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climate change
COP31 opens: WMO puts Jan–Sep 2026 at +1.47 °C, Ukraine brings three tasks — what it means for communities
The 31st UN Climate Change Conference, COP31, opened in Antalya, Türkiye, on 9 November 2026 and runs until 20 November. On day one the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released its State of the Climate Update 2026: the global average surface temperature for January–September 2026 was about 1.47 °C above the pre-industrial average, and each of the past 12 years ranks among the 12 warmest on record. Ukraine arrives with three tasks that its Ministry of Economy and Environment set out at the Pre-COP31 dialogue in Kyiv on 21 October. For communities, schools and social care facilities, it is a good moment to review their climate risks and prepare adaptation projects.
Have a climate project idea for a community or a children's facility?
Environmental education and support for children's facilities are the core areas of the NGO Vary Future (Change the Future). Describe the risk and the site in the form and we will discuss a partnership.
Propose a project Our areas of activityWhat the WMO reported at the opening of COP31
The WMO update uses data up to September 2026, so it does not yet reflect the most recent impacts of El Niño. The full State of the Global Climate 2026 report is due in March 2027. Key figures:
- Temperature: January–September 2026 was about 1.47 °C above the pre-industrial average; the past four years are the four warmest on record.
- El Niño: intensifying since August and expected to be the strongest on record by December, with more heat and extreme weather well into 2027.
- Ocean: absorbs 90% of the excess heat; 2026 is on track to be the tenth successive year of record ocean warmth, and sea level is the highest on record.
- Ice and water: glacier ice lost in 2025 would have filled five Olympic pools every second of the year; freshwater storage has been dwindling since 2014.
- Early warnings: the number of countries reporting multi-hazard early warning systems grew from 56 in 2015 to 136 in 2025.
"We have entered a new age of climate extremes," UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in the WMO release. For the wider picture, read our overview of the ecological problems facing the planet and our piece on extreme weather and climate events.
What Ukraine brings to Antalya
On 21 October 2026 Ukraine's Ministry of Economy and Environment hosted the international Pre-COP31 climate dialogue in Kyiv. Minister Oleksandr Kravchenko named three tasks for the Ukrainian delegation:
- defend Ukraine's territorial integrity in international climate decisions;
- attract investment for recovery;
- strengthen international expert and technical support.
Deputy Minister Oleksandr Krasnolutskyi cited an estimate of about 311 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent released into the atmosphere over four years of Russia's full-scale aggression. Participants also discussed climate investment for green recovery, energy resilience, Article 6 mechanisms of the Paris Agreement, green finance and war-risk insurance. Ukraine is hosting a national pavilion at a COP for the fifth time, and this year it plans the largest number of events in the pavilion's history.
COP31's 10 thematic areas and what matters to a community
The COP31 organisers set ten thematic areas: food, agriculture and health; energy and transport; zero waste; resilient cities and the built environment; finance and trade; children, youth, education and skills; science, industry and technology; oceans, seas, nature and land use; human and social development; and strengthening the implementation of climate solutions. Five of them are closest to the daily work of a community, a school or a social care facility:
| COP31 area | What it means locally | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| Children, youth, education and skills | Climate education and safe conditions for children during heatwaves and power cuts | Climate lessons and clubs, a heat action plan for the facility |
| Resilient cities and the built environment | Shade, greenery, energy-efficient buildings | Map the hottest yards and bus stops, plant trees |
| Energy and transport | Backup power and lower energy bills | Energy audit, solar panels and batteries for the facility |
| Zero waste | Less landfill, cleaner soil and water | Separate collection at school, community composting |
| Oceans, seas, nature and land use | Protection from drought, flooding and wildfires | Restore wetlands and shelterbelts, selective mowing |
Everyday steps that anyone can take are collected in our list of 15 simple things everyone can do.
What a community, school or facility can do this autumn
- Name your risk. Heat in classrooms, a flooded yard, power cuts or drought: write down what happened over the last two or three years and who was affected.
- Collect the facts. Dates, indoor temperatures, hours without power, the number of children or residents. Donors and grant programmes assess projects on measurable data.
- Choose a proven solution. Shade and trees, insulation, backup power, restoring natural areas.
- Follow the COP31 outcomes. At each Conference of the Parties countries report on their climate commitments and discuss adaptation and ways to finance climate solutions.
- Find a partner for the application. An NGO can help shape the idea, estimate the budget and prepare reporting.
Preparation time depends on the donor's rules and on whether local government approvals are needed: usually from a few weeks to a few months.
Let's prepare a climate project together
Use the form on our contacts page: your community or facility, the risk, and what has already been done. Phone: +38 (067) 999 64 90.
Contact us About the NGOFrequently asked questions
When and where is COP31?
COP31 takes place from 9 to 20 November 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye.
How warm was 2026 according to the WMO?
For January–September 2026 the global average surface temperature was about 1.47 °C above the pre-industrial average.
What are the Ukrainian delegation's tasks at COP31?
To defend Ukraine's territorial integrity in international climate decisions, attract investment for recovery and strengthen international expert and technical support.
Sources: WMO, State of the Climate Update 2026, 9 Nov 2026; WMO at COP31; Ministry of Economy and Environment of Ukraine, Pre-COP31, 22 Oct 2026; Ministry of Economy and Environment of Ukraine, Ukrainian pavilion at COP31, 24 Sep 2026.
