The key outcome of UN climate conferences should be not only the decisions adopted during COP meetings, but also the actions that continue after the conferences conclude, said Christian Mensah, Senior Adviser to the COP31 Presidency Office, during a panel discussion held as part of Baku Climate Action Week 2026 (BCAW 2026), Report informs.
"Let's not take this all the way to COP100. But if we ever need to have COP100, it should be about addressing the next generation of climate challenges or new environmental issues that emerge by that time," he said.
According to Mensah, each climate conference should not start from scratch. COP work should be consistent, with initiatives and partnerships established under one presidency carried forward by the next.
Speaking about the upcoming COP31 in Antalya, Mensah stressed that the conference should establish sustainable partnerships capable of continuing to operate after the event concludes.
"The key question for COP is not simply what happens during the conference, but what remains and continues after it," he said.