Turkey Opens UN Climate Talks, Leaders Next
Published Monday, 9 November, 6:30 AM ET (2:30 PM Antalya) · Source: COP31 organisers, UNFCCC, UNEP, Turkish presidency
Key Facts
- What: COP31, the 31st UN climate conference, opened in Antalya, Türkiye, on Monday, 9 November 2026 and runs through 20 November.
- Leaders’ summit: 11-12 November in the Blue Zone, the UN-run negotiating area; start times are not yet confirmed.
- Who: Murat Kurum, Türkiye’s environment minister, is COP31 President; Australia’s climate minister, Chris Bowen, is President of Negotiations.
- Attendance: Organisers say 102 countries’ heads of state or government have confirmed, up from 91 on 31 October.
- Money gap: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) says developing countries need about US$305 billion a year for adaptation by 2035; rich countries gave US$28.2 billion to US$31.7 billion in 2024.
The world’s biggest climate meeting has begun on the Turkish Mediterranean coast, and the heads of government arrive on Wednesday. Our COP31 climate summit Antalya (leaders 11-12 Nov) hub tracks every step.
COP31 runs for 12 days. We found no reporting yet on what happened in the opening plenary, the first formal session, including whether the agenda was adopted.
Who Is Running the Talks
Murat Kurum, Türkiye’s Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister, serves as COP31 President. Australia’s Climate Change and Energy Minister, Chris Bowen, holds the separate post of President of Negotiations, which runs the negotiating text.
The leaders’ summit is held under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The organiser’s programme lists a high-level opening session, national statements, roundtables on resilient cities, climate finance, decarbonisation and the circular economy, and bilateral meetings.
How Many Leaders Are Coming?
Organisers say heads of state or government from 102 countries have confirmed as of 9 November, along with more than 300 ministers. On 31 October Mr. Kurum put the figure at 91 heads of state and government and nearly 300 ministers.
The organiser’s page cites 197 Parties, meaning signatories to the UN climate treaty, the UNFCCC, and about 100,000 participants. We could not confirm how many of the leaders will speak.
What Is at Stake
UNEP’s 2026 Emissions Gap Report says fully implementing countries’ new climate pledges would cut global emissions by 11% to 15% by 2035 from 2025 levels. That path still points to about 2.6°C of warming this century, and current policies point to 2.8°C.
To return to 1.5°C after overshooting it, emissions would have to fall 18% by 2030 and 45% by 2035 from 2025 levels. UNEP’s 2026 Adaptation Gap Report puts the need of developing countries at about US$305 billion a year by 2035, against US$28.2 billion to US$31.7 billion provided by developed countries in 2024.
The Turkish presidency’s Action Agenda is a set of voluntary targets that runs alongside the formal negotiations. It proposes that electricity reach 35% of final energy consumption by 2035, that buildings’ energy intensity fall at least 25%, and that the circular material use rate reach at least 15%.
The Agenda Fight to Watch
Before the opening, African countries had asked for extra agenda items on adaptation finance and trade, and Australia was trying to avoid a fight over the agenda. We found no reporting on the outcome.
A roadmap for moving away from fossil fuels has stalled and is not formally on the agenda. The next fixed date is the start of the leaders’ summit on 11 November.
What It Means for US Readers
Antalya is eight hours ahead of US Eastern Time, now that US daylight saving has ended. A 10:00 session in Antalya therefore falls at 2:00 a.m. ET.
The organiser’s site, cop31.tr, carries the programme, and the UN climate secretariat (UNFCCC) site hosts the negotiating schedule. We have not verified whether a live webcast is available.
What Is Not Known
We do not know whether the agenda was adopted or how the dispute over adaptation finance and trade items ended. Daily start times for 11-12 November are not confirmed.
We could not confirm which leaders have spoken so far, or how many of the 102 confirmed leaders will travel to Antalya in person.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the COP31 leaders’ summit take place?
The leaders’ summit is scheduled for 11-12 November 2026 in the Blue Zone at the Antalya venue. Daily start times have not been confirmed.
Who is running COP31?
Murat Kurum, Türkiye’s environment minister, is COP31 President. Australia’s climate and energy minister, Chris Bowen, is President of Negotiations.
How many leaders will attend?
Organisers say 102 heads of state or government have confirmed as of 9 November. The figure given by Mr. Kurum on 31 October was 91.
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