The 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), currently holding in Antalya, Türkiye, has provisionally recorded the highest number of registered participants in the history of global climate summits.

According to figures published by Carbon Brief, based on provisional participant lists released by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a total of 92,934 participants have registered to attend the conference physically.

The figure surpasses the previous record of 81,027 participants recorded at COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, making COP31 potentially the largest climate summit ever organised.

Türkiye, the host country, has the largest national delegation with 2,950 registered participants. Brazil, which hosted COP30 in 2025, follows with 1,994 participants, while Nigeria ranks third globally with 1,506 delegates.

China occupies the fourth position with 1,021 participants, followed by Indonesia with 978. Other countries in the top 10 include Australia with 835 delegates, Uganda with 627, Italy with 607, Japan with 588 and Kazakhstan with 557.

Nigeria’s strong representation at international climate conferences continues a pattern established over recent years, with the country consistently maintaining one of Africa’s largest national delegations.

At COP29, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2024, Nigeria registered 634 participants, making it the eighth-largest delegation globally and the largest from Africa. Uganda followed with 412 delegates.

The country’s representation increased substantially at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, in 2025, when 1,453 Nigerians registered for the conference, placing Nigeria third globally behind Brazil and China.

A comparison of the figures shows that Nigeria’s delegation increased from 634 participants at COP29 to 1,453 at COP30, representing a growth of approximately 129 per cent.

The latest figure of 1,506 at COP31 indicates a further 3.6 per cent increase compared with the previous year. Overall, Nigeria’s registered participation has grown by approximately 138 per cent between COP29 and COP31.

Nigeria also recorded 1,411 delegates at COP28 in Dubai, a development that generated public debate over the cost of government participation in international climate conferences. Following the criticism, the Federal Government indicated its intention to reduce the size of future delegations.

The country’s current delegation comprises representatives of government institutions, civil society organisations, businesses and other stakeholder groups.

Meanwhile, the provisional COP31 registration figures include 18,812 official party delegates, 3,645 media representatives, 13,388 observers, 16,726 overflow participants and 39,400 other participants and staff.

More than 3,000 additional participants have also registered to participate virtually, bringing the overall number of registrations to above 95,000.

However, the 92,934 figure represents provisional physical registrations rather than confirmed attendance. The UNFCCC is expected to publish the final attendance statistics after the conference, based on participants who collect their accreditation badges at the venue.

LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES MAR RECORD COP31 TURNOUT

Despite the record participation, the conference has been accompanied by significant logistical difficulties, particularly involving transportation, accommodation, accreditation and access to the conference venue.

Participants have reported challenges commuting between their hotels and the Antalya Expo Centre, where the summit is taking place. Limited shuttle bus availability, overcrowding and delays involving the city’s tram network have compounded the situation.

Several attendees have complained about lengthy waiting periods at designated bus stops and difficulties securing transportation to and from their accommodation.

Some journeys initially expected to take approximately 50 minutes have reportedly stretched to between two and three hours, while participants staying farther from the venue have experienced even longer travel times.

The transportation difficulties have forced some attendees to sleep at the conference venue to avoid the inconvenience of returning to their hotels and making the journey back early the following morning.

One participant who spoke to TheCable disclosed that travelling to his accommodation takes between three and four hours, describing the experience as particularly difficult given the cold weather in Antalya.

He also complained about the absence of hot water at his accommodation and delays in the arrival of his luggage, which had left him without some personal belongings.

Temperatures in the Turkish city have hovered around 11 degrees Celsius, further adding to the discomfort of participants waiting for transportation.

Before the conference, the UNFCCC’s official guidance indicated that journeys between accommodation locations and the conference venue would generally take between 30 and 60 minutes.

However, the transportation challenges prompted conference organisers to issue additional notices advising participants to plan their movements carefully.

The situation became more complicated during the Leaders’ Summit scheduled for November 11 and 12, as heightened security arrangements for visiting heads of state and government resulted in road closures, traffic restrictions and adjustments to shuttle services.

In a notice to participants, the UNFCCC advised those travelling from affected locations to arrive at the venue between 5am and 7am, warning that public transportation vehicles would not be permitted to leave the security zone after 7am.

The secretariat also announced reduced services on nine shuttle routes serving Belek, where many conference participants are accommodated, between 8:30am and noon on both days.

Participants were advised to avoid travelling during the affected periods, while alternative routes were introduced for shuttle buses to accommodate movements associated with the arrival and departure of world leaders.

The UNFCCC, however, cautioned that delays should still be expected despite the alternative transportation arrangements.