Twelve days, twelve priorities
With just over two weeks to go before the United Nations climate conference opens in Antalya, Türkiye, the COP31 Presidency has set out the full thematic programme for the summit: twelve days, each dedicated to a distinct priority area of climate action, from food and energy to finance and final negotiations.
The conference runs from 9 to 20 November 2026, and each day pairs formal negotiations with ministerial dialogues, expert panels, business forums and partnership announcements, in what the Presidency describes as a programme that connects policy with practice.
The programme opens on 9 November with Food, Agriculture and Health, followed by Energy and Transport on 10 November. The World Leaders Climate Action Summit, the highest-level segment of the conference, then takes over on 11 and 12 November, with its first day running alongside the Zero Waste theme and its second day alongside Resilient Cities and Built Environment.
The second week turns to Finance and Trade on 13 November, Children, Youth, Education and Skills on 14 November, and a day of social and cultural programmes, “A Breath in Antalya”, on 15 November. Science, Industry and Technology follows on 16 November, Ocean, Seas, Nature and Land Use on 17 November, Human and Social Development on 18 November, and “İmece: Enhancing Implementation” on 19 November, before Final Negotiations close the conference on 20 November.
Leaders take centre stage on 11–12 November
The World Leaders Climate Action Summit brings heads of state and government together on the third and fourth days of the conference, later in the schedule than at most previous climate summits. According to the Presidency, the summit aims to strengthen political momentum, reinforce global cooperation and accelerate the implementation of climate commitments.
Its timing matters: by placing the leaders’ segment after the opening thematic days on food, agriculture, health, energy and transport, the Presidency gives ministers and negotiators two days of groundwork before leaders arrive to set the political direction.
An “implementation COP”
The thematic programme fits the message Türkiye’s officials have been repeating in the final countdown. Speaking at an event marking the upcoming United Nations Day on 23 October, Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Berris Ekinci said COP31 would prioritise the practical implementation of climate policies and would be designed as an “implementation COP”.
She pointed to the Climate Implementation Bridge, an initiative developed with the United Nations Development Programme to help turn national climate priorities into bankable projects, and said the conference’s action agenda includes six global targets for 2035. The agenda brings together cities, businesses, investors, researchers, civil society and young people alongside the formal negotiations.
UN Resident Coordinator in Türkiye Babatunde Ahonsi described the approach as “inclusive multilateralism”, noting that preparations have involved dialogues with businesses, municipalities, youth groups and women’s organisations.
Key facts
- COP31 takes place in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026.
- Each of the twelve days has its own theme, from Food, Agriculture and Health to Final Negotiations.
- The World Leaders Climate Action Summit meets on 11–12 November, alongside Zero Waste and Resilient Cities.
- The youth, education and skills day falls on 14 November, one week after the youth conference COY21 meets in Antalya from 5 to 7 November.
- The Presidency frames COP31 as an “implementation COP”, backed by the Climate Implementation Bridge developed with the United Nations Development Programme.
Read more about the road to Antalya in our earlier coverage of the COP31 venue in Antalya.
