Open Call for Proposals: Higher Education for Climate Action Pavilion at COP31
Following the success of the Higher Education for Climate Action Pavilion at COP30 in Belem, Brazil, we are pleased to bring the Pavilion back to the Blue Zone at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, taking place November 9–20, 2026.
A special thank you to our colleagues at Tecnológico de Monterrey for their leadership and commitment to making the Pavilion a reality. All 38 contributing sponsors that made the Pavilion possible are listed below.
Through education, research, innovation, partnerships, and institutional transformation, universities are uniquely positioned to advance solutions that support a climate-resilient and sustainable future. Together, we are bringing higher education voices to the heart of global climate discussions and highlighting the critical role universities play in turning climate ambition into action.
The Pavilion will focus on how higher education contributes to key global climate priorities, including:
- Accelerating climate action and implementation through practical solutions, institutional leadership, and collaboration;
- Advancing climate adaptation and resilience by strengthening knowledge, capacity, and community engagement;
- Supporting a just and inclusive transition by incorporating diverse perspectives and ensuring climate action benefits communities;
- Driving innovation and knowledge exchange to scale effective approaches across regions and sectors; and
- Strengthening partnerships between universities, governments, civil society, youth, Indigenous and community organizations, and the private sector.
We invite representatives from higher education institutions to submit proposals to host in-person sessions within the Blue Zone at the Pavilion. Priority will be given to collaborative sessions co-organized by multiple institutions and partners that demonstrate how cross-sector and regional collaboration can drive ambition, enable climate solutions, and support implementation of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
🕒 Application Deadline: Sunday, October 18, 2026
Submit your proposal to host a session at the Higher Education for Climate Action Pavilion and join us in showcasing the leadership role of higher education in addressing the climate crisis.
Pavilion Co-sponsors
Appalachian State University
Carleton University
Clark University – School of Climate, Environment, and Society
Colorado State University
Curtin Institute for Energy Transition
Durham University
George Washington University
Heliopolis University
Institut Science Climat et Civilisation
International Universities Climate Alliance
International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN)
Kassel Institute for Sustainability at University of Kassel
Lund University
Michigan Technological University
Middlebury Institute of International Studies
Monash University – Climateworks Centre
Northwestern University – Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs
Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
Ohio State University
Politecnico di Torino
Research and Independent Non-Governmental Organizations (RINGO)
Second Nature
Tecnológico de Monterrey
The Higher Education Climate Network of Networks (NoN)
The University of Melbourne
UNESCO Chair in Life Cycle and Climate Change – ESCI-UPF
Université Côte d’Azur
University of Calgary
University of Campinas
University of Coimbra
University of Connecticut
University of Leicester
University of Maryland – Department of Geographical Sciences
University of Pennsylvania
University of Southampton
University of Warwick
University of São Paulo
Washington University in St. Louis
Yale Planetary Solutions