From Ambition to Implementation: OMEC Brings the Mediterranean Agenda to COP31
As COP31 shifts the global conversation from ambition to implementation, OMEC is taking the Mediterranean’s experience to Antalya, Türkiye, where the conference runs from 9 to 20 November 2026. Across the Mediterranean, Italian and French pavilions and the official UNFCCC program, OMEC will organize or co-organize five side events.
The program opens on 10 November at the Mediterranean Pavilion with the launch of the Mediterranean Energy Review (MER) 2026, developed by OMEC in support of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Energy Platforms and presented with the UfM Secretariat. The only annual publication dedicated exclusively to tracking the energy transition across the 26 Mediterranean countries, the Review covers energy demand, electricity, renewables, efficiency, emissions, energy security, infrastructure, investment trends and regional cooperation. The launch will present its main findings and open a dialogue with governments, industry, utilities, regulators and international organizations on where implementation is moving fastest and which priorities should guide Mediterranean energy policy over the next decade.
Three OMEC sessions follow on 11 November. At the Italian Pavilion, OMEC, Cisambiente Confindustria, ICLEI Europe and Zero Waste Europe will explore how cities and industry can scale up climate neutrality, drawing on Athens’ bio-waste strategy, Italian experience with energy communities and industrial symbiosis, and the role of biomethane in hard-to-abate sectors. At the Francophonie Pavilion, a session on water resilience will apply a water-energy-food nexus approach to Mediterranean climate risks, covering desalination powered by low-carbon energy, water reuse, early warning systems and nature-based solutions, with a focus on turning them into bankable adaptation projects. At the French Pavilion, OMEC and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will examine how nuclear can complement renewables, grids and storage in resilient low-carbon power systems, building on OMEC’s 2026 nuclear study. The COP31 Presidency has set a goal of raising electricity to 35% of final energy consumption by 2035. Electrification across the Mediterranean currently stands at around 23%, and OMEC’s ambitious Net-Zero ProMED scenario reaches around 32% by 2035.
On 14 November, OMEC joins CMCC, Hereon and JJS for the UNFCCC Official Side Event “The Coastal Frontline: accelerating science-based solutions and cooperation for coastal resilience.” Ocean scientists, coastal communities and youth, energy stakeholders and governments will discuss how to turn coastal climate risks into finance-ready adaptation and a just energy transition for the Global South.
The Mediterranean’s next chapter will be written by those who turn plans into projects. Whether you work in policy, industry, finance, research or civil society, join OMEC in Antalya, bring your questions and your ideas, and help move the region from ambition to action.
For more information, please contact us at : info@omec-med.org