The President-designate of the 2026 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 31) has detailed how the COP 31 Action Agenda will help accelerate implementation, strengthen international cooperation, and mobilize practical solutions on the road to Antalya. His third letter to parties provides an overview of: priority themes for COP 31 and their role in advancing the Global Climate Action Agenda; Thematic Days; and key engagement moments in the lead up to the COP.
In his letter dated 24 August 2026, COP 31 President-designate Murat Kurum highlights the COP 31 Action Agenda as a practical implementation platform aiming “to strengthen partnerships, advance scalable solutions, mobilize finance and investment and deliver tangible benefits for people, economies and ecosystems.” Thanking parties and stakeholders for helping shape the Agenda, he emphasizes its linkages with the five-year vision for the Global Climate Action Agenda launched at COP 30 in Belém, Brazil.
Enjoying this article? Make sure you always catch our coverage by subscribing to our SDG Update newsletter.
The President-designate’s letter outlines the following COP 31 priority themes:
- Clean energy transition and electrification, seeking to cut emissions while improving energy security and affordability and supporting sustainable development;
- Zero waste and methane reduction, aiming to relieve pressure on natural resources, ecosystems, and the climate by cutting waste and reducing dependence on linear production and consumption models;
- Climate-resilient cities, with the goal to minimize cities’ exposure to climate risks such as heatwaves through resilient infrastructure, sustainable housing, and low-carbon urban systems;
- Green industrialization, aiming to accelerate competitive, resilient, and low-carbon industrial production across hard-to-abate sectors;
- Youth and education, with the objective of equipping current and future generations with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities needed to accelerate climate action while supporting a just transition;
- Food security, seeking to support resilient farming systems, stronger water management, and integrated approaches across the climate-water-food nexus;
- Oceans and seas, focusing on strengthening marine and coastal resilience;
- Dynamic and resilient health systems, with the aim of developing climate-resilient and equitable health systems;
- Rio synergies, seeking to strengthen coherent actions across the climate, biodiversity, and land agendas and to improve cross-convention cooperation; and
- Climate Implementation Bridge, intended “to close the gap between national climate ambition and implementation by helping countries translate climate and development priorities into finance-ready project portfolios.”
The letter identifies finance, technology, and capacity building as cross-cutting enabling conditions across all ten priority themes.
The President-designate highlights the COP 31 Thematic Days as opportunities to present initiatives, exchange best practices, and build partnerships that bolster climate action. Thematic Days will focus on, inter alia: food, agriculture, and health; energy and transport; zero waste; resilient cities and built environment; finance and trade; children, youth, education, and skills; science, industry, and technology; Rio synergy; human and social development; and enhancing implementation.
Among the convenings seeking to deepen the understanding of the COP 31 Action Agenda initiatives ahead of the COP, the President-designate mentions the Istanbul Climate Finance Summit, the Ocean and Seas Summit, UNFCCC Climate Week 4, Climate Week NYC, and the Pre-COP meeting in Fiji.
The letter highlights the Leaders’ Summit, to be held during COP 31 from 11-12 November, as “a platform to align national priorities, catalyze partnerships and reinforce confidence in multilateral climate action.” The President-designate encourages those countries that have not yet done so to submit their Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs) under the Paris Agreement on climate change, along with their post-2030 nationally determined contributions (NDCs).
The COP 31 Presidency will continue consultations with parties “in a spirit of openness, transparency and inclusiveness, fostering trust, facilitating dialogue and supporting balanced and consensus-based outcomes.” [COP 31 Presidency’s Third Letter to Parties] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on COP 31 Presidency’s Second Letter to Parties] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on COP 31 Presidency’s First Letter to Parties]