The incoming presidency of the 31st Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) or COP31 has set out an ambitious roadmap to strengthen multilateral climate action, emphasising implementation, inclusivity, and a new model of global cooperation as climate impacts intensify.
In a letter dated April 13, the COP31 President-Designate, appointed by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said the world is entering a “decisive period for the future of climate action,” warning that “the impacts of climate change are deepening and the need for multilateral cooperation is greater than ever.” This, the letter states, “demands concrete and resolute steps in response.”
Positioning Türkiye’s presidency as a bridge-builder, the President-designate said the objective is to “bring parties together and reinforce confidence in the ability of multilateral climate action to deliver tangible results,” while preserving and strengthening achievements under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement.
The letter underscores continuity with previous climate summits, noting that Türkiye “will act in continuity with the work and outputs of previous sessions… including COP30 Belém outcomes,” referring to COP30 Belém. It also highlights the importance of the “Troika approach” linking past, current, and future presidencies—Brazil, Azerbaijan, and Türkiye—to ensure stability and predictability.
The presidency of COP31 was decided through the consensus-based process under the UNFCCC, which rotates hosting rights among regional groups; for COP31, the turn fell to the Eastern European Group, where Türkiye emerged as host, while Australia had also mounted a competing bid but later partnered with Türkiye in a joint arrangement; the decision effectively took shape during and around COP30 Belém, where Parties informally and then formally aligned on Türkiye hosting and presiding over COP31, and by 2026 Türkiye had assumed the role of incoming presidency, as reflected in the April 13 letter, resulting in a hybrid model in which Türkiye holds the presidency and hosts the summit, and Australia, represented by Chris Bowen, leads the negotiations, marking a departure from previous COP structures.
A central feature of COP31 will be a new partnership model between Türkiye and Australia, described as “a departure from previous COPs.” Under this arrangement, Türkiye will hold the presidency, host the summit in Antalya, and lead the Action Agenda, while Australia will play a leading role in negotiations.
Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, has been appointed COP31 President of Negotiations, with “exclusive authority” to lead the negotiations in consultation with Türkiye. The President-Designate expressed “complete faith” in Bowen’s work, adding that a joint letter outlining negotiation priorities will follow.
The presidency said the arrangement, formally welcomed at COP30, is based on “a shared purpose, sincere cooperation, and a determination to deliver strong and practical results,” and connects the Mediterranean and Pacific regions in what it calls “a new era for climate diplomacy.”
The letter sets out a vision to deliver a “COP of the Future” built on lessons from past summits and focused on implementation. “This will involve an implementation-focused approach… that transforms commitments into measurable and practical results,” it states.
Three guiding principles—Dialogue, Consensus, and Action—will underpin the presidency. “Dialogue will strengthen participation and help build trust among Parties. Consensus will ensure ownership of outcomes and respect the unique circumstances of countries. Action will enable commitments to be transformed into concrete, balanced, and applicable outputs.”
Türkiye outlined a wide-ranging Action Agenda aimed at accelerating global climate action and translating decisions into tangible outcomes. Key focus areas include strengthening zero waste and circular economy approaches, accelerating the clean energy transition, supporting green and low-carbon industrialisation, increasing resilience of vulnerable regions and oceans, promoting food security and sustainable agriculture, advancing climate-resilient cities, and strengthening financial and institutional mechanisms.
The presidency also emphasised cross-sectoral action to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation together, reflecting what it described as “an integrated perspective” spanning resource efficiency, energy security, renewable energy, nature-based solutions, water use, disaster-resilient infrastructure, and local climate action.
Highlighting urgency, the letter notes that the clean energy transition is “already underway and irreversible, yet needing to progress more rapidly,” and says the presidency will “bring together our diplomatic, geopolitical, and economic strengths” to advance mitigation and resilience.
The COP31 presidency pledged broad participation from civil society, the private sector, financial institutions, academia, and local governments, stressing that “no transformation can be achieved without the active engagement of young people.”
To support delivery, Samed Ağırbaş has been appointed Climate High-Level Champion, while Sally Higgins will serve as Youth Climate Champion.
Within the presidency structure, Fatma Varank will act as Chief Executive Officer, overseeing strategy, negotiations preparation, and coordination. Ömer Bulut will handle construction and infrastructure, Burak Demiralp will oversee operations and logistics, Halil Hasar will serve as Chief Climate Diplomacy Officer, and Mehmet Ali Kahraman will coordinate the presidency programme.
The letter also points to a Pre-COP meeting in Fiji from October 5-8, 2026, including a leaders’ event in Tuvalu, aimed at ensuring “diverse perspectives” are reflected in the process.
Drawing inspiration from Göbeklitepe—described as the “Zero Point of History”—the presidency emphasised principles of “solidarity, balance, and harmony with nature,” and called for outcomes that “re-affirm confidence in multilateralism.”
“Our shared home requires both commitments and measurable outcomes,” the President-Designate wrote, expressing confidence that COP31 “will demonstrate how we are collectively delivering on this promise” and will be remembered for “both its coherence and effectiveness.”
The presidency’s focus on implementation, finance, and measurable outcomes intersects with key priorities under the UNFCCC. The emphasis on translating commitments into “tangible and measurable outcomes” reflects long-standing concerns among developing countries, including India about delivery, particularly on climate finance and technology transfer.
The stress on “consensus” and respect for “the unique circumstances of countries” aligns with principles embedded in the Paris Agreement, which India has consistently emphasised in negotiations. At the same time, the broad Action Agenda—spanning clean energy, industrialisation, resilience, agriculture, and finance—overlaps with India’s domestic policy priorities, suggesting it will be a key stakeholder across multiple tracks at COP31.