COP31, the 2026 UN Climate Change Conference, runs November 9-20, 2026, at the Antalya EXPO Center in Türkiye, under a joint Türkiye-Australia presidency arrangement reached after the two countries’ competing hosting bids were resolved through formal Partnership Modalities. Registration opens November 3, 2026.
Dateline: September 4, 2026.
The details
Registration for COP31 is free and opens November 3, 2026, ahead of the conference; the venue itself closes to new accreditation processing on November 15, per UNFCCC’s participant information page. Between the COP30 and COP31 presidencies, the UNFCCC has run a series of “Road to Antalya” consultations: an informal Heads-of-Delegation consultation on March 11, 2026, a virtual discussion on technology development and transfer on May 14, 2026, and a high-level retreat in Shamakhi, Azerbaijan, on July 22-23, 2026. The UNFCCC’s own Road to Antalya page frames the conference’s core theme as a continuation from COP30: “COP30 marked a shift to implementation,” with COP31’s guidance asking parties for “practical ways to support implementation of climate action on the ground” and for “transformative and ambitious outcomes” on the global response to climate change.
Why it matters for Impact DOTS’ readers
Impact DOTS covers the global impact ecosystem with particular depth across MENA, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia — regions where climate finance mechanisms, carbon-market rules, and adaptation funding decided at a COP directly shape which social ventures and impact funds get capitalized the following year. An implementation-focused COP, as the presidencies are framing COP31, tends to produce more concrete financing instruments and less rhetoric than an ambition-setting COP — worth tracking closely for readers assessing where climate-linked grant and investment programs are headed into 2027. Türkiye’s own position as a bridge between Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia also puts negotiation dynamics relevant to MENA in a more prominent seat than at recent COPs held elsewhere.
What’s next
Confirmed: free registration opens November 3, 2026; the venue’s accreditation processing closes November 15; the conference itself runs November 9-20, 2026, at the Antalya EXPO Center. Speculative or not yet scheduled: the UNFCCC states its Road to Antalya page “will be regularly updated,” meaning additional pre-COP consultations between now and November are likely but not yet dated publicly — readers should check the official page directly rather than assume a fixed schedule. No detailed agenda of pavilions or side-event tracks specific to MENA, Sub-Saharan Africa, or Southeast Asia has been published as of this writing.
FAQ
When and where is COP31?
November 9-20, 2026, at the Antalya EXPO Center in Türkiye.
When does COP31 registration open?
Free registration opens November 3, 2026.
Why is Türkiye hosting with Australia involved?
The two countries had competing bids to host; they resolved this through formal Partnership Modalities, with Türkiye hosting and Australia partnering in the presidency’s work.
What is COP31’s expected focus?
The presidencies are framing it as an implementation-focused COP, building on what they describe as COP30’s shift toward practical delivery of existing climate commitments rather than new ambition-setting alone.
