The United Nations conference will take place from 9 to 20 November and will address around 100 key points on the climate agenda through 12 thematic sessions dedicated to areas such as energy, food, climate finance and artificial intelligence.
The countdown has already begun for the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP31), which will take place in Antalya, Türkiye’s leading tourist destination, from 9 to 20 November. The event, which marks Türkiye’s first time chairing and organising a COP, will bring together representatives from nearly 200 countries to address the main challenges facing international climate action.
Regarded as the world’s leading platform for climate change negotiations, the COP brings together political leaders, researchers, businesses and civil society organisations every year under the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Following negotiations held in Brazil during COP30, Türkiye was awarded the mandate to host the 2026 conference, a milestone that reinforces its role in international climate diplomacy and its standing as a venue for major international events and conferences.
Described by Türkiye as the “COP of the Future”, COP31 aims to transform the commitments made at previous conferences into concrete and actionable measures. Over two weeks, world leaders, policymakers, experts, businesses and representatives of civil society will gather at the Antalya EXPO Centre to discuss solutions, evaluate policies and make progress on new agreements to tackle the climate crisis.
Twelve themed sessions to accelerate climate action
According to the official programme of the Turkish COP31 presidency, each session will be dedicated to a specific area of climate action. Through ministerial dialogues, business forums, expert roundtables, technical workshops and meetings with civil society and youth organisations, the various sessions will seek to foster cooperation and the implementation of concrete solutions.
The sessions will address issues such as the energy transition, sustainable finance, resilient cities, the circular economy, nature-based solutions and technological innovation. The conference will open on 9 November with a day dedicated to “Food, Agriculture and Health”, followed by “Energy and Transport”, focusing on issues such as energy security, electrification and grid infrastructure.
One of the highlights will be the World Leaders’ Summit on Climate Action, to be held on 11 and 12 November. The summit will bring together heads of state and government with the aim of strengthening international cooperation and accelerating the implementation of climate commitments. The first day will be dedicated to the concept of “Zero Waste”, whilst the second will focus on “Resilient Cities and the Built Environment”.
The programme will be rounded off with thematic sessions on Finance and Trade; Children, Youth, Education and Skills; Science, Industry and Technology; Oceans, Seas, Nature and Land Use; Human, Social and Gender Development; and IMECE, an initiative aimed at promoting the global implementation of climate action. The conference will conclude with a session dedicated to the final negotiations.
Turkey strengthens its leadership in sustainable tourism
As part of COP31, Turkey will use the event to present its projects, policies and progress in the field of sustainable tourism, as well as to highlight the role of the tourism sector in adaptation and resilience in the face of climate change.
To this end, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye and the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) will organise a series of high-level meetings during the thematic day dedicated to Human, Social and Gender Development. The sessions will take place both in the Blue Zone, set aside for official negotiations, and in the Green Zone, which is open to the public.
Among the planned events, the session entitled “Tourism Climate Solutions: Low-Carbon, Zero Waste and Climate-Resilient Destinations”, to be held on 18 November in the Blue Zone, stands out. The event will feature the Deputy Minister for Culture and Tourism, Nadir Alpaslan, and the Executive Director of UN Tourism, Shijun Liu, and will serve to present Türkiye’s national model for sustainable tourism and the implementation of the country’s Environmental and Cultural Sustainability Programme, developed in collaboration with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).
Furthermore, the Green Zone will host four panels focusing on national transformation, investment in sustainable tourism, the sustainability of cultural and gastronomic heritage, as well as ways for different sectors to collaborate in order to promote a more sustainable tourism model.
About the TÜRKİYE TOURISM PROMOTION AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (TGA)
TGA works to ensure that Türkiye is a recognised brand in national and international tourism, to promote Türkiye’s tangible and intangible, natural, cultural, biological and man-made heritage, and to engage in short-, medium- and long-term communication and marketing activities, with a view to increasing the contribution of tourism investment to the national economy and improving the quality of service in tourism.
TGA is responsible for carrying out all promotional, marketing and communication activities to help Türkiye achieve its tourism objectives, promote and market existing tourism resources worldwide, and identify, develop and make potential tourism resources available online, in line with the tourism strategies and policies drawn up by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Source: COMUNICACIÓN IBEROAMERICANA