The road to the COP31 climate talks
Climate & Environment
Last updated
The big picture
COP31 is the next major UN climate negotiating conference, scheduled for Antalya, Turkey, in November 2026. It brings governments together to work on the international response to climate change, including the implementation of existing agreements. Preparatory meetings allow countries to identify disagreements before the main conference, but they do not determine its final outcome. The scientific context is increasingly difficult. The UN Environment Programme’s latest emissions assessment says deep cuts are needed to limit how far and how long warming exceeds 1.5°C. A negotiated promise and a reduction in actual emissions are different things. The conference will take place against that gap between stated goals, adopted policies and what those policies deliver.
Where things stand
The main conference is scheduled for November 9–20. Preparatory discussions have already taken place, including an October pre-COP gathering in the Pacific. The new emissions report adds urgency but does not prescribe a negotiated agreement or guarantee that governments will adopt the changes needed. No conference outcome exists yet.
Key facts
- COP31 is a negotiating meeting, not the scientific body that measures emissions.
- The conference also includes meetings under the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement.
- An overshoot scenario means temporarily exceeding a temperature threshold; returning below it requires additional action.
How we got here
A preparatory retreat begins in Shamakhi as part of the road to Antalya.
Pre-COP meetings begin in the Pacific ahead of the main negotiations.
UNEP publishes its assessment of the emissions cuts needed to limit and reverse overshoot.
What happens next
- COP31 is scheduled for November 9–20, 2026, in Antalya.