The 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) is being billed as the “implementation COP,” with the formal agenda structured around a ten-pillar Action Agenda designed to close the gap between Paris Agreement commitments and on-the-ground action. This COP claims to be a radical departure from previous COPs by design, but will it be enough to reinvigorated stalled-out multilateral climate action?
Hosted by Dr. Shane Szarkowski, Diplomatic Courier Editor-in-Chief, and led with a lightning talk by Diplomatic Courier Editor Jeremy Fugleberg, this Virtual Signal Salon convenes members of the World in 2050 community of experts in advance of this year’s summit in Antalya, Turkey. Together, participants will explore the current state of climate diplomacy and multilateral action, look for emerging signals on what is evolving, and what we can expect from COP31. Will the “implementation COP” succeed in bridging the gap between commitment and action, and to what extent can this change our shared climate trajectory?
Minding the Gap at the “Implementation COP”
October 21, 2026
