COP31 climate summit opens in Antalya with more than 190 countries — and the United States absent
Delegates from more than 190 countries are gathering in Antalya, Türkiye, for COP31, the UN climate summit running from 9 to 20 November. Türkiye hosts the talks while Australia presides over the formal negotiations under a compromise between the two countries. Nearly all of the 196 Paris Agreement signatories are expected to take part, except the United States, which has withdrawn from the agreement. The summit opens after the UN Environment Programme warned that current policies put the world on course for 2.8°C of warming this century, and it will launch the second global stocktake of progress under the Paris Agreement.
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Key points
- COP31 runs 9–20 November in Antalya, Türkiye, with delegates from more than 190 countries.
- Türkiye hosts; Australia presides over the formal negotiations under a shared-presidency compromise.
- The United States sends no official delegation after its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.
- UNEP warns current policies point to 2.8°C of warming this century, and that passing 1.5°C is now unavoidable.
Watch: the moment itself
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Video: United Nations · Watch on YouTube
What happened
The summit is the first since the Paris Agreement's central 1.5°C goal was breached. Two roadmaps drawn up by Brazil — one on moving away from fossil fuels, one on halting deforestation — will be central to the talks, alongside climate finance for developing countries, a just transition for workers, and the launch of the second global stocktake, the formal check on collective progress due to conclude in 2028.
World leaders are expected in Antalya for a summit segment on 11–12 November. Developing countries arrive seeking more adaptation finance and support from the loss and damage fund, while rich countries have been cutting overseas aid — one of the tensions the fortnight will test.
Claim by claim
Why this label: The dates and venue are the UN's own; the attendance figure is from UN News and The Guardian's summit preview, in agreement.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: The shared arrangement is stated by UN News and The Guardian's preview in the same terms.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: The US absence is reported by The Guardian and UN previews; it is carried as the absence of an official delegation, not of every American attendee.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
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Why this label: UNEP's own summary of its report, corroborated by Nature's report of the launch.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
What we know / what we don't know yet
What we know
- The summit's dates, venue, shared Turkish-Australian arrangement and the US absence of an official delegation.
- UNEP's warning: 2.8°C on current policies, about 2.6°C if all pledges are delivered, and 1.5°C overshoot unavoidable.
- The second global stocktake begins at this summit.
What we don't know yet
- What decisions the summit will reach on fossil fuels, climate finance and loss and damage — negotiations run to 20 November.
- The final attendance list of heads of state and government for the 11–12 November leaders' segment.
Why it matters
These talks decide whether nearly 200 nations can still act together on warming that is already breaching the Paris limit. For African countries — who contribute least to emissions and face some of the worst floods and droughts — the finance and loss-and-damage outcomes matter as much as the emissions pledges.
Background
Show the background timeline (4)
The Paris Agreement commits its signatories to keeping warming well below 2°C and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.
At COP28, a final summit agreement addressed fossil fuels directly for the first time, resolving to move away from them without a deadline.
UNEP's Emissions Gap Report 2026 finds current policies point to 2.8°C of warming this century and that exceeding 1.5°C is now unavoidable.
COP31 opens in Antalya, running to 20 November.
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Published in Checking state as the summit opens — decisions are still to be negotiated, and this page will follow them as they are taken.