Canada Unveils Delegations for COP17 and COP31 With Focus on Indigenous Leadership

Canada will send high-level delegations to two back-to-back United Nations conferences this autumn, the Canadian government announced on October 16, 2026 — the biodiversity summit COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia, starting October 19, and the climate summit COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, opening November 9. The Canada COP31 delegation will be headed by Environment, Climate Change and Nature Minister Julie Dabrusin, who will also lead Canada’s delegation at COP17.

Canada COP31 delegation heads to Antalya in November

From November 9 to 20, 2026, in Antalya, Türkiye, Canada will participate in the 31st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. According to the Environment and Climate Change Canada announcement, the Canada COP31 delegation will continue work with international partners, Indigenous representatives, civil society, youth and other stakeholders to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities, reduce methane emissions, accelerate electrification and mobilize finance and investments from public and private sources.

For the fifth consecutive year, Canada will host a national pavilion at COP31, described as a hub for connection and collaboration that showcases Canadian climate leadership and innovation. Building on multilateral engagements, including the 10th Ministerial on Climate Action, the delegation arrives in Antalya under the COP31 presidency of Türkiye and Australia’s President of Negotiations arrangement.

What Canada will push for at COP17 in Yerevan

First, from October 19 to 30, 2026, in Yerevan, Armenia, Minister Dabrusin and Secretary of State for Nature Nathalie Provost will lead Canada’s COP17 team to the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The priority is accelerating implementation of the Kunming–Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework, the global plan adopted at COP15 in Montréal in 2022 to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. COP17 is the first global review of progress under that framework.

Canada says it will champion the critical role of Indigenous peoples in conservation and advocate for practical solutions to mobilize global resources for biodiversity finance. The delegation will lead two Canadian-led official side events — one on innovative nature finance and one on Indigenous leadership in conservation — and take part in bilateral meetings, high-level roundtables and civil society events. The High-Level Segment of COP17 takes place October 27–28, 2026, according to the CBD Secretariat’s information note.

Who is in the delegations

Canada’s delegations to COP17 and COP31 will bring together diverse perspectives from across Canadian society, including Indigenous representatives, civil society, the private sector, youth and provincial and territorial government representatives, according to the announcement. In the lead-up to COP17, Canadian officials have already been engaging with the Armenian presidency — an online meeting between Armenia’s Environment Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan and Minister Dabrusin addressed organizational and substantive issues for the Yerevan summit, according to Armenia’s environment ministry.

Record at home backs the pitch

The announcement ties the diplomatic push to domestic action: Canada is building major clean energy projects including the Churchill Falls development, invests through A Force of Nature: Canada’s Strategy to Protect Nature and $3.8 billion in funding, and has committed to conserve 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030. In September 2026, Canada joined the 30×30 for Nature and People Ministerial Declaration at the 81st UN General Assembly, and Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a $1.2 billion investment to better protect Canada’s oceans. In April 2026, Canada announced a new goal of delivering $13 billion in international climate finance over the next five years. Canada also serves as co-convenor of the Global Methane Pledge, which counts 159 participating countries and the European Commission, targeting at least a 30 percent cut in global methane emissions by 2030 from 2020 levels.

Key facts

• Announcement: October 16, 2026, by Environment and Climate Change Canada (Ottawa).
• COP17 (biodiversity): October 19–30, 2026, Yerevan, Armenia; Canada’s delegation led by Minister Julie Dabrusin with Secretary of State Nathalie Provost.
• COP31 (climate): November 9–20, 2026, Antalya, Türkiye; fifth consecutive year of the Canada Pavilion.
• Canada’s priorities: Indigenous leadership in conservation, biodiversity finance, methane reduction, electrification, resilient communities.
• Noteworthy: Canada co-convenes the Global Methane Pledge (159 countries) and aims to deliver $13 billion in international climate finance over five years.

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Conclusion

With COP17 opening in Yerevan within days and COP31 following in Antalya three weeks later, Canada’s announcement sets out a concrete delegation plan — two minister-led teams, a national pavilion, and clear priorities on Indigenous leadership, nature finance and methane. The coming weeks will show how far those priorities carry in the negotiation rooms.

FAQs

When is COP17 and where is it held?

COP17, the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, takes place October 19–30, 2026, in Yerevan, Armenia. It marks the first global review of the Kunming–Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework.

When and where is COP31?

COP31, the 31st UN climate conference, takes place November 9–20, 2026, in Antalya, Türkiye, under the COP31 presidency of Türkiye with Australia as President of Negotiations.

Who leads Canada’s delegations?

Julie Dabrusin, Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature, heads both delegations. At COP17 she is joined by Nathalie Provost, Secretary of State for Nature.

What is the Canada Pavilion at COP31?

It is Canada’s national pavilion, hosted for the fifth consecutive year, serving as a hub for showcasing Canadian climate leadership and innovation and connecting with partners during the conference.

What is Canada pushing for on methane?

Canada serves as co-convenor of the Global Methane Pledge, whose participants — 159 countries plus the European Commission — aim to cut global methane emissions by at least 30 percent by 2030 from 2020 levels, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.