Turkey’s UN Climate Talks Start in 8 Days
Türkiye’s UN climate summit, COP31, opens in the Mediterranean city of Antalya in eight days. It is the 31st annual “Conference of the Parties” under the UN climate convention,.
Türkiye is the official name of Turkey.The official calendar is now set, and Türkiye’s environment minister said on Oct. 22 that 85 world leaders have confirmed they will attend.
No names have been published.Published Sunday, Nov. 1, 2:40 a.m. EST (10:40 a.m. in Antalya) · Source: UNFCCC (the UN climate secretariat), COP31 Türkiye presidency
Key Facts
- When: COP31 runs Nov. 9-20, 2026 at the Antalya EXPO Center, Türkiye.
- Leaders: The Antalya Leaders Summit is Wednesday Nov. 11 and Thursday Nov. 12; 85 leaders are said to be coming.
- Time: Antalya is 8 hours ahead of US Eastern Time; 10 a.m. there is 2 a.m. EST.
- Unknown: Which leaders come, and whether a joint declaration emerges.
What The Calendar Now Shows
COP31 runs alongside CMP21, the meeting of Kyoto Protocol members, and CMA8, the meeting of Paris Agreement members. Two technical bodies, the Subsidiary Bodies for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA65) and for Implementation (SBI65), meet Nov. 9-14.
The UN climate secretariat (UNFCCC) lists preparatory meetings before the summit: least-developed countries on Nov. 3-4, small island states and an African Group meeting on Nov. 5-6, and the Group of 77 and China, the large developing-country bloc, on Nov. 7-8. The venue, including registration, closes on Sunday, Nov. 15.
Which Day Covers What
Türkiye’s programme gives each day a theme. Nov. 9 covers food, agriculture and health; Nov. 10 energy and transport; Nov. 11 zero waste and the circular economy; and Nov. 12 resilient cities.
Later days focus on oceans and nature, human and social development, and implementation. Final negotiations are set for Nov. 20.
Leaders On Nov. 11-12
Heads of state and government deliver national statements at the leaders’ summit on Nov. 11-12. A resumed high-level segment on Nov. 17-18 hears ministers and senior officials of countries whose leader did not speak.
The 85-leader figure comes from the host government, and no names are public yet. Whether the summit produces a joint declaration is also unknown.
What It Means for US Readers
Antalya runs on UTC+3, three hours ahead of Greenwich time and eight hours ahead of US Eastern Time once US clocks fall back on Nov. 1. A 10 a.m. session in Antalya starts at 2 a.m. EST.
The key window for US watchers is Nov. 11-12, when energy, transport and circular-economy days could produce pledges that touch US companies. The official schedule is marked indicative, so check the COP31 pages from Nov. 9 for broadcast times.
What Is Not Known
The official schedule carries no clock time for the opening sessions, and some items are still marked to be confirmed. We found no new agreement, emissions pledge or finance package announced so far.
It is also unclear which countries will announce new commitments. Türkiye’s presidency says the summit should give political momentum to its priority themes.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is COP31?
COP31 runs from Monday, Nov. 9 to Friday, Nov. 20, 2026 at the Antalya EXPO Center in Aksu, Antalya, Türkiye. The Antalya Leaders Summit is Nov. 11-12.
How does the time difference affect US viewers?
Antalya is 8 hours ahead of US Eastern Time after US daylight saving ends on Nov. 1. A 10 a.m. Antalya session is 2 a.m. EST.
Has a list of attending leaders been released?
Türkiye’s environment minister said on Oct. 22 that 85 leaders have confirmed. No names have been published.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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