World leaders are due in a Turkish resort city on 11 and 12 November for one of the biggest climate meetings of the year. The COP31 climate summit in Antalya opens two days earlier, on 9 November.
COP31 is the 31st annual UN climate conference, held in Türkiye with Australia leading the negotiations. Türkiye’s environment minister says 85 world leaders have confirmed they will attend.
Key Facts
- Conference: Monday, 9 November to Friday, 20 November 2026, at the Antalya Expo Center.
- Leaders’ summit: Wednesday, 11 November and Thursday, 12 November, in the first week.
- Attendance: Environment Minister Murat Kurum said on 22 October that 85 world leaders have confirmed.
- Not yet known: Official programme times; we will add them in US Eastern Time once published.
Who Is In Charge
Murat Kurum, Türkiye’s environment minister, is the president-designate of COP31 and chairs the conference. Chris Bowen, Australia’s climate minister, is president of negotiations, the role that steers the talks between countries.
Türkiye is the host country, while Australia leads the negotiating side.
What To Expect On 11 And 12 November
The leaders’ summit sits in the first week, before ministers settle down to negotiate. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese are expected to give remarks.
The first day closes with a gala dinner hosted by Erdoğan and his wife, Emine Erdoğan, for heads of state and government. Delegates will be split between a Blue Zone for registered participants and a public Green Zone.
What It Means For US Readers
Antalya is in Türkiye’s time zone, three hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. When US daylight saving ends on 1 November, that puts it eight hours ahead of New York, so a noon session in Antalya is 4 a.m. Eastern.
US climate policy and money are likely to be watched closely, but whether Washington sends a high-level delegation has not been confirmed.
What Is Not Known
The detailed hourly programme is still marked preliminary, so we are not publishing session times yet. Which leaders will attend is not public beyond the count of 85.
Nobody knows yet whether the summit will produce new national climate pledges or finance announcements.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is COP31?
COP31 runs from 9 to 20 November 2026 at the Antalya Expo Center in Türkiye. The leaders’ summit takes place on 11 and 12 November.
Who leads COP31?
Türkiye’s environment minister Murat Kurum is the president-designate. Australia’s Chris Bowen is president of negotiations.
Published Thursday, 29 October 2026, 11:50 a.m. ET (6:50 p.m. in Antalya) · Sources: UNFCCC, the Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error
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