COP31 in Turkey: Key Climate Terms and Paris Agreement Explained

COP31, the UN climate summit, opens in Antalya, Turkey, from November 9 to 20, 2026, where nations are expected to submit updated national climate plans (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, preferably 1.5 degrees, above pre-industrial levels. Countries must strengthen their commitments every five years, with new NDCs due this year after a deadline extension to September. Key terms include UNFCCC (the UN climate convention), IPCC (the UN climate panel), net-zero emissions, and negative emissions. The 1.5-degree target is now considered by the UN as impossible to stay under, with many scientists projecting 2.5 degrees of warming.