Daily updates on the key takeaways and outcomes from COP31. Scroll down for the latest COP31 update.
First, what is COP and why is this year’s summit important for our ocean?
What is COP?
The UN Conference of Parties (COP) is the annual summit where countries decide how the world responds to climate change. COP31 is the 31st annual summit held in Antalya, Türkiye from 9-20 November 2026.
What is Pre-COP?
Pre-COP is a smaller gathering before COP where countries test ideas, build alignment and shape the priorities that drive the main summit. Pre-COP shaped the agenda and COP31 delivers the decisions.
What role does Australia play in COP31?
For the first time, Australia is President of Negotiations at a UN climate summit, it is a significant moment of global responsibility. Türkiye is hosting, with Australia chairing negotiations on emissions, climate finance and the transition away from fossil fuels. Australia faces scrutiny at COP31, as progress on renewables sits alongside continued fossil fuel approvals.
Blue COP: why COP31 is important for our ocean
This year, the ocean is being recognised as central to climate action, not a sideline issue. As an ocean nation, Australia has an important role to play in protecting it. Pacific nations have helped shape the COP31 agenda and put the ocean at the heart of the climate conversation.
Fossil of the Day
The Fossil of the Day and Ray of the Day are daily awards from the Climate Action Network, naming countries blocking climate progress at COP and those driving it.
What happened at Pre-COP?
Fiji and Tuvalu hosted the Pre-COP from 5 to 8 October 2026, elevating a Pacific-led agenda. More than 4,000 people from over 100 countries attended to set priorities ahead of the main COP31 summit in Antalya.
Pre-COP ended with a Pacific-led declaration, new resilience funding and strong signals that the ocean and electrification will shape the COP31 agenda.
Pre-COP Outcomes:
The Taku Pakasoa Declaration set a Pacific-led vision, paving the way for Türkiye’s Antalya Ocean Declaration at COP31
Six nations made new financial commitments to a Pacific-led fund for climate and disaster preparedness
Australia announced $7.29 million to speed up Pacific renewable energy and signed a clean energy agreement with Vanuatu
Electrification emerged as a key COP31 pathway, with Australia backing Türkiye’s push to lift it to 35% of global energy use by 2035
COP31 Updates
Key Takeaways:
- Leadership managed COP31 expectations: “no COP is a silver bullet.”
- The Pacific Pre-COP asked for a Blue COP, but opening statements mentioned the ocean just once.
- Day 1 theme was Food, Agriculture and Health
The opening statements of COP31 set expectations for the summit.
COP31 will be “focused, practical and concrete,” with “no surprises.”
–Chris Bowen, COP31 President of Negotiations, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Australia
It must be an “Implementation COP” that leaves “a culture of working together, not a list of decisions.”
–Murat Kurum, COP31 President, Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, Türkiye
Blue COP
The Pacific called for a Blue COP that puts the ocean at the heart of COP31, but it was mentioned just once in the opening statements. As our climate regulator and life-support system, the ocean cannot be relegated to the Ocean theme day on 17 November.
Day 1 Response
Australian climate groups said Australia cannot credibly lead COP31 while approving new coal and gas at home and must break the deadlock on climate finance and the transition away from fossil fuels.
Fossil of the Day: New Zealand
For halving its 2050 methane target, exempting farm emissions from carbon pricing, and changing the law to shield polluters from climate cases.
Ray of the Day: Brazil
For publishing roadmaps to end deforestation and transition away from fossil fuels, with Amazon losses already falling sharply.
Key Takeaways:
- BIG TAKEAWAY: Brazil handed over a fossil fuel roadmap, but it is voluntary and sits outside the negotiations.
- OCEAN: The Philippines has called for an end to offshore fossil fuel expansion. Both Australia and Türkiye are going the other way.
- DAY 2 THEME: Energy and Transport: Türkiye put its 35-by-35 electrification pledge to governments, without requiring the electricity to be clean.
- FOSSILS OF THE DAY: 9 wealthy countries with absent leaders
Day 2 Theme: Energy & Transport
Türkiye asked governments to sign the 35-by-35 pledge, lifting electricity from 23% to 35% of global energy use by 2035.
The pledge does not require that electricity to come from clean sources. France has called for “clean electrification” in the COP31 outcome.
Brasil presented its Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels (TAFF) roadmap.
It is voluntary and not open for negotiation.
It names no countries, sets no deadline for ending production, and delays the main cuts until after 2031.
A fossil fuel phase-out is still not on the COP31 agenda.
Climate finance
Australia and Denmark signed a partnership to pool expertise and investment across offshore wind, energy storage, renewable hydrogen and industrial decarbonisation.
It also commits them to improving Pacific access to climate finance.
Fossil Fuels
The Philippines is asking COP31 to end new fossil fuel exploration and expansion at sea.
The two countries leading COP31 are doing the opposite.
Hours before the Leaders’ Summit, Türkiye’s President announced two new oilfield discoveries, an estimated 135 million barrels. Australia continues to license offshore gasfields.
Fossils of the Day
- Germany
- France
- Italy
- Denmark
- Sweden
- Ireland
- Netherlands
- Canada
- Japan
For leaving empty chairs at the Leaders’ Summit. Several European leaders headed to Dublin instead, for the EU’s first summit devoted entirely to AI.
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Header image: FotoField / Shutterstock.com