change, including those affecting northern environments and communities.

As countries prepare to gather in Antalya, attention will turn to how governments plan to translate their climate commitments into action, particularly in areas such as climate finance, adaptation and emissions reductions.

Source: United Nations, UNFCCC, COP31 Türkiye