COP31 Short-Term Action Group: Turkiye-Australia 2026
The COP31 Short-Term Action Group (STAG) has been set up to enable coordinated civil society advocacy in the lead up to the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference.
The Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) will take place in Antalya, Turkiye, in November 2026. The COP31 will be co-hosted by Turkiye with Australia holding the Presidency of the Negotiations and a pre-COP taking place in Fiji and Tuvalu.
Our Focus
The COP process represents the main climate change policy influencing mechanism as part of the UNFCCC. In recent years, there has been growing attention within COP processes to the intersection between climate change and health, including mental health. Health played a particularly central role in COP28 with a Health Day dedicated to health and a Ministerial Declaration on Climate & Health endorsed by more than 140 member states. At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the Belém Health Action Plan for the Adaptation of the Health Sector to Climate Change was launched, which includes specific and concrete recommendations on how to integrate mental health and psychosocial support considerations in climate adaptation.
Mental health however remains unequally represented in this fora. For example, only 14 out of 55 ministerial interventions mentioned mental health as part of the Climate & Health Ministerial that took place at COP28. We want this to change. Mental health should receive the same amount of attention as physical health within climate discussions.
Our Objectives:
Bring together stakeholders actively engaged in climate change and mental health and psychosocial programming, policy and advocacy in Turkiye, Australia, and the broader Pacific region
Advocate for the integration of mental health and psychosocial wellbeing within the broader health, environmental, and social policy discussions at COP31.
Consider how COP31 could be used as a platform to promote policies that address the climate-mental health nexus at the national level across Turkiye, Australia, and the broader Pacific region
Coordinate the civil society efforts in the mental health and psychosocial sphere at COP31 (e.g., side events etc.).
Raise awareness of the intersection of climate change and mental health in Turkiye, Australia, and the broader Pacific region in the lead-up to COP31 (e.g., through the collection of case studies etc.)
STAG Co-Chairs
Bronwyn Gresham (CEO, Psychology for a Safe Climate, Australia)
Isabelle Shaw (Mental Health and Youth Advocate, Australia)
Selin Tanyeri Kayahan (Psychiatrist, Republic of Turkiye Ministry of Health)
Organisations represented in the COP31 STAG
Learn more about COP31 outcomes here:
Recommended links:
https://unitedgmh.org/the-global-advocate/mental-health-at-cop28-what-next/
https://unitedgmh.org/the-global-advocate/from-baku-to-belem-mental-health-at-cop29-and-onwards/
Alessandro Massazza, United for Global Mental Health,Mental health at COP30: From the Global Goal on Adaptation to the Belém Health Action Plan
“Fires, Flood, and Fear: The Human Toll of Climate Change in Brazil”.From North to South, climate change is impacting mental health in Brazil. This is how. Access the PhotoEssay led by our members.
Environment, Climate Change and Mental Health Advocacy Briefs:
The Action Network has co-created and published important advocacy briefs focused on Environment, Mental Health and Wellbeing. They draw upon recommendations from esteemed organisations like the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). These briefs provide a comprehensive overview of the current and projected impacts of climate change on mental health and outline practical measures that governments should undertake to address current and future mental health challenges. The briefs are currently being widely used by our members, with translations into French, Spanish, Portuguese, Azerbaijani and Chinese.