WORLD LEADERS TAKE CENTRE STAGE AS COP31 TURNS CLIMATE PROMISES INTO AN ACTION TEST
ANTALYA, Türkiye, Wednesday, 11 November 2026 – COP31 enters a major political phase today as heads of state and government gather for the Antalya Leaders’ Summit, with clean energy, climate resilience and investment among the issues on the agenda.
The two-day summit follows opening discussions focused on translating previous climate commitments into practical action.
On Tuesday, Brazil presented a roadmap to help countries move away from fossil fuels, while Türkiye promoted its “35-by-35” initiative to increase electricity’s share of global energy consumption to 35 per cent by 2035. Financing costs and inadequate electricity grids remain major obstacles to the transition.
Today’s official opening session is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., with addresses expected from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.
Leaders will begin delivering national statements from 2:30 p.m., outlining their countries’ climate priorities and commitments. Bilateral meetings and parallel high-level events will also take place.
A clean energy and electrification dialogue is scheduled for 3 p.m., alongside an event on forests. Later discussions will address waste reduction, methane emissions, green industrial investment and jobs.
An early-warning event at 5 p.m. will focus on protecting communities from increasingly dangerous weather.
The programme places attention on how governments can turn commitments into funded projects, stronger infrastructure and better protection for vulnerable populations.
The Leaders’ Summit continues tomorrow, while the broader COP31 negotiations run until 20 November.
All times are local to Türkiye and remain subject to programme changes.
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