VITO at COP31
From 9 to 20 November 2026, the international climate community will gather in Antalya, Türkiye, for COP31, the annual UN Climate Change Conference.
VITO will participate alongside G-STIC, a global network bringing together partners to accelerate technological solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Their contributions to COP31 will focus on the practical challenges of climate action, including climate adaptation, financing, the water-energy nexus, and international cooperation to accelerate the implementation of climate solutions. They will also address the role of technological innovation in industrial decarbonisation and sustainable economic development, with ports, industrial clusters and infrastructure for renewable fuels as concrete areas of interest.
See where you can meet VITO and G-STIC at COP31.
Programme
Thematic Session 4: Advancing Nature-based Solutions for liveability and climate adaptation
13 November | 16:45–17:45
- VITO presence: Jente Broeckx
- Location: Marmara Antalya Hotel
G-STIC Co-host Meeting – Invitation only
15 November | Full day
- VITO presence: Dietrich Van der Weken, Maarten Pelgrims and Inge Neven
- Location: DoubleTree by Hilton Antalya City Centre
Side Event: Bridging finance and implementation – from catalytic grants to sustained ecosystem-based climate action
16 November | 11:30–12:30
- VITO presence: Jente Broeckx
- Location: IUCN/WWF Pavilion, COP 31 Blue zone
Side Event: Closing the Climate Implementation Gap: Scaling Solutions through Global RTO Cooperation
16 November | 15:30–17:00
- VITO presence: Dietrich Van der Weken
- Location: BENELUX-EIB Pavilion, COP31 Blue zone
Side Event: Closing the climate–SDG implementation gap: scaling solutions through global RTO cooperation
18 November | 15:45–16:45
- VITO presence: Leen Govaerts
- Location: SDG Pavilion, COP31 Blue Zone
Side Event: Water and Energy Nexus for Climate Resilience – From Cooperation to Implementation
19 November | 15:30–15:00
- VITO presence: Leen Govaerts and Carlos Guerrero Lucendo
- Location: BENELUX-EIB Pavilion, COP31 Blue zone
Why is VITO at COP? Find out more.
