President and CEO of COP30 take part in preparatory meetings for COP31
In Türkiye, André Corrêa do Lago and Ana Toni joined strategy and alignment sessions for this year’s climate conference
The President of COP30, André Corrêa do Lago, and the CEO, Ana Toni, took part last week (February 11–12) in the first preparatory meetings for COP31, which will be held in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20. Representatives from Türkiye and Australia, the countries that will share responsibilities in leading COP31, chaired the discussions.
The two days of meetings addressed issues such as strategy, alignment, and outstanding mandates for 2026. Discussions also covered the Action Agenda, the Global Implementation Accelerator, and the Belém 1.5°C Mission.
The President and CEO of COP30 presented preliminary plans for the Presidency’s Roadmaps toward transitioning away from fossil fuels and ending deforestation and forest degradation by 2030. Corrêa do Lago and Ana Toni also reaffirmed Brazil’s willingness to work closely with the incoming presidency to strengthen climate governance, accelerate implementation, and contribute to a successful COP31.
“Under President Lula’s leadership, we sought to bring the COP closer to people, so they could better understand the process and its transformative potential. We also structured an Action Agenda that introduced a new dimension of cooperation among businesses, cities, state governments, civil society, and academia,” Corrêa do Lago said at a press conference following the meeting. “COP31 will be very important, and I look forward to working together to advance these issues”.
Türkiye, host of COP31, appointed its Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Murat Kurum, to preside over the conference. The country also designated Samed Ağırbaş as its High-Level Climate Champion.
“The COP31 Presidency will not be a solitary voice, but one open to dialogue; it will not act divisively, but guided by consensus; it will prioritize action, not stagnation, in order to deliver results,” Kurum said, also at a press conference. “Subnational governments, the private sector, financial institutions, and non-governmental organizations must continue to play a central role in this process.”
Unlike recent COPs, the President of the negotiations will be Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen. It was also agreed that the Pre-COP will be held in a Pacific country and that Australia will appoint the COP31 Youth Climate Champion.
“Working together, Australia, the Pacific, and Türkiye will drive tangible progress in global climate action through COP31 in Türkiye and the Pre-COP in the Pacific,” Bowen said in a pre-recorded video message.
The arrangement between the two countries was defined after both submitted bids to host the conference but were unable to reach consensus on a single presidency.
“At COP30, countries spoke with one voice: the global transition is irreversible, the Paris Agreement is working, and together we will make it move further and faster,” said the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Simon Stiell. “While it is still not fast or fair enough, it is hard to imagine a decade in which international climate cooperation has delivered more concrete progress.”
Following the meetings in Türkiye, held on Wednesday and Thursday, Corrêa do Lago also met with the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Qu Dongyu. This week, he is participating in meetings at the headquarters of the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris. He will then join President Lula’s delegation in New Delhi, India.
