UNEP FI will engage policymakers, financial institutions and partners at COP31 on the critical role of finance in accelerating climate action, supporting implementation of the Paris Agreement and mobilizing investment towards a resilient, low-carbon and sustainable future.

COP31 will take place from 9–20 November 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye, with Australia acting as the President of Negotiations. COP31 will bring together heads of state, ministers, negotiators, businesses, financial institutions, civil society organizations and other stakeholders to advance global climate action.

As an official observer organization to the UNFCCC process, UNEP FI will participate in COP31 discussions and events, contributing expertise on climate finance, adaptation, resilience, sustainable finance policy and the role of financial institutions in advancing climate goals.

We want to hear about our members’ activities at COP31. If your institution will be attending, please share the details with us through this brief form, so we can keep you informed of UNEP FI events and invite-only opportunities.

 

Key events at COP31

10 November | 11:30–12:15 (UTC+03:00) | From ambition to resilience: Mobilizing finance for transition at scale
Location: Climate Finance Hub, Green Zone 

Financing the transition requires substantial investment in industries, energy systems and infrastructure. Yet many companies, particularly in emerging markets, face difficulties turning their transition ambitions into bankable projects. Investment risks, policy uncertainty and limited access to suitable funding can slow progress. This session will bring together leaders from commercial banking, international development finance and UNEP FI to discuss what it takes to close this gap.

 

10 November | 11:45–13:15 (UTC+03:00) | Global circularity protocol – global dissemination and implementation of the GCP: Towards zero waste
Location: Japan Pavilion, Blue Zone

Co-hosted by the WBCSD, UNEP and the Ministry of the Environment, Japan – whose sustained support has been central to GCP since its inception – the session opens with a short scene-setter tracing that trajectory and its link to the COP31 zero-waste agenda. At least three leading companies from different sectors and regions will then share how they are implementing GCP in practice through concrete case studies.

 

10 November | 14:30 – 15:30 (UTC+03:00) | EY Roundtable: Credible transition plans as a tool for climate risk integration
Location: Sustainable Innovation Forum, Sueno Hotel and Convention Centre

This roundtable, convened in partnership by EY and UNEP FI, will explore approaches to sustainability risk integration across financial institutions. The discussion will consider how sustainability risk can be incorporated into areas such as due diligence, risk identification, credit pricing and decisioning, as well as insurability. Please note that there is a limited number of spots, and attendance is subject to confirmation.  

Register your interest here.

 

10 November | 17:30–18:30 (UTC+03:00) | Financing a just transition for all: From pathways to investment and impact
Location: ILO Just Transition Pavilion

This event explores how banks and insurers can operationalize just transition through policy, strategy and finance. It connects global commitments with national frameworks and institutional practice, drawing on UNEP FI’s Just Transition Pilot Programme and Community of Practice and the forthcoming report from the Just Transition Finance Lab. Real-world cases will highlight strategies, products and partnerships, and clarify what credible just transition finance looks like. 

 

10 November | 18:00–19:00 (UTC+03:00) | It’s the Economy, stupid! Water risks, macroeconomic stability and the future of sustainable finance
Location: German Pavilion, Blue Zone 

COP31 offers an opportunity to move from a shared diagnosis of water-related financial risks towards a common agenda for coordinated action. A diverse set of stakeholders bring complementary perspectives and capabilities to this challenge. Closer collaboration could help strengthen the integration of water risks into macroeconomic and financial decision-making, recognize and reward investments that demonstrably reduce risks, and mobilize capital for water resilience without further marginalizing vulnerable economies and communities.

This session will be livestreamed here.

 

11 November | 10:00–11:00 (UTC+03:00) | Financing a climate-resilient ASEAN: Advancing adaptation finance with mARs
Location: Singapore Pavilion, Blue Zone

The ASEAN Taxonomy provides a common language for addressing pressing environmental objectives, including climate change adaptation. Complementing the Taxonomy, the mitigation co-benefit and Adaptation for Resilience (mARs) Guide offers practical guidance on identifying climate hazards, resilience themes, and adaptation technologies and solutions in the ASEAN context. This panel will explore actionable opportunities for stakeholders to strengthen coordination, address financing gaps, and catalyze greater action and collaboration towards scaling adaptation finance across ASEAN.

 

11 November | 10:30–12:00 (UTC+03:00) | Climate High Level Champions Roundtable
Location: Special Event Room 2

Participants explore how finance, technology and capacity-building can accelerate implementation across the Global Climate Action Agenda. The discussion will highlight progress, remaining gaps and emerging solutions under Axis 6 – Unleashing Enablers and Accelerators – and identify key success factors for advancing climate action.  

 

11 November | 12:00–13:30 (UTC+03:00) | From commitments to implementation: A partnership framework for the circular economy in Central Asia
Location: National Pavilion of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Blue Zone

In April 2026, the Partnership Framework for Circular Economy in Central Asia was officially launched at the Regional Environmental Summit in Astana. This COP31 session will bring together two interconnected levels of implementation. In the first, parliamentary segment, members of parliament from Central Asian countries will discuss the legislative conditions needed to advance the circular economy, align approaches and create incentives for investment. In the second, international expert segment, representatives of international organizations will present relevant tools, international experience, and technical support. 

 

11 November | 14:00–15:00 (UTC+03:00) | From circularity measurement to action: Scaling implementation through the global circularity protocol
Location: Special Event Room 3 – Assos (Amphitheatre), Blue Zone

This event draws on that experience first-hand of both companies applying the GCP and country pilots convening businesses to implement the GCP – with Instituto Clima e Sociedade showcasing the Brazil pilot in implementation. The session contributes to Global Climate Action Agenda Key Objective 15 on Zero Waste and Circularity under Axis 4 – Activation Group 15, and directly supports the COP 31 Presidency’s Zero Waste Action Agenda.

 

11 November | 15:30–16:45 (UTC+03:00) | Scaling finance for the electrification and efficiency of buildings
Location: Buildings and Cooling Pavilion, Blue Zone

Hosted by GlobalABC, ING Group, WBCSD, Green Finance Institute and UNEP FI, this high-level session will convene banking leaders, policymakers, investors and industry representatives to discuss how the business case for retrofit can be strengthened and how innovative financing models can mobilise private capital across residential and commercial buildings. Bringing together representatives from the European Commission, ING Group, Crédit Agricole, UNEP FI, the Green Finance Institute, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, Federated Hermes, the European Heat Pump Association and WBCSD, the session will explore practical pathways to overcome market barriers and accelerate transition finance in scalable, bankable electrification and retrofit solutions.

This session will be livestreamed here.

 

12 November | 08:30–10:00 (UTC+03:00) | COP31 Negotiation briefing: Bringing banks, insurers and investors together
Location: Royal Seginus Hotel, Kemerağzı, YaşarSobutay Bulvarı No:70, 07112 Aksu/Antalya, Türkiye

Hosted by UNEP FI and PRI with support of World Climate Foundation, this briefing provides signatories of the Principles of Responsible Banking (PRB), Principles of Sustainable Insurance (PSI), Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI), Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance (NZAOA) and Net-Zero Export Credit Agencies Alliance (NZECA) with insights into key COP31 negotiation developments, priorities and implications for the financial sector. Attendance to the session, targeted at UNEP FI members, is by invitation only. 

Registration is available in our members area.

 

12 November | 10:30–12:00 (UTC+02:00) | Scaling private capital for a resilient future: Financial sector leadership on adaptation and resilience, and the role of blended finance
Location: Royal Seginus Hotel, Kemerağzı, Yaşar Sobutay Bulvarı No:70, 07112 Aksu/Antalya, Türkiye

This roundtable, jointly organised by ANBIMA, CNseg, Febraban, UNEP FI and Convergence, brings together banks, investors and insurers to discuss how the financial sector can scale private finance for a resilient future. The roundtable will bring together investors, insurers, banks, multilateral development banks, development finance institutions, regulators and public authorities, in support of COP31 priorities on mobilizing climate finance at scale and accelerating A&R. The session will be followed by a work lunch from 12–13. Attendance to the session is by invitation only.

Register your interest here.

 

12 November | 12:30–14:00 (UTC+03:00) | Just transition in practice: The business role in an inclusive net-zero economy
Location: Türkiye Pavilion, Blue Zone

This session will bring together international companies and stakeholders to explore how businesses can contribute to a just and inclusive transition towards a net-zero economy, focusing on workforce reskilling, social dialogue, community engagement, responsible value chains and transition financing.

 

12 November | 14:30–15:45 (UTC+03:00) | COP31 report launch – Taskforce on Net Zero Policy
Location: Spanish Pavilion, Blue Zone

At this event the Taskforce on Net Zero Policy will launch its report on policy progress, drawing out what the findings show across disclosure, transition planning, prudential regulation and carbon credits. The discussion aims to connect jurisdictional developments with their practical implications for companies and financial institutions, and identify where coherence, coordination or capacity-building could support effective policy frameworks.

 

12 November | 15:00–16:15 (UTC+03:00) | Financing what matters most: Delivering national climate priorities through transformational finance
Location: Side Event Room 8 Bergama, Blue Zone

Mobilizing transformational finance: The Transformational Finance for Climate Group, of which UNEP FI is a member, will launch its COP31 position paper, bringing together governments and public and private financial institutions to address investment barriers and capital mobilisation.

Register your interest here.

 

12 November | 15:45–16.45 (UTC+03:00) | COP31 export credit agencies finance summit by TurkExim and UKEF
Location: NEST Convention Centre in Antalya

This invitation only panel opens the Summit’s discussions, directly after the Ministers’ opening remarks. It asks by which rules we finance the transition – and whether those rules are fit for the decade ahead. Supply chains for grids, critical minerals and batteries are being redrawn for resilience and security, not only for cost. Processing is concentrated, export restrictions are spreading, and governments increasingly see export finance as a tool of economic security. The session will test the frameworks that guide sustainable project finance – the OECD Arrangement and its Climate Change Sector Understanding, the OECD Common Approaches, the Equator Principles, the IFC Performance Standards and the Net-Zero Export Credit Agencies Alliance (NZECA) – against this new reality.

 

12 November | 16:45–18:15 (UTC+03:00) | Collective action for circularity: Enabling business action across high-impact sectors and supply chains
Location: Side Event Room 5 – HATTUŞA, Blue Zone

Eric Usher will speak at this discussion connecting business implementation experience with complementary perspectives on life-cycle approaches, industrial policy, implementation of NDCs, high-impact sectors and support to developing countries, with a view to identifying priority areas for collective action.

 

13 November | Thematic Day 5: Finance and Trade

Day 5 of COP31 is dedicated to the green transformation, climate investment, green finance, value chains, and carbon markets. UNEP FI will contribute to discussions and events throughout the day, highlighting the role of the financial sector in accelerating the transition to a sustainable, climate-resilient economy. 

See the full schedule here. 

 

13 November | 10:00–11:15 (UTC+03:00) | Catalyzing climate resilience across the economy
Location: Insurance House – Titanic Deluxe Golf Belek, Antalya, Türkiye

This panel will explore how the insurance industry, working alongside governments, regulators, businesses and other financial actors, can help catalyze systemic climate resilience. Bringing together leaders from across these sectors, the discussion will examine the relationship between insurability, bankability and investability and how different stakeholders can contribute through their respective roles and capabilities to strengthening resilience across the economy.

 

13 November | 11:05–11:50 (UTC+03:00) | The circular economy as a climate solution
Location: Lilyum Pavilion, Green Zone

This panel will explore the role of finance in advancing circular economy solutions that support zero waste, clean air and food security. Türkiye Vakıfbank will moderate the discussion with UNEP FI and fellow participants including the Turkey Zero Waste Foundation, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the EIB’s Joint Initiative on the Circular Economy (JICE).

 

13 November | 11:30–12:15 (UTC+03:00) | Making climate resilience financeable: Unlocking adaptation finance through better information
Location: UNIDO Pavilion, Blue Zone

Access to high-quality information on climate-related risks, impacts, adaptation needs, and the financial and impact benefits of adaptation opportunities, is essential to mobilizing finance for climate resilience. The discussion will draw on UNEP FI’s white paper on climate adaptation data and information flows, which examines how better information can help overcome barriers to financing adaptation.

 

13 November | 12:30–13:30 (UTC+03:00) | From development to implementation: Tracking progress and supporting taxonomy use
Location: Special Event Room 6 (Amphitheatre)

The event will examine how jurisdictions are progressing across different stages of taxonomy development, implementation and market uptake, and which tools can support this transition.

 

13 November | 13:00–14:30 (UTC+03:00) | Transformational finance – from ambition to delivery
Location: IDCF Pavilion

This event will discuss the latest developments regarding the characterization of transformational finance for climate, including its robustness and usability. It will also capitalize on existing practice in countries and within financial institutions, and identify what can be learned from different concrete examples.

 

13 November | 15:15–16:15 (UTC+03:00) | From development to uptake: Taxonomy roadmap initiative progress report
Location: Brazil Pavilion, Global Mutirão Auditorum

The event at the Brazil Pavilion will be dedicated to the launch of the new TRI Progress Report, the initiative’s main collective knowledge product and an opportunity to present an overview of progress on the international sustainable taxonomy agenda since COP30.

 

13 November | 17:00–17:45 (UTC+03:00) | Water as financial risk: integrating physical water risk into credit decisions
Location: BBVA Pavilion, Green Zone

This roundtable session explores how water-related physical risks – including droughts, floods, and water scarcity – can impact corporate operations and assets, lead to financial losses and influence credit risk assessment and lending decisions. Bringing together supervisory authorities, physical risk analysts and representatives from the corporate, insurance, and financial sector, the discussion will examine how financial institutions can better integrate water-related risks into credit decision-making.  

 

13 November | 17:00–18:00 (UTC+03:00) | Stock exchanges and climate innovation: Better data, products and markets supporting the climate transition
Location: UNFCCC Innovation Pavilion, Blue Zone

The UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges initiative will convene its flagship Leaders Roundtable at COP31, bringing together stock exchange CEOs, regulatory leaders, and other capital market stakeholders for a high-level dialogue on climate, sustainable finance and the role of exchanges in supporting the climate transition. The discussion will explore how exchanges can support the mobilization of capital through better climate-related data, innovative financial products and market development.

 

13 November | 18:00–19:00 (UTC+03:00) | From climate ambition to bankable projects – export finance in action
Location: UK Pavilion, Blue Zone

UK Export Finance (UKEF) will host a panel discussion exploring how export finance can help turn international climate ambition into bankable projects and sustainable trade opportunities. The session will further focus on international cooperation across trade, export credit and wider financial ecosystem, including through UK-chaired Net Zero Export Credit Agencies Alliance (NZECA), to support the global energy transition. UKEF will be joined by UNEP FI, Barclays, EKN, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. 

This session will be livestreamed here.

 

13–14 November | Global Sustainable Insurance Summit
Location: Insurance House

Jointly convened by UNEP FI and the Insurance Association of Türkiye, the Global Sustainable Insurance Summit will take place from 13–14 November. Centered on climate resilience, the summit will examine how the insurance industry can actively catalyze resilience across multiple levels of the economy.

Find out more and register here.

 

14 November | 09:00–10:00 (UTC+03:00) | Harnessing trade cooperation to deliver green industrialization and climate goals
Location: Special Event Room 3 – Assos (Amphitheatre), Blue Zone

This session will showcase implementation progress, lessons learned, and remaining challenges under the PAS Harnessing Trade Policy for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Low-Carbon Economic Diversification and Climate Resilience. Drawing on country experiences and stakeholder perspectives, panelists will explore practical approaches and cooperative frameworks to strengthen trade’s contribution to climate action, sustainable development, and resilience. The session will include speakers from UNEP FI, UNCTAD, WTO, ITC, TESS, trade ministries and COP31 Presidency. 

This session will be livestreamed here.

 

14 November | 10:15–11:15 (UTC+03:00) | Plans to accelerate the implementation of financial institution transition plans
Location: Brazilian Pavilion – Global Mutirão Auditorium, Blue Zone

UNEP FI and members of the Climate High Level Champions coalition on the Plan to Accelerate Creation and Adoption of Transition Plans by Financial Institutions will convene the leading organizations behind the development of transition plan guidance for financial institutions. The discussion will focus on three prioritites: harmonizing approaches to transition planning; aligning financial institutions’ transition plans with national climate targets and public sector goals; and developing practical, scalable transition finance mechanisms for key sectors.

For more information, please contact Orestis Velentzas and Tessa Oceane Mbaguta.

 

14 November | 11:00–11:45 (UTC+03:00) | Better jobs in a changing climate – from worker protection to workforce resilience
Location: BBVA Pavilion, Green Zone

A just transition is also about making existing jobs safer and more resilient. UNEP FI is speaking on this panel that looks at how extreme heat and other climate hazards are changing work, what a climate-resilient job looks like, and how finance can help companies treat workforce adaptation as an investment rather than a cost.

 

14 November | 13:00–14:00 (UTC+03:00) | From ambition to allocation: Brazilian Financial Institutions Delivering the 1.3T Baku–Belém Roadmap
Location: SBCOP Pavilion, Blue Zone

This session will use the Brazilian experience as a concrete implementation case. It will examine how domestic financial institutions can help transform the Baku–Belém Roadmap into investable pipelines, scalable financial solutions and measurable capital allocation, while identifying lessons relevant to other emerging and developing economies.

 

14 November | 16:00–17:00 (UTC+03:00) | From innovation to scale: Building the market for climate adaptation
Location: UNIDO Pavilion

Over the past two years, UNIDO has led a series of communities of practice with GARI, Climate-KIC and UNEP FI to explore how to drive innovation, catalyze investment in resilience, measure impact, stream information flows, and boost the growth of micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). In this concluding, event, participants will come together to explore how to unlock barriers to scaling adaptation finance.

 

14 November | 18:30–20:00 (UTC+03:00) | From ambition to implementation: Accelerating private investments in the climate transition
Location: Side Event Room Yellow, Blue Zone

Investors play a key role in financing investable solutions for the energy transition and climate resilience. As global efforts turn to implementation, this event explores how public-private collaboration and consistent policy frameworks can lead to investable opportunities. UNEP FI will be participating in this event as a speaker.

 

16 November | 16:00–17:00 (UTC+03:00) | From commitment to purchasing power: Ministers showcase progress on climate-integrated public procurement
Location: Special Event Room 3 – Assos (Amphitheatre), Blue Zone

This session will bring together ministers and practitioners working directly on public procurement policy, government engagement, harmonization of metrics, and monitoring and reporting. The focus is on tangible implementation progress to date. Through short interventions and a facilitated discussion, speakers will share concrete results from putting climate-integrated procurement into practice.

 

15 November | 11:10–11:50 (UTC+03:00) | Mobilizing institutional capital: Turning commitments into investment
Location: Royal Seginus Hotel, Kemerağzı, YaşarSobutay Bulvarı No:70, 07112 Aksu/Antalya, Türkiye

Institutional capital has the potential to accelerate climate and nature investment, but commitments must translate into measurable allocations. This session will identify investment strategies, risk frameworks and partnerships that connect long-term capital with scalable opportunities.

 

17 November | 10:00–10:45 (UTC+03:00) | Nature positive finance and biodiversity risk
Location: BBVA Pavilion, Green Zone

This event will explore how institutions and investors can integrate biodiversity considerations into risk management, lending, investment, and capital allocation decisions, while identifying practical financial structures and partnerships that can accelerate investment in nature-positive activities.

 

Additional events will continue to be added. Please check back soon.

 

FAQs for COP31