COP31 is the 31st United Nations climate change conference, running from 9 to 20 November 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye. It brings together nearly 200 countries to negotiate how the world delivers on the climate promises already made under the Paris Agreement. This year Türkiye is hosting the summit while Australia leads the formal negotiations, an unusual joint arrangement.

Why is COP31 called the implementation COP?

The summit has been billed as the implementation COP, with the emphasis on turning existing pledges into action rather than agreeing new targets. It comes ten years after the Paris Agreement entered into force, and in September 2026 the United Nations acknowledged for the first time that the world is set to overshoot the 1.5°C limit within the next few years. That makes delivery, not promises, the central test of the talks.

What is on the agenda at COP31?

Three issues dominate the agenda. First, the shift away from fossil fuels: Brazil published the first global transition roadmap on 3 November, and campaigners want a firm date to end coal. Second, electrification, with the presidency aiming for electricity to supply 35% of world energy by 2035, up from about 23% today. Third, climate finance, the money developing countries need to adapt to rising temperatures and extreme weather.

World leaders gather for the Antalya Leaders Summit on 11 and 12 November, at the start of the second week of talks. Any final decisions will depend on negotiations running through to 20 November, so the outcome will only be clear at the close of the conference.