The world's main annual climate negotiations got underway on Tuesday, with delegates gathering in the Turkish coastal city of Antalya for COP31.
The conference brings together negotiators, ministers, and observers from around the world for talks that typically stretch over two weeks, covering issues from national emissions targets to financing for countries most vulnerable to climate change. This year's gathering opened alongside reports indicating that 2026 is on track to rank among the warmest years ever recorded, adding urgency to discussions that have, in recent years, increasingly focused on the gap between countries' stated climate pledges and their actual emissions trajectories.
COP conferences have become an annual fixture of global diplomacy since the first was held in Berlin in 1995, rotating among host countries and regions each year. Turkey's hosting this year places the talks at a geographic and political crossroads, a country that sits between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia and that has positioned itself as a bridge in several other diplomatic contexts this year as well. Early commentary around this year's talks has focused on what some observers call an "overshoot" narrative, the idea that the world may temporarily exceed key warming targets before bringing temperatures back down, and the debate over whether that framing risks substituting for more immediate emissions action.
For businesses and investors, COP summits have increasingly become venues where governments announce new climate-related policy and financing commitments, which can have direct implications for energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing investment decisions in the following year. With China separately reporting plans to lead the world in energy investment in 2026, this year's talks arrive at a moment when the center of gravity for energy spending is shifting markedly toward Asia.
Negotiations are expected to continue for roughly two weeks, with closer attention likely in the final days as countries work toward a concluding agreement.
What does COP stand for?
COP stands for Conference of the Parties, the annual meeting of countries that are signatories to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Why is this year's location notable?
Turkey sits at a crossroads between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, and has played a bridging role in several other diplomatic discussions this year.