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The 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change begins Monday, Nov. 9, in Antalya, bringing together heads of state, ministers, scientists, entrepreneurs and civil society representatives from around the world.
The summit, the UN’s annual climate conference, runs through Nov. 20 and is chaired by Türkiye.
The first COP was held in Berlin in 1995. Each year, countries party to the convention assess progress in the fight against climate change, develop joint solutions and take decisions that shape global climate policy.
This year’s meeting follows a “COP of the Future, Implementation COP” approach, built on dialogue, consensus and action. It aims to strengthen trust among countries and turn climate commitments into concrete, measurable practices.
Events are split between two areas. The Blue Zone, covering 527,414 square meters, hosts official negotiations, high-level meetings and diplomatic talks. Entry is controlled and follows U.N. accreditation rules.
The zone includes plenary halls, delegation offices, pavilions, a press center and restaurants. Its largest plenary hall, named “Anatolia,” seats 1,794 people, while the “Mediterranean” hall seats 828. A five-leaf structure called the “Time Tunnel,” covering 10,000 square meters, serves as the Zero Waste Museum.
The Green Zone, covering 582,244 square meters, is the public participation area.
It hosts exhibitions, concerts, panels and workshops, with thematic centers including the Türkiye Pavilion, the Science Center, Resilient Cities and the Start-up Zone.
Its largest hall, the 5,000-seat “Gaza Hall,” is also there. Under the “7 Regions, 7 Cuisines” approach, visitors can try Mediterranean, Black Sea, Gaziantep, Kayseri, Konya, Turkic world and zero-waste cuisines.
Murat Kurum, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, said in a live broadcast on TRT Haber that Türkiye aims to deliver an “implementation COP.”
He said the 1.5-degree target set under the Paris Agreement, the global pact to limit warming, looks difficult to achieve.
“We set 10 items on the action agenda,” Kurum said, naming resilient cities, Zero Waste and energy transition among them. Zero Waste is Türkiye’s national waste reduction and recycling initiative, and nearly everything at the venue is designed to be recycled.
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Kurum said he will appear before the press with all COP presidents to make a joint call, which he described as a first in COP history.
He added that resilient cities will be presented at an event on Nov. 11 that leaders will also attend.
A Crisis Center has been set up in the Green Zone under the coordination of the Antalya Governorship, with representatives from the police, health authorities, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), the fire department and utilities. Five infirmaries, seven active and two reserve ambulances, and 20 mobile National Medical Rescue Team (UMKE) units will be on duty.
A total of 27,957 personnel from the police, gendarmerie, and coast guard will provide security. For transport, 630 low-emission buses supplied by 25 municipalities will serve participants.
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