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COP31 climate change conference in Türkiye
COP31 climate change conference in Türkiye
Liselotte Jensen, Members' Research Service
Summary
The 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change will be held in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026. The conference will launch the second global stocktake (GST) of climate action under the Paris Agreement, while seeking to advance implementation of targets and tools agreed at previous COPs. The European Parliament is due to vote during the October II session on a motion for a resolution on COP31, tabled by its Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI).
Translations are available for this publication.
Background
Progress is slow towards the COP28‑agreed GST1 outcome, as parties will be expected to set the direction for the next two‑year stocktake process. Combined with a sense of gridlock in advancing texts ahead of COP31, acknowledged in the closing statement at the Bonn climate conference in June, observers note increasing strain on the multilateral climate regime. Key topics for COP31, beyond GST modalities, include the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), the 2035 climate finance goal of at least US$300 billion annually to developing countries, and securing resources for the fund for responding to loss and damage and the Just Transition Mechanism agreed at COP30. The COP31 action agenda focuses on implementation of previous commitments. Türkiye will host, and Australia will lead official negotiations.
Council negotiating position
On 9 October 2026, the Economic and Financial Affairs (ECOFIN) Council adopted conclusions on climate finance, noting that the EU and its Member States continue to be the world's largest public contributors. While reaffirming the EU's commitment to the 2035 goal, ECOFIN stressed the need: to broaden the contributor base to achieve it, while also pointing to the urgency of ensuring consistency of finance flows towards low greenhouse gas emissions pathways; for all countries to ensure enabling environments for private sustainable investment. Noting the role of carbon pricing and ensuring phase‑out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, ECOFIN acknowledged that finance is an obstacle to the transition away from fossil fuel activities. On 12 October, environment ministers adopted the EU's COP31 negotiating position, underlining the EU's commitment to multilateralism and progressing on reforms to ensure it is fit for purpose. It notes the importance of COP31 leading to accelerated mitigation and implementation, calling for the highest possible ambition to limit the overshoot of the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement. Reaffirming its commitment to a just transition globally, it highlights key initiatives including the Global Climate Action Agenda and the role of plurilateral initiatives in global climate action.
European Parliament position
On 1 October 2026, the ENVI committee adopted a motion for a resolution on COP31, expressing concern about the insufficient progress towards tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030, and in the transition away from fossil fuels, as agreed in the first GST outcome. It stresses that COP31 marks an implementation phase, and supports the Global Implementation Accelerator to ensure concrete action on the ground. Efforts are needed by all parties to close the emissions gap, it notes, while pointing to the particular responsibility of major emitters. It encourages the EU to take a leading role in negotiating a fossil fuel non‑proliferation treaty, and to engage further towards the alignment of financial flows with the Paris Agreement. It calls for parties to contribute their fair share to the climate finance goal, which it considers should include subgoals for mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage. It regrets the lack of resources to the response fund for loss and damage and calls to advance on adaptation and just transition.
Classification
Policy areas: Environment
Regions: European Union
Committees: Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI)
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