A congressional delegation that the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) Institute says it is bringing to COP31 plans climate diplomacy as U.S. withdrawals from two climate agreements move forward.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) lists COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye. SEEC says the lawmakers plan meetings with foreign governments and fellow lawmakers, discussions of climate and trade policy, and public events promoting U.S. climate leadership. The institute says congressional involvement can help sustain U.S. engagement and build international partnerships as COP decisions shape climate ambition, finance and implementation.
SEEC describes plans for approximately 20 members of Congress and says the roster will be announced soon. AFP reported that Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois gave a count of 19 and called the delegation’s role an “important diplomatic function.” SEEC has not released the roster, so the final delegation size is not yet known.
U.N. records list Jan. 27, 2026, as the date the U.S. departure from the Paris Agreement took effect. President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20, 2025, executive order had directed formal notice of the withdrawal. The White House’s Jan. 7, 2026, memorandum directed agencies to withdraw from the broader UNFCCC. A U.N. depositary notice says the convention withdrawal notice was effected Feb. 27, 2026, and the U.S. withdrawal will take effect Feb. 27, 2027. COP31 will take place after the Paris withdrawal took effect but before the convention withdrawal does.
AFP reported that the U.S. government will not participate in COP31 negotiations. The agency also reported that Casten cautioned against overstating the lawmakers’ influence, citing the U.S. failure to ratify the 1997 Kyoto Protocol and two U.S. withdrawals from the Paris Agreement under Trump. Casten told AFP that “so many of the challenges we face are the same.” COP31 is scheduled to open Monday, Nov. 9, and run through Nov. 20.
