Starting from Monday, November 9, various global leaders are meeting in Antalya, Türkiye for a major United Nations conference on climate change, a gathering that comes amid news the earth is warming at a dangerously fast pace. ALSO READ: What's at stake for Rwanda as COP31 approaches? The UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) is expected to centre on how to curb ever-rising greenhouse gas emissions, which experts say are overheating the planet. “The science is clear. Despite some progress in recent years, the world is set to cross 1.5°C of global warming,” said Martin Krause, the Director of the Climate Change Division at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius refers to a rise in the earth's average surface temperature by 1.5°C compared with pre-industrial levels (1850–1900). In September, UNEP’s Limiting Overshoot report found that the average global temperature will inevitably rise more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, likely within the next few years. That would breach a goal of the Paris Agreement and raise the risks of droughts, floods, sea level rise and widespread forest fires, the report found. “COP31 offers a critical opportunity to turn climate change commitments into action and to start bending the temperature curve back down, Krause added. ALSO READ: COP29: What African group of negotiators hope to walk away with At COP31, observers say, negotiators will need to find ways to head off those threats while navigating geopolitical tensions, which could make international cooperation more challenging. Team Rwanda also joins delegates from around the world for two weeks of climate negotiations, partnerships and action to advance a greener, more resilient future. Rwanda's COP31 negotiating priorities include pushing for a roadmap to the $300 billion annual climate finance goal, with more public finance going to adaptation. The country also wants to showcase its readiness for high-integrity carbon markets, and back a just transition away from unabated fossil fuels with financing for developing countries' clean energy shift. “Rwanda will showcase the country's climate action, share progress toward a greener, more resilient future, and strengthen partnerships to accelerate sustainable development,” reads a statement from the ministry of environment. As the meeting gets underway, here are the general issues that the world leaders will be discussing: 1. Keeping warming as close to 1.5°C as possible One of the defining issues at COP31 will be how countries respond to the predictions that temperatures will at least temporarily rise more than 1.5°C. COP31 will test whether governments are prepared to align policies, investments, and international cooperation around a pathway that limits overshoot and enables temperatures to return below 1.5°C as quickly as possible. 2. Turning climate promises into action COP31 also be used as a platform to assess whether countries are turning their climate commitments into action, from expanding clean electricity and reducing dependence on fossil fuels to halting deforestation and preparing for climate shocks. On the negotiations front, advancing preparations for the Second Global Stocktake, expected to conclude in 2028, will be a major priority. “The credibility of the Paris Agreement depends on whether decisions made at international climate conferences translate into tangible results on the ground,” said UNEP’s Krause. Türkiye’s COP31 Presidency has put forward voluntary targets designed to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Those include increasing the global electrification rate to 35 per cent by 2035 and reducing energy intensity in the building sector by at least 25 per cent by 2035, among other priorities. 3. Delivering climate finance to countries that need it most A major test for COP31 will be whether developed countries can advance the implementation of a collective goal that commits them to mobilising at least $300 billion annually in climate finance for developing countries by 2035. This forms part of a broader effort to increase climate finance from public and private sources to at least $1.3 trillion annually by 2035. Funding for adaptation and support for countries experiencing loss and damage from climate-related disasters will be high on the agenda. Developing nations and small island states have consistently called for more accessible and predictable funding in these areas. UNEP’s Adaptation Gap Report 2026 highlights the scale of the challenge: even tripling current international public adaptation finance would meet just 23–29 per cent of developing countries’ needs. “While most countries recognize the need for more climate finance, disagreements remain over where the money should come from and how it should be channeled,” Krause said. “We expect these questions to be central to discussions at COP31.” 4. Helping communities adapt to a warmer world At COP31, negotiations will also focus on progress towards the Global Goal on Adaptation, an international framework designed to strengthen countries’ ability to measure resilience to climate change. Governments will also face pressure to improve national adaptation plans, invest in measures that protect vulnerable communities, and increase funding for adaptation. One growing concern is extreme heat. As temperatures continue to rise, there is a growing recognition that access to sustainable cooling is critical for protecting lives, supporting public health, strengthening food security, boosting productivity and resilience, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. COP31 will provide an opportunity to demonstrate how heat resilience and sustainable cooling can advance adaptation, mitigation and sustainable development goals. 5. Speeding up the clean energy transition Energy systems account for roughly 70 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, making the shift to cleaner energy sources essential to meeting international climate goals. Electrification is emerging as a central theme of the COP31 Action Agenda and negotiations. Expanding electrification combined with renewable energy deployment, modernization of grids, and energy efficiency improvement can reduce dependence on high-emitting fuels and bring emissions down. Buildings will be a particularly important sector to watch. Under the COP31 Action Agenda, and with support from the UNEP-hosted Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction, the Antalya Compact for Energy Efficient Buildings will be launched. 6. Cutting methane emissions and tackling waste As countries confront the prospect of a 1.5°C overshoot, reducing methane emissions offers one of the fastest opportunities to slow the rate of warming in the near term. COP31 will provide an important test of whether governments are moving beyond commitments to deliver concrete methane reductions across the energy, agriculture and waste sectors. Waste management will be a focus, led by Turkiye’s Presidency through the Action Agenda. One priority is reducing the amount of food and other organic waste sent to landfills, where it decomposes and releases methane into the atmosphere. Methane emissions from organic waste remain a significant and often under-addressed source of greenhouse gases.
