The Council of the European Union has approved two sets of conclusions defining the European Union’s official negotiating positions ahead of the upcoming United Nations climate change conference (COP31) and biodiversity summit (COP17).
The EU mandates emphasise rapid, science-based multilateral action to limit global warming and reverse global biodiversity loss, urging member states and international partners to convert existing pledges into enforceable policies.
Acknowledging that global temperatures are likely to temporarily breach the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C threshold, EU ministers advocated an “overshoot‑peak‑decline” operational pathway. The strategy focuses on aggressive short-term mitigation to limit every fraction of a degree of additional warming before returning to a 1.5°C trajectory by the end of the century.
Key negotiating priorities and policy mandates include:
- COP31 climate mandates (Antalya, Türkiye): Calling for the immediate submission of outstanding Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and full implementation of first global stocktake (GST-1) outcomes, including an accelerated phase-out of fossil fuels, expanded clean electrification, and structured mitigation dialogues ahead of GST-2.
- COP17 biodiversity mandates (Yerevan, Armenia): Accelerating implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to protect at least 30 per cent of land and sea areas by 2030 (30×30), while integrating nature-positive policies across industrial sectors.
- Innovative capital mobilisation: Calling for expanded public and private nature finance, including the deployment of high-integrity nature credits and market-based conservation mechanisms.
- Climate resilience & adaptation: Elevating adaptation planning alongside mitigation as a structural requirement for long-term economic and societal stability.
The Council reaffirmed the central role of UN multilateral frameworks, confirming that the EU rotating presidency and the European Commission will jointly lead negotiations on behalf of the bloc.
COP17 will take place in Yerevan, Armenia, from 19 to 30 October 2026, followed by COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026. The general climate mandate builds upon specific climate finance conclusions adopted by the Council on 9 October 2026.
