Held during the first year of the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport, COP31 in Antalya, Turkey, provides an important platform to strengthen links between climate action and transport system transformation. It offers an opportunity to highlight sustainable transport’s contribution to mitigation, adaptation, and resilience, while exploring how climate and development objectives, policies, investments, and partnerships can be better aligned. ITDP will be present at the COP31 events below. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Bluesky, Threads, and Facebook for updates!
Monday, November 9th
Bridge the Gap: Connecting People, Places, and Opportunities to Accelerate SDG Delivery
- Location: Blue Zone, SDG Pavilion | Time: 10:45 AM – 11:45 AM Turkey
- This panel discussion will explore how better connections between people, places, and opportunities can accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. Speakers will share perspectives on creating more inclusive, accessible, and sustainable communities through improved mobility and urban development. ITDP Africa Director Claire Birungi will join this discussion.
Transport Leaders’ Conversation
- Location: Transport Pavilion | Time: 4:00 PM – 4:50 PM Turkey
- A high-level gathering of transport leaders to discuss the sector’s most pressing challenges and the actions needed to drive transformative change. ITDP will co-host the conversation alongside representatives from the Ministries of Transport of Türkiye, Ethiopia, and Brazil, as well as the National Council for Climate Change of the Dominican Republic. ITDP CEO Heather Thompson will join this high-level convening.
Transport Community Meet Up
- Location: Transport Pavilion | Time: 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM Turkey
- Organized by SLOCAT and ITDP, this Transport Community Meet Up provides a shared space for the transport community to connect and align at key moments throughout COP31, helping ensure that the sector’s collective voice in negotiations and side events is stronger than the sum of its parts. Through expert insights on key issues shaping the transport and climate agenda, participants will help frame the week, align on upcoming negotiation milestones and engagement opportunities, and coordinate shared messages.
Wednesday, November 11th
Nordic Experience, Global Impact: Accelerating the EV Transition
- Location: Nordic Pavilion, Blue Zone | Time: 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM Turkey
- How can Nordic experience, finance, and partnerships accelerate the global transition to electric mobility? This panel brings Nordic and international perspectives together to explore how policy, technology, and investment can support deployment across diverse markets, with solutions adapted to local priorities. ITDP CEO Heather Thompson will be participating.
Friday, November 13th
Better Buses, Better Cities: Delivering BRT through International Cooperation
- Location: Nordic Pavilion, Blue Zone | Time: 12:45 PM – 1:45 PM Turkey
- The discussion starts with cities’ needs and asks how Nordic experience and international partnerships can help address practical gaps. Electrification will be considered alongside service quality, affordability, and operational viability, as part of a well-designed transport system. ITDP Africa Director Claire Birungi will join this discussion.
Tuesday, November 17th
Making Electrification Viable: The Energy Transition of Last-Mile Networks
- Location: Side Event Room Yellow | Time: 12:20 PM – 12:55 PM Turkey
- This discussion will examine how lessons from public transport electrification, particularly ITDP’s work on electric mobility in Ethiopia and across Africa, can support decarbonizing postal and last-mile delivery networks. Panelists will explore how investments in e-bus systems and public mobility infrastructure can help accelerate broader energy-transition efforts across transportation sectors. ITDP Africa’s Public Transport and Electrification Manager, Gashaw Aberra, will be participating.
Unlocking Investment for Electric Buses in the Global South
- Location: RCF Pavilion | Time: 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM Turkey
- This panel will explore how climate finance can help bridge the gap between ambitious electrification goals and the realities of implementing electric bus projects in the Global South. Using Indonesia as a case study, speakers will discuss strategies for turning climate commitments into bankable investments and share lessons from other regions on accelerating e-bus deployment. ITDP Indonesia will organize this event in part, with support from partners at ViriyaENB. Participants will include ITDP’s Southeast Asia Director, Gonggomtua Sitanggang, and ITDP Africa Director, Claire Birungi.
