The Road to Antalya travelled via Geneva as COP31 President-Designate Murat Kurum outlined the vision for the COP31 climate negotiations in a high-level presentation "from climate science and early warnings to implementation" at WMO headquarters on 16 September.
In his speech to a packed conference room of diplomats and scientists, Minister Kurum stressed the central importance of meteorology and climate information in human safety, disaster preparedness, water management, agriculture health and resilient cities.
"Globally, climate risk is now directly affecting people's lives, livelihoods, our cities and our development opportunities. We know that meteorological and climate information provides the scientific basis for decisions ranging from disaster preparedness and water management to agriculture, health and the planning of resilient cities," said Minister Kurum.
"For this reason, strengthening observation, forecasting and early warning capacities is an important part of the COP31 implementation approach," he said.
Billed by Türkiye as the "COP of the Future," the Presidency's vision is to elevate climate action beyond abstract promises, transitioning into a verified, measurable, and sustainable era of implementation on the ground.
"WMO is fully aligned with the Presidency's call for a science-based, evidence-driven and implementation-focused Action Agenda," said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.
"The Early Warnings for All initiative championed by WMO shows what this means in practice: when reliable data leads to early action, we protect lives and economies," she said.
"I share one simple message at this briefing: COP31 must deliver on early warnings and on resilience. It must deliver on implementation that is based on a strong scientific foundation. The WMO community provides the building blocks through trusted observations, authoritative data and services that support national commitments and collective action," said Celeste Saulo.
"WMO's distinct contribution is the source and scientific reference that allows countries to work from the same base. WMO's State of the Global Climate Update, prepared specifically for COP31 aims to inform the Presidency and negotiations. The 2026 Update will cast a spotlight on the key climate indicators in this, yet again, extraordinary year," she said.
Minister Kurum paid tribute to the role of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, citing the work of the Turkish State Meteorological Service in forecasting and in monitoring hazards which are communicated to the public and relevant institutions at both provincial and district levels.
"This capacity enables us to identify risks earlier and gives decision-makers valuable time to take action. For a farmer, a difference of just a few degrees in temperature, rainfall arriving a few hours earlier, unexpected hail or a single night of frost can affect the work of an entire year. That is why weather forecasting is a strategic production tool for decisions on planting, irrigation, spraying and harvesting," he said.
The COP31 Presidency has laid out an Action Agenda , which complements the formal negotiations by mobilizing voluntary initiatives, partnerships and coalitions that can accelerate implementation and deliver tangible results.
It aims to strengthen partnerships, advance scalable solutions, mobilize finance and investment and deliver tangible benefits for people, economies and ecosystems.
The ten priority themes are: (1) Clean Energy Transition and Electrification, (2) Zero Waste and Methane Reduction, (3) Climate-Resilient Cities, (4) Green Industrialization, (5) Youth and Education, (6) Food Security, (7) Oceans and Seas, (8) Dynamic and Resilient Health Systems, (9) Rio Synergies, and (10) Climate Implementation Bridge.
COP31 takes place in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9-20 November 2026.
Australia's Federal Minister for Climate and Energy Chris Bowen will act as President of the COP31 negotiating process.
