COP31: “The Paris Agreement must continue to guide our efforts” (Murat Kurum, President)

“COP 31 is opening at such a critical moment, as the risk of temporarily overshooting the 1.5 °C threshold, which could lead to irreversible loss and damage, becomes increasingly evident. We cannot abandon the 1.5 °C goal. The Paris Agreement must continue to guide our efforts,” says Murat Kurum, Minister of Environment and Urban Planning of Türkiye and COP31 president, on 10 November 2026 in Antalya.

“Our task is to limit the rise in temperatures, minimize the magnitude and duration of any potential overshoot, and accelerate the steps needed to bring temperatures back below this threshold. It is important that a decision addressing this need takes shape under the leadership of the COP31 Presidency,” he continues.

According to him, the swift adoption of the action agenda on 9 November…