From carbon neutrality to the Paris Agreement: Context and themes of COP31

The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, emphasized the urgency of finalizing an international pact dedicated to combating pandemics. He cited lethal epidemics, such as the Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRCongo), as proof of this necessity.

Currently, divergences persist between rich nations and developing countries regarding how to implement the historic agreement established last year, which serves as the basis for managing future health crises similar to COVID-19.

During the opening of the ninth session of the Intergovernmental Working Group (IWG), running until November 13 in Geneva, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged delegates to continue the work. He stressed that the primary purpose of concluding this treaty is the protection of populations.

The Director-General warned that any pathogenic threat, regardless of its origin, can become a danger to all inhabitants of any nation. He recalled the hantavirus epidemic that affected three people on a cruise ship in April, and the Ebola epidemic declared in May, which resulted in nearly 5,000 deaths among over 10,000 infected, concentrated mainly in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

When WHO member states formalized the agreement in May 2025, they postponed the discussion of a crucial point: a fundamental mechanism that has yet to be resolved, even after eight IWG meetings held since July 2025.

The appendix concerning the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing System (PABS) is considered the final piece needed for the global pandemic agreement to enter into force. This system must establish the rules for obtaining pathogenic agents with pandemic potential, as well as defining how derived benefits, such as vaccines, tests, and treatments, will be shared.

Tedros stated that PABS constitutes 'the last piece missing from our puzzle,' reinforcing that it is vital for the world to learn from the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic: 'no country can protect itself from pandemics by acting alone.' Recalling the pandemic period, he observed that although the world developed vaccines rapidly, many countries faced delays, while others received surpluses.

He concluded that this disparity caused deaths, prolonged the crisis, and increased the risk of new variants emerging, underlining that finalizing this section of the treaty is 'the key that will open the doors to a safer future.'

The 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), held in Yerevan, Armenia, is just hours away from its official closing, with participating states showing significant distance from reaching a consensus on the central elements for Nature preservation, which may lead to discussions continuing into the night.

After almost two weeks of proceedings, significant divergences remain regarding crucial topics. These include granting subsidies to environmentally harmful activities, such as oil extraction; defining the best methodology to fund biodiversity protection; and increasing corporate contributions to a United Nations fund dedicated to nature conservation, which faces resource scarcity.

Francisco Ferreira, president of the environmental association Zero, commented in a note sent to Lusa that several vital issues still await a decision. He stressed that although technical advances and important decisions have occurred over the two weeks, the more complex political issues remain unresolved. Ferreira stated that COP17 showed that the world possesses the necessary knowledge to curb biodiversity loss, but the obstacle lies in the absence of political will, funding, and concrete decisions, with progress towards 2030 falling short of the goals set in 2022.

A plenary meeting scheduled for early afternoon was postponed until early evening, while smaller working groups continue to operate. Discussions at COP17 are primarily focused on drafting a 'global stocktake' of progress in the area of biodiversity, a document awaited but still pending despite initial optimism about its completion before the current day.

This stocktake should be based on the results obtained after the 2022 Biodiversity Agreement, known as the Kunming-Montreal Agreement, which is comparable to the Paris Agreement on climate change. This agreement defined 23 goals to be achieved by 2030, such as protecting 30% of terrestrial and oceanic areas, combating pollution and invasive species, and restoring degraded ecosystems; however, most of these goals are behind schedule.

The objective of the global stocktake is to guide states toward the correct path through tangible proposals, but countries face notable difficulties when dealing with issues related to subsidies granted to harmful practices, estimated at $2.6 trillion annually. Another relevant point of contention is determining who should bear the financial objectives set for 2030, in a context where the public finances of many countries are under pressure, leading them to try to avoid the responsibility of increasing allocations.

Francisco Ferreira identified financing as the 'main blockage' of the summit, highlighting an 'enormous contradiction between funding for conservation and subsidies that promote habitat destruction, soil degradation, and overfishing.' In addition to monetary issues, the president of Zero mentioned that the positions adopted by certain countries, specifically Russia and Saudi Arabia, are complicating collaboration between biodiversity and climate change, as well as scientific recognition and articulation with other international pacts.

The president of Zero also expressed concern about the persistence of divergences regarding the effective participation of indigenous peoples and local communities, emphasizing that it is deeply worrying the time spent 'discussing words' instead of implementing concrete actions, given that biodiversity protection sustains both human living conditions and economies.

The European Union has been trying to persuade large emerging economies, such as China, to adhere to the official donor base, without success so far. Efforts to strengthen the 'Cali Fund,' a United Nations mechanism intended to share profits generated by companies exploiting genetic data of plants and other organisms, are also proving challenging.

In previous events, such as the biodiversity summit in Colombia in 2024, negotiations ended without an agreement on conservation funding, which were resumed and concluded in Rome in early 2025. In Yerevan, it is expected to be decided today whether Panama or Ecuador will host the next summit, COP18, in 2028. On the eve of the COP17 closing, Astrid Schomaler, UN biodiversity officer, called on countries to demonstrate 'audacity and innovation to find common ground.'

The 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) will take place in Antalya, Turkey, from November 9th to 20th. The event will operate under a mixed governance model, where Turkey will host the summit and the presidency, while Australia will lead the formal negotiations.

This meeting will bring together various stakeholders, such as national delegates, government representatives, scientists, businesses, and civil society, with the aim of debating global climate action. Topics include emission reduction, adaptation to climate effects, and climate finance, at a time when countries are dealing with extreme weather events, resource consumption, and the shift towards low-emission economies.

This year's agenda dedicates specific discussions to topics such as zero waste, energy, and transport, while also focusing on more resilient cities. In preparation for the conference, the SP Architects office is renovating the former EXPO 2016 park in Antalya to host the event, with the intention of keeping the site in use after COP31 concludes.

The thematic subjects of COP31 encompass energy and transport, food and agriculture, climate finance, circular economy, and the preservation of oceans and terrestrial ecosystems. November 11th and 12th will be reserved for the World Leaders Climate Action Summit, a moment when heads of state and government will meet to discuss international cooperation and environmental commitments.

On November 12th, there will be a special focus on resilient cities and the built environment. Topics such as low-climate impact buildings, urban resilience, disaster risk management, local governments, smart cities, natural solutions, mobility, infrastructure, and sustainable waste systems will be addressed. These debates will occur within the context of the environmental impact of the construction sector, covering emissions related to building operation and the manufacturing of construction materials.

The chosen venue for COP31 utilizes the structure originally developed for EXPO 2016 Antalya, an international horticultural fair. This site, located in the Aksu district of Antalya, featured landscaped areas, exhibition facilities, and buildings focused on agriculture and biodiversity. SP Architects is making adaptations to this existing site through a mix of renovations and new structures, both permanent and temporary.

The conference space will be divided into two zones with distinct purposes. The Blue Zone, managed by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), will be the venue for formal negotiations and meetings with accredited participants. The Green Zone will be dedicated to public events, exhibitions, and debates. Uniting these two areas in the same location requires careful planning of circulation flows, security perimeters, and shared facilities.

According to SP Architects, the design team has led the development from the conceptual phase to construction over the past year. This work was carried out from an office located on the site itself and in collaboration with the Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, the UNFCCC, and other stakeholders.

The project integrates modular and recyclable construction elements, along with measures focused on environmental control and operational efficiency. There are plans for the space to continue hosting fairs, shows, and other events after COP31, in coordination with the metropolitan and district administrations of Antalya. This planned continuity expands the utility of the site beyond the international conference, relying on the infrastructure created for a previous large-scale event.

Past COP editions have highlighted both the progress in international climate negotiations and the obstacles in turning promises into practical actions. Following the climate finance goal set at COP29 in Baku and the advances of COP30 regarding adaptation finance and just transition in Belém, COP31 will take place in a scenario of continuous discussions on emission reduction and climate finance. Under the motto 'From Dialogue to Consensus, From Consensus to Action,' the Antalya conference seeks to reinforce the implementation of current climate agreements, including those related to sustainable development and urban resilience.