About COP31
About COP31
Serves as a platform dedicated to gathering perspectives from individuals of diverse backgrounds, encompassing various cultures, age groups, and communities.
Its primary objective is to amplify the voices of ordinary individuals, providing them with a forum to share their opinions and relay their firsthand experiences regarding the impact of climate change on their daily lives.
The ultimate goal is to channel these collective insights to the leaders and decision-makers at COP31, ensuring that the broader spectrum of perspectives is considered in shaping climate policies and initiatives.
What is Conference of parties “COP”?
In the three decades since the Rio Summit and the launch of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP) has convened member countries every year to determine ambition and responsibilities and identify and assess climate measures. The 21st session of the COP (COP21) led to the Paris Agreement, which mobilized global collective action to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels by 2100, and to act to adapt to the already existing effects of climate change.
Ever since the first COP in Berlin in 1995, COP have been used to review what Parties (the countries who signed up) have achieved, and measure progress. They are also where negotiations take place for the next round of emissions reductions. They are a vital means of monitoring the progress made so far and working out the targets that need to be achieved in the future if we are to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement.
COP31 is a crucial moment in global transformative climate action so what is COP31?
COP31 is a crucial moment for transformative global climate action. The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the annual summit of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and its Presidency rotates among the five UN regional groups. This year the turn falls to the Western European and Others Group.
Türkiye will host COP31 in Antalya from 9 to 20 November 2026 at the Antalya Expo Center. It is the first time Türkiye has hosted a COP. Under a shared leadership arrangement agreed at COP30 in Belém, Türkiye holds the COP Presidency and leads the Action Agenda, while Australia chairs the formal negotiations. H.E. Murat Kurum, Türkiye’s Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, serves as COP31 President. Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, serves as President of Negotiations. A Pre-COP will be held in Fiji in early October, which keeps Pacific priorities at the centre of the process. World leaders are expected in Antalya on 11 and 12 November.
The Presidency describes COP31 as the “COP of Implementation,” with the aim of moving from pledges to measurable results on the ground. Its vision rests on three mutually reinforcing pillars. The first is rebuilding trust through dialogue, giving a stronger voice to vulnerable communities, developing countries, local authorities, civil society and youth. The second is shared responsibility through consensus, treating energy security and climate goals as complementary and supporting a just transition that respects every nation’s right to development. The third is turning commitments into action, through a proposed Climate Implementation Bridge that links pledges to investable projects and helps climate finance reach them faster.
Building on this vision, the COP31 Action Agenda was launched at UN Headquarters in New York on 21 September 2026. It sets out 10 priority themes, 11 initiatives and six global targets for 2035, covering energy, industry, cities, food systems, oceans and health. The targets include raising electricity’s share of final energy consumption to 35%, halving the growth in waste generation, cutting energy intensity in buildings by 25%, and raising the use of circular materials in manufacturing to 15%.
The UNFCCC website explains what the COP is, how the process works, the issues under negotiation and the multilateral work already underway. More details are available on the UNFCCC COP31 page and on the official COP31 host country website at cop31.tr.
Information about the Blue Zone of COP31
The Blue Zone is the official area of COP31 and is managed by the UNFCCC. For the duration of the conference it falls under UN authority. Formal climate negotiations take place here, along with plenary sessions, high-level meetings, bilateral meetings, technical sessions, official side events and press briefings. Country and organisation pavilions are also located in the Blue Zone, and heads of state will meet here for the World Leaders’ Summit on 11 and 12 November.
Only accredited participants can enter. These include national delegations of the Parties, UNFCCC admitted observer organisations, UN agencies and accredited media. The UNFCCC handles accreditation directly. Each organisation registers and nominates its participants, then the UNFCCC approves them. Participants collect their badges from the Registration Centre in Antalya with a valid passport or ID. Badges must be worn at all times, and everyone goes through security screening at entry.
According to the Turkish Ministry, the Blue Zone covers around 527,000 square metres of the 1.1 million square metre conference site at the Antalya Expo Center. Next to it is the Green Zone, an open space of around 582,000 square metres for business, civil society, academia, youth and innovators, with exhibitions, workshops and cultural events. In total, around 100,000 participants are expected across both zones from 9 to 20 November 2026. Organisations can also apply through a dedicated side event portal to host events at the Türkiye Pavilion.
Information about the Green Zone of COP31
The Green Zone at COP31 in Antalya is a public space for civil society, institutions, and global leaders to connect, innovate, and promote sustainable solutions. It complements the official negotiations in the Blue Zone by fostering inclusive dialogue, public engagement, and climate awareness. Unlike the official UN-managed Blue Zone, the COP31 Green Zone is open to the general public without requiring strict UNFCCC accreditation.
Its goals include:
- Showcasing climate innovations and best practices.
- Promoting education and cultural activities for the public.
- Building partnerships across sectors.
The Green Zone emphasizes transparency, diversity, and inclusion with particular attention to Türkiye’s own record on initiatives such as its national Zero Waste program, which the country has positioned as a model of circular economy policy ahead of COP31.
