COP31 in Antalya: Nations Submit Climate Plans to Meet Paris Goals

COP31, the UN climate summit, opens in Antalya, Turkey, from November 9-20, 2026, where nations are expected to submit updated national climate plans (NDCs) to meet Paris Agreement goals. The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, aims to limit global warming to well below 2°C, preferably 1.5°C, above pre-industrial levels. Most countries missed the September deadline for new NDCs, with the EU finalizing its targets less than a week before the summit. Key terms include UNFCCC (the UN climate convention), IPCC (the UN climate panel), net-zero emissions, and negative emissions. The UN now describes the 1.5°C target as impossible to stay under, with many scientists projecting 2.5°C warming.