The United Nations' annual climate change conference, COP31, is currently underway in Antalya, Türkiye, running from 9 to 20 November. This international summit brings countries together to address climate change and its effects.
The UK delegation at COP31 is led by Miatta Fahnbulleh MP, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband MP, and other ministers including Katie White OBE MP, Stephen Morgan MP, and Lucy Rigby KC MP are also attending.
The UK's primary goal at COP31 is to uphold the 2015 Paris Agreement and maintain efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C. Broader priorities include accelerating the global transition to clean energy, addressing methane and other super-pollutant emissions, and protecting critical ecosystems.
Domestically, the UK has reduced its carbon emissions by 54% since 1990. The country's last coal-fired power station closed in September 2024, and there are now approximately 2 million electric vehicles registered on UK roads. The UK has also met its first three carbon budgets, which are legally binding limits on carbon emissions set by the Climate Change Act 2008.