COP31: what it is and the UK’s priorities

9 Nov 2026 04:19 PM

An explainer on the UN's annual climate conference and the government's priorities for COP31.

What is COP31?

COP31 is the United Nations’ annual climate change conference.  

It is the largest international summit in the world where countries come together to agree how to tackle climate change and deal with its effects.  

The conference will be hosted in Antalya, Türkiye from 9 to 20 November. 

Why does COP31 matter?

Climate change is no longer a distant threat.  

This year, Britain saw record heatwaves, droughts and wildfires.  

Interim data from the UK Health Security Agency estimates that there were 2,877 heat-associated deaths from the May and June 2026 heatwaves alone. 

The Met Office has provisionally declared the summer of 2026 as the hottest on record. Its State of the UK Climate 2025 report was clear that the UK is warming, extremes are increasing, and the months between October to March are set to become wetter. 

Countries around the world are facing similar problems, with El Niño also compounding these effects in some regions. 

The reality is that no country can tackle climate change on its own.  

COP31 gives countries the chance to work together to agree ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for the effects of a changing climate. 

Decisions made at COP31 this year will help the UK and other countries to: 

• work towards agreed commitments on global warming – including limiting global temperature increases to 1.5°C 
• move towards more clean, reliable energy and away from reliance on fossil fuels 
• adapt to and protect people from the effects of climate change, and improve our resilience to climate shocks 
• create jobs and economic opportunities through clean energy and electrification

What does COP31 mean for people in the UK? 

Climate change is a global issue. It is in Britain’s national interest to work with other countries at COP31 to reduce global emissions.  

This is the best way to protect British people from the effects of climate change in the long-term and preserve our way of life for future generations. 

The move to clean energy can also create economic opportunities for Britain. 

At COP31, the government will promote British expertise and clean energy technology. This can help other countries to move to clean energy and benefit British business. 

Tackling climate change and using more clean energy will also bring energy bills down and reduce our exposure to volatile global fossil fuel markets. 

What does the UK want to achieve at COP31? 

The UK’s priority at COP31 is to uphold the Paris Agreement made in 2015 and keep countries working towards limiting global warming to 1.5°C. 

The UK set out its broader priorities for COP31 in Parliament.

 We will work with other countries to:  

1. Speed up the global shift to clean energy and electrification.  
2. Spotlight the need for global action to curb methane emissions and other super-pollutants. 
3. Push for progress to protect the critical ecosystems on which we rely, including forests and oceans. This also includes supporting more sustainable food and agriculture systems, move to a circular economy and responding to the risks that climate change and biodiversity loss pose to our national security.  
4. Find ways to adapt to a changing climate. This includes encouraging more financial investment and improving access to and the quality of finance to help countries prepare for climate change. It also includes pushing for stronger practical action to build resilience.  

Who will represent the UK at COP31? 

The Prime Minister will attend COP31, alongside the Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband MP. 

The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Miatta Fahnbulleh MP, will lead the UK delegation during the negotiations. 

Other UK ministers in attendance are Minister for Climate Transition Katie White OBE MP, Marine and Fisheries Minister Stephen Morgan MP and The Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Lucy Rigby KC MP.  

The UK also appoints special representatives to lead international diplomacy and handle specific global priorities. Rachel Kyte CMG, UK Special Representative for Climate, and Ruth Davis OBE, UK Special Representative for Nature, will attend COP31. 

What is the UK doing to tackle climate change?  

The UK has already cut its carbon emissions by 54% since 1990, while the economy has grown by around 85% in that time. 

This has been achieved by moving towards cleaner sources of electricity like offshore and onshore wind, solar and nuclear. 

The UK has also cut emissions from areas such as industry, transport and heating.   

Examples of Britain’s progress include: 

• The UK was the first G7 country to stop using coal to produce electricity. The country’s last coal-fired power station, at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire, closed in September 2024 
• Electric vehicle sales are rising year-on-year, supported by government funding. Around 2 million electric vehicles are now registered on UK roads
• Heat pump sales reached over 100,000 in 2025. There were also 269,000 solar panel installations in 2025 – the highest number recorded in a single year
• In 2008, the UK became the first country to set legally binding limits on its carbon emissions through the Climate Change Act. These limits are known as carbon budgets. The UK has met its first 3 carbon budgets so far
• The UK was the first major economy to establish a net zero target into law. Since 2008, 60 other countries have put in place their own climate laws  

What is the UK doing to adapt to climate change? 

The UK government is investing in measures to help the country adapt to the effects of a changing climate. 

These include: 

• investing £10.5 billion for flood defences and combatting coastal erosion over the next decade
• spending more than £7 billion on nature programmes across the country, including environmental farming schemes, tree planting and peatland restoration
• improving and rebuilding school buildings to make them more resilient, including a £710 million Renewal and Retrofit Programme and almost £20 billion to rebuild over 750 schools
• committing £97 million extra for firefighters this summer
• providing funding for households to install air-to-air heat pumps, which can both heat and cool homes
• ensuring that new residential buildings must be designed to reduce unwanted solar heat and allow excess heat to be removed

How does the UK help other countries to reduce their emissions and prepare for climate change? 

The UK works with other countries to tackle climate change and nature loss and prepare for its effects. 

We share our knowledge and expertise and offer investment for programmes which protect nature and strengthen the ability of countries, economies and communities to cope with shocks caused by climate change.  

These investments are also essential for Britain’s long-term security and prosperity. For example, through reducing global reliance on fossil fuels, ensuring a resilient food supply, boosting exports and creating commercial opportunities for UK firms. 

The UK has a strong track record on delivering our climate and nature finance commitments.  Since 2011, UK International Climate Finance (ICF) has:   

• supported an estimated 159 million people to better adapt to the effects of climate change  
• helped to mobilise an estimated £26 billion in public and private finance combined 
• reduced or avoided an estimated 201 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions
• ensured an estimated 21.5 million hectares of land are managed more sustainably

Our latest Climate Finance commitment, ICF4, pledges around £6 billion of Official Development Assistance (ODA) over the next 3 years, alongside £6.7 billion in public finance through UK-backed climate and nature-positive non-ODA investments, and an ambition to use our public finance to catalyse billions more from the private sector.