News and Insights
A COP31 PR guide (part 2): maintain momentum after the event
November 2, 2026
In this blog, you will learn:
- How to sustain momentum after COP with smart post-summit follow-up
- How to avoid ‘climate fatigue’ in follow-up messaging
- Top tips for COP31 pre-, during and post-event.
Every UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP) is a hive of activity where thousands of delegates and media jostle for attention. Yet PR and marketing professionals preparing for COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye (9–20 November 2026) must ensure their organization’s voice is heard during and after the summit.
For COP31 in Antalya (9-20 November 2026), Türkiye is presiding, Australia is leading the negotiations, and a Pacific pre-COP is putting island nations center stage. You can guarantee there will be much to talk about.
This is part two of a two-part guide to being heard at COP31 — in the venue and online. Part one covered working the room and the feed. This blog explores the follow-up that keeps you visible once the venue empties.
The post-COP PR blitz
Most organizations exhale the moment a COP ends. But the days and weeks immediately after can be the best window for coverage. The headline announcements are done, but the analysis and reaction pieces are only just starting, and competition thins out once the circus leaves town. Plan a post-COP PR blitz to capitalize on this window.
After the event, focus shifts to what just happened. Outlets run stories like “What did COP achieve?” or “The next steps after COP”. Belém (COP30) gave commentators plenty to work with: the “Global Mutirão” package, 59 voluntary Belém Adaptation Indicators, a call to triple adaptation finance by 2035, and a new just transition “Belém Action Mechanism”. The most debated point was what the text left out: any formal road map for transitioning away from fossil fuels, which the Brazilian presidency pushed into a voluntary process outside the negotiations.
At the Bonn intersessional (SB64) in June 2026 — the first talks since Belém — the same threads resurfaced. Negotiations on the Global Goal on Adaptation and the pledge to triple adaptation finance stalled while a just transition mechanism advanced, all of it generating fresh angles on the road to Antalya.
After COP31, there will be the same opportunities to serve as the voice explaining the issues debated there. Propose an opinion editorial or an interview with an expert on one of the topics related to your mission. If you make promises at COP, issue a follow-up press release that outlines those promises and explains what will happen going forward.
Keep the story alive
Make sure to share any wins or interesting observations from COP both internally and with your stakeholders (clients, donors, and partners) in the days following. A post-event email newsletter or blog post can do double duty: it keeps stakeholders informed and provides media with a linkable summary to quote.
Flag the moments that matter — “Our project was featured in the COP Innovation Showcase” or “We met with delegates from X country and forged a new partnership”. Details like these show you were active and useful — catnip for a reporter writing a trend piece (“NGOs form alliances at COP”, say).
Beware of climate fatigue
Try to avoid ‘climate fatigue’ in your follow-up messaging. Instead, aim to inspire. Two weeks of hard negotiation leave a mix of both hope and cynicism. People get tired of the doom, and can tune out if nothing feels new or different. To stand out, frame your follow-up around solutions and the human side.
If COP didn’t go as far as was hoped on a certain issue, your tone could stress determination, for example: “The deal didn’t go far enough on finance, but the pledge gives us a platform to push for more, and we’re already working on [your next step].” That keeps people engaged and shows you leading into the next phase.
Maintaining momentum post-COP is crucial to sustain a peak of interest. Continue talking while others drop out of the conversation, and you will hold on to the lead and media coverage.
Top tips summary for COP31 communications
To summarize our COP31 PR guide, pre-, during and post-event, here are the top communications tips:
- Plan and set goals: define what you want to achieve, be that media coverage, partnerships and/or policy influence, and build your plan around it. Prepare well, from your research to key messaging, to keep you focused during all the noise
- Utilize theme days and trending issues: align your content with the COP’s theme of the day and to trending issues to capitalize on already-generated interest, but also be flexible and adjust as necessary
- Be a resource to journalists: make reporters’ lives easier by giving them clear angles, access to experts and fast replies. Reach key media in advance and use WhatsApp or face-to-face chats during COP to offer help. Always follow up afterwards with something fresh
- Multilingualism and multiculturalism: narrow communication barriers by using bilingual communicators or translated content. Demonstrate cultural sensitivity through your messaging and storytelling – what works in one area might not work elsewhere. The Coalition of the Willing is international, as should your communications be.
- Collect and curate content: capture everything through photos, videos and quotes because it all fuels your post-event storytelling. Real footage from the event gives your communications longevity and credibility.
- Sustain the story post-COP: Do not go AWOL after COP. Use the post-COP window to follow up and send positive messages to combat fatigue. This is where you can really make an impact.
Put these together, and you’ve got a PR playbook that works at any climate conference — one that earns attention in the moment and builds your organization’s reputation and cause long after the banners come down.
The climate communications journey
Visibility at a COP is never automatic. It takes preparation, quick feet, and a willingness to actually talk to people. The summit is one peak in a much longer journey of climate communications.
At an event, you will need to focus on building relationships (through informal communication, networking, and online messaging groups) and on logistical issues, including language.
Online, get your message out there via strong social media communication, live tweets, and shareable material. Set your story against a crowded media landscape, and lead with what makes it unique and worthy of attention amid an “incredibly saturated” arena. Bank your multimedia and the work lasts: you can keep telling stories long after the hype dies down.
And don’t forget the final phase: follow-up. The real work often starts after the diplomats fly home — so should your communications. A well-timed post-COP push rides the wave of interest while others have packed up, and keeps climate action in view when it matters most.
On something as urgent as climate, our voices must carry long after event lights go down. Get the goals right and the relationships real, and your organization will stand out – at COP31 and beyond.
For more environmental perspectives, explore the FINN Partners Purpose & Social Impact hub.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do in the weeks after COP31?
Offer an opinion editorial or an expert interview on a topic tied to your mission. If you made promises at COP, issue a follow-up press release that sets them out and explains what happens next. Share your wins and observations with clients, donors and partners, too.
How do I avoid climate fatigue in my messaging?
Lead with solutions and the human side. People tune out when nothing feels new. If the outcome fell short, say so, then stress your determination and your next step.
Which stories will journalists want after COP31?
Expect “What did COP achieve?” and “What happens next?” pieces. After Belém, commentators had the Global Mutirão package, the Belém Adaptation Indicators and the missing fossil fuel road map to work with. Be the voice that explains what was decided and what it means.
How long should I keep communicating after COP?
Longer than everyone else. Keep talking while others drop out of the conversation, and you hold on to the lead and the coverage. The footage and quotes you captured on site will give you months of material.
POSTED BY: Christopher Nial
