UN Climate Change Conference 2026: From Climate Targets to Implementation

Germany’s International Climate Initiative (IKI) at COP31 in Türkiye

From 9 to 20 November 2026, the focus of international climate policy will turn to Antalya, Türkiye, which will host the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31).

Representatives from almost 200 countries will come together to negotiate joint responses to the climate crisis and advance the implementation of the Paris Agreement. Türkiye will host the conference, while Australia will preside over the negotiations.

COP31 has a clear ambition: climate action must move into implementation more quickly and deliver tangible, measurable results.

The IKI on the ground: Showcasing solutions and strengthening partnerships

Germany is making a tangible contribution to this effort through its International Climate Initiative (IKI). After all, climate action is not decided at the negotiating table alone. It also requires practical solutions, committed partners and experience from the field.

Through the IKI, Germany translates international climate targets into concrete action on the ground. The funding programme supports partner countries in advancing climate-friendly technologies and investment, establishing enabling conditions, and developing new skills and creating sustainable jobs for the future.

The IKI will be present at COP31 in a variety of ways. Representatives from the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUKN) and numerous IKI projects will attend the conference. Through their own events, expert contributions and participation in exchange formats, they will bring experience from their work around the world into the international climate debate. They will showcase approaches that are already delivering results, highlight opportunities for new partnerships and demonstrate how climate action and sustainable development can go hand in hand.

In this way, the conference provides a platform for generating fresh momentum towards the implementation of international climate targets.

Further information

Website UNFCCC

Official website of the COP31 presidency

Supporting NDCs and LTS

Read more ... 

The IKI in Türkiye

Details on the priority country ...

#IKIstories: From global targets to tangible change

Whether it is climate-friendly electric mobility, the transition to decarbonised industry, circular economy approaches or training skilled professionals for the energy transition, the IKI’s work addresses key challenges on the COP31 agenda.

Many IKI solutions have an impact that extends beyond individual projects. Successful approaches, for example, can inform policy strategies, open up new financing opportunities or be replicated in other countries.

Our IKI Stories show what this looks like in practice. They tell the stories of people, projects and partnerships that are advancing climate action and biodiversity conservation around the world.

Discover our IKI stories and find out more about the projects and their global impact:

Driving Lesotho’s quiet green revolution

A man wearing a red top stands in front of an electric car with logos of the Technical University of Ingolstadt and the Energy Research Center in Lesotho under a carport.

#Mitigation #Electrification #ElectricMobility

Read the story here

Parbati’s journey into Nepal’s electric future

Woman wearing a red top smiling while driving a car with a man smiling in the passenger seat

#Mitigation #Electrification #ElectricMobility

Read the story here

Double harvest: Linking solar energy and agriculture

Woman wearing a striped sun hat and polka-dot top working in a garden with plants and berries in Armenia

#Mitigation #RenewableEnergy #Electrification

Read the story here

Turning organic waste into wealth

#Mitigation #MethaneReduction #CircularEconomy

Read the story here

From crab waste to new opportunities

#Mitigation #CircularEconomy

Read the story here

Green skills, real impact: Zambia's biogas entrepreneur

A young entrepreneur in Zambia wearing a white polo shirt and cap with the Umodoro Biotechnology logo presents in front of a screen showing a PowerPoint slide about biogas for the Zambian market.

#Mitigation #GreenSkills #CircularEconomy

Read the story here

International climate finance

A man with short hair and glasses stands in a modern indoor setting. He is wearing a dark blue suit, a white shirt, and a striped tie. His hands are clasped in front of his body. The background features blurred, colorful wall surfaces and a large, light wall.
In times of geopolitical tensions, a global energy crisis and an increase in extreme weather events driven by climate change, Germany is sending an important signal with its continued strong climate finance contributions. We support developing and emerging economies in creating the right conditions for moving away from fossil fuels and transitioning to renewable energy, while enabling the investment needed to make this happen.
Carsten Schneider, Federal Minister for the Environment and Climate Action

Germany remains a reliable partner

Germany is continuing its contributions to international climate finance for climate action and adaptation in developing and emerging economies, remaining a reliable partner internationally. 

In its approach to international climate finance, the German Government is increasingly focusing on mobilising private investment and loans. The volume of public and private investment mobilised through international climate finance has reached a new high.

Some of the funding provided in 2025 came from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, which implements these funds through the International Climate Initiative (IKI).

Read the BMUKN’s press release (in German)

Overview: IKI events at the COP31

This calendar provides an overview of IKI side events that take place at COP31. There is no claim to completeness, the organisers are responsible for the information provided.

All time indications in the timezone of the event location

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