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COP 31 Antalya, Turkey.  November 9-20, 2026 

The 31st Conference of the Parties to the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change:

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was drafted in 1992 in an effort to combat global warming. Since 1995 representatives of the world’s governments and other interested groups have been meeting annually to assess progress in dealing with climate change. This group, known as the Conference of Parties is responsible for adopting resolutions that establish the international rules needed to meet the challenges posed by our changing climate. Today it boasts near universal membership with 197 states plus the European Union working to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system, the ultimate aim of the UNFCC.

The core intent of this year’s conference is to turn the commitments made at previous sessions into concrete implementation.  To this end it will focus on  three priority areas: emission targets, climate financing for developing countries and adaptation and resilience in vulnerable communities.  Grounded in the principle that "commitment is a declaration of intent, but implementation requires trust," COP31 is determined to build this global trust and bring a new momentum to climate action.

COP 31 will once again capture world-wide media attention and in doing so provide teachers with an excellent context and time frame for exploring climate change in the classroom.

Why Care About International Cooperation on Climate Change?

• Climate change is altering our planet.  Significant environmental, economic and social consequences are becoming more and more severe as global temperatures increase. 
• Climate change is causing a significant increase in the frequency, intensity, and impacts of some types of extreme weather events.
• Current rates of sea level rise threaten coastal cities where most of the world’s population resides.
• Rising temperatures due to global warming threaten to increase flooding and droughts, putting millions of homes at risk and endangering as many as 30 percent of animal species, according to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
• Climate change presents the largest current threat to biodiversity.
• The IPCC estimates 3 billion or more people will be at risk of water shortage due to climate change in the decades ahead.
• The Canadian Climate Institute estimates that by 2030, Canada could face annual losses to real GDP of $35 billion.**
• Emissions from the burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity cause air pollution and are a key contributing factor to thousands of hospital stays and premature deaths in Canada each year.
• Climate change presents the single biggest threat to sustainable development everywhere and its widespread, unprecedented impacts disproportionately burden the poorest and most vulnerable. (UNFCCC)
• We are continuing to accelerate down the path of exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming. The UN reports that scientific studies suggest the planet could permanently or temporarily blast past 1.5°C between 2026 and 2031.
• Climate change will increasingly affect human health, species distribution and the ability of the earth’s ecosystems to sustain our economic, social and environmental needs. How we deal with the climate emergency is a crucial discussion that teachers and students should be actively engaged in.

         **CCI Jun 13, 2024

Resources 4 Rethinking encourages students and teachers to explore climate change issues. Top R4R Picks will connect you to some excellent resources to support these efforts.

For a more extensive catalogue of climate change resources and ideas, click here and for more information on the conference itself, visit the COP31 website.