COP31 conference in Turkey aims to move climate up the agenda in a crisis-rocked world

The site prepared for the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in Antalya, Turkey, on November 2, 2026. ORHAN CICEK/ANADOLU VIA AFP Will COP31 manage to send, from the Turkish seaside resort of Antalya, a strong enough message to resonate in a troubled world? Will the major annual gathering, often criticized, succeed in convincing people that it is not only essential for fighting the climate catastrophe, but also for resolving today's major crises, whether they concern energy, the economy, or multilateralism?

Expectations for the 31 st Conference of the Parties (COP31), which opens on Monday, November 9, have focused more on its ability to send useful and concrete signals than on the outcome of the formal negotiations. No landmark decision is expected at this transitional COP. After COP30, held in November 2025 in Brazil , which marked the 10 th anniversary of the Paris Agreement , and before COP33, scheduled for 2028, when the second "global stocktake" of climate action will take place, this edition was shaping up to be "low-tension," according to Li Shuo, a researcher at the Asia Society Policy Institute.

"Unlike other COPs, this one will not be defined by a massive landmark negotiated outcome. I think the focus will be more on practical barriers, how we solve problems that we have collectively," said Ani Dasgupta, president of the World Resources Institute. You have 84.53% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.