COP - Conference of the Parties

What is the COP and how is GCE getting involved? 

The Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the most prominent international climate summit, where governments, policymakers, civil society organisations and other stakeholders negotiate climate targets and commitments. This year COP31 will take place from 9 to 20 November 2026, in Antalya, Türkiye.

After COP30 failed to produce an roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels, all eyes are now on COP31 to turn promises into action. For the first time, a coalition of willing countries met in Santa Marta, Colombia, in April 2026 at the First International Conference on the Just Transitioning Away From Fossil Fuels to discuss concrete pathways to end fossil fuel dependency with participants agreeing to work together on the challenges of a just transition. However, because it sat outside the official UNFCCC process, the Santa Marta Conference produced no binding agreements. In June 2026, the SB64 overran and ended in deadlock, with climate finance emerging as the biggest obstacle to progress. From adaptation to just transition, the question of how developing nations would have the means to implement climate action remain unresolved. This summer’s heatwaves, wildfires and record temperatures are a stark reminder that keeping global temperature rise below 1.5°C is a necessity. This November, reaching an agreement on fossil fuel phase out, speeding up adaptation for climate resilience, empowering youth participation, and delivering accessible, public and grant-based finance for just transition are crucial if COP31 is to be a meaningful step towards climate justice.

As in previous years, GCE, the largest youth coalition on environment and climate in Europe, will bring youth demands center stage before, during and after COP31. In addition to organising in-person and online preparatory events and meetings with policymakers, GCE will send its biggest delegation ever to Antalya to ensure youth is represented in these decisive negotiations.

GCE at previous COP editions

Youth Policy Dialogue on COP31

Ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, Generation Climate Europe, the European Youth Forum and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) co-organised this year’s Youth Policy Dialogue on COP31 with EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra.

Following an open call for applications, young people from across Europe were selected to take part in the process and engage with EU decision-makers on the EU’s priorities for the COP31 negotiations. In preparation for the dialogue, participants took part in two preparatory sessions. On 9 July 2026, representatives of youth organisations, National Youth Delegates to COP and the EESC Youth Delegate to COP met online to exchange views, align priorities and develop a shared set of demands for the EU’s position at COP31. This work resulted in a Youth Policy Demands statement setting out young people’s priorities and recommendations ahead of COP31. Participants also took part in a capacity-building session organised in collaboration with the World Youth for Climate Justice (WY4CJ), focusing on the ICJ’s climate advisory opinion.

The Youth Policy Demands provided a baseline for the Youth Policy Dialogue in Brussels on 1 October 2026, where participants exchanged with EU decision-makers, including Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra, on the EU’s approach to the COP31 negotiations. Read the full Youth Policy Demands below.