A Guide to COP31 Climate Talks in Antalya, Turkey

The United Nations climate conference, known this year as COP31, starts Monday in Antalya, Turkey. The event comes after a series of deadly heat waves and floods, and amid an El Niño event that pushed global temperatures last month to the highest level for any October on record. At the same time, the United States’ war in Iran, and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has sent oil and gas prices soaring, scrambling nations’ energy goals.

Greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels are at a record high. Against that backdrop, negotiators and world leaders are gathering for the 12-day event. Here is a guide to the meeting: What is COP31? It’s the United Nations’ annual climate gathering formally known as the Conference of the Parties. This year, it starts Nov. 9 and is scheduled to end on Nov. 20, but negotiations often run past the deadline. More than 195 countries are part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, set up in 1992.

Those nations discuss how to address global warming and cut greenhouse gas emissions. The climate meeting is the largest annual United Nations conference of any kind, and this year more than 60,000 people are expected to attend. The talks include two days of speeches from world leaders, on Nov. 11 and 12. After that, the formal negotiations intensify, and delegates try to hash out a final agreement to advance climate goals. Why is it in Turkey?

Nations take turns hosting the event. But this year, Turkey earned the right only after striking a sharing agreement with Australia, which had also sought the host role. As a result, Turkey will manage the venue, handle communication and preside over the voluntary sideline initiatives. But Australia will shepherd negotiations. The arrangement makes for an unusual variable at these talks. The conference takes place in Antalya, a Mediterranean resort city, at the Antalya Expo Center.

Last year’s conference was held at the edge of the Amazon rainforest, in Belém, Brazil. Next year’s conference is planned for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

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