Last updated: October 18, 2026. Conference agendas and schedules can change. Check the UN Climate Change (UNFCCC) website and the official COP31 presidency pages for the latest program. This explainer describes the process and does not take a position on any country’s policy.
COP31, the 31st United Nations climate conference, opens on November 9, 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye, and runs through November 20. It is unusual for one reason: for the first time, one country hosts the conference while a different country runs the negotiations. Türkiye is the host and holds the COP presidency, while Australia’s climate minister leads the talks themselves.
This guide explains the dates, how that shared arrangement works, what is on the agenda, and what to watch over the next few weeks.
COP31 at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dates | November 9-20, 2026 |
| Venue | Expo site, Antalya, Türkiye |
| Leaders’ Summit | November 11-12, 2026 |
| Pre-COP (ministerial) | October 5-8, 2026, Fiji |
| Pacific leaders’ event | Tuvalu, also October 5-8 |
| COP president | Murat Kurum, Türkiye’s environment minister |
| President of Negotiations | Chris Bowen, Australia’s climate change and energy minister |
| Expected participants | Delegations from more than 190 countries |
Sources for these details are listed at the end. Türkiye originally floated holding the leaders’ summit in Istanbul before settling on Antalya, according to reporting on the dates.
What a COP actually is
“COP” stands for Conference of the Parties, the yearly meeting of the countries that have joined the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Decisions are made by consensus, which means every country must at least not block the final text. That is why outcomes tend to be negotiated down to careful wording, and why meetings often run past their scheduled end.
The 2015 Paris Agreement sits underneath the whole process. Countries set their own national climate targets, known as nationally determined contributions, and COPs are where they compare progress, argue about money and try to agree on shared rules.
Why the host and the negotiator are different this time
Both Türkiye and Australia wanted to host COP31. The compromise was announced on November 23, 2025, at the end of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, according to the Australian Prime Minister’s office. Under it:
- Türkiye physically hosts the conference and the World Leaders Summit in Antalya and is nominated for the COP presidency.
- Australia holds the role of “President of Negotiations,” with what the announcement calls exclusive authority over the negotiations. Minister Chris Bowen fills it from the end of COP30 until the end of COP31.
- The Pacific gets a special role. Australia, in partnership with Pacific countries, set up a pre-COP in the region, which was held in Fiji with a leaders’ component in Tuvalu.
In practice, Türkiye’s Kurum manages the venue, the action agenda and the political showcase, while Bowen picks the co-facilitators who steer the negotiating tracks. Türkiye has also said it will continue the “troika” approach with the previous presidencies of the UAE (COP28), Azerbaijan (COP29) and Brazil (COP30).
What is on the agenda
There are two separate tracks, and mixing them up is the most common source of confusion.
The negotiation agenda
This is the formal part where countries haggle over texts. Reporting on the presidency’s plans points to climate finance, adaptation and resilience, trade and carbon border measures, and a roadmap for moving away from fossil fuels. Bowen has said he intends to press major fossil fuel producers on the energy transition, and the COP30 outcome, which aimed to boost finance for poorer countries, did not mention fossil fuels. How far a fossil fuel transition roadmap gets will be one of the big questions.
The action agenda
This is the voluntary, announcement-heavy part, where governments, cities and companies present initiatives. Türkiye describes COP31 as an “implementation COP” aimed at moving from pledges to measurable action. Its action agenda covers 10 areas, including zero waste, clean energy and electrification, food security, climate-resilient cities, oceans, youth and education, resilient health systems and green industrialization. Targets listed by Turkish officials include raising global electrification to 35% by 2035, halving the growth in waste generation and cutting building energy-use intensity by at least 25%.
Critics quoted in commentary worry that high-visibility themes like zero waste could draw more attention than the high-emission sectors, and that finance mechanisms for developing countries get less visibility. Those are views from commentators, not settled facts.
The political backdrop
Several large economies are approaching climate policy more cautiously than a few years ago. Industry coverage notes the United States has scaled back or ended various climate mandates and the European Union has softened some regulations. Some leaders and climate technology firms also skipped COP30 over costs, hotel shortages and geopolitical concerns. Attendance and the level of ministerial representation in Antalya are therefore worth watching.
Climate talks also overlap with trade and security diplomacy. If you follow the big-power angle, our explainer on the Trump-Xi summit and the US-China trade truce and the preview of APEC 2026 in Shenzhen cover the other major November diplomatic dates.
Who decides what comes out of COP31?
No single country does. Final decisions need consensus among the parties. The presidency shapes drafts and timing, but anything controversial can be amended or stalled by a determined group of countries. For a comparison with another body where a single member can block a result, see how the UN Security Council veto works.
What to watch from now until November 20
- The joint letter from the presidencies. Priorities from Türkiye and Australia signal what they will push.
- Pre-COP readouts from Fiji. Ministers’ comments reveal where the sticking points are. We have not reviewed the outcome of the October meeting for this article.
- The Leaders’ Summit, November 11-12. Look at which heads of government attend and what new national targets they announce.
- Draft negotiating texts. Square brackets around words mean those words are still disputed.
- The final days. The closing decision is usually settled in the last 48 hours, often after the scheduled finish.
Frequently asked questions
Where is COP31 being held?
In Antalya, a Mediterranean resort city in Türkiye, at the Expo site.
When is COP31?
November 9-20, 2026, with the Leaders’ Summit on November 11-12.
Why is Australia involved if Türkiye is hosting?
The two countries both wanted to host. The compromise made Türkiye the host and COP president, and Australia the President of Negotiations.
Where will COP32 be?
Reporting on the troika statement identifies Ethiopia as host of COP32 in 2027.
Is COP31 legally binding?
COP decisions set rules and goals under the UN climate treaty system. National targets are set by each country, and enforcement of those targets is largely domestic.
Bottom line
COP31 is a test of a new split model, with a Turkish host and an Australian negotiator, and of whether talks can move from pledges to delivery on finance and fossil fuels. The most useful signals will come in the first week, when ministers and leaders reveal how much they will commit to.
Sources: Prime Minister of Australia, “COP to be hosted by Türkiye with Australia leading negotiations” (November 23, 2025); Climate Home News, “Türkiye sets COP31 leaders’ summit and pre-COP dates” (April 14, 2026); Daily Sabah/Anadolu, “Türkiye steps up COP31 diplomacy ahead of Antalya climate summit” (August 12, 2026); Sustainable Tech Partner COP31 overview; The News International opinion piece (May 16, 2026). Check the official UNFCCC site for the live schedule.
