Ahead of COP31: Türkiye to announce priorities at joint meeting with International Energy Agency

ANKARA

As Türkiye prepares to host the 31st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by the end of the year, it will announce its priorities through a joint meeting with the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister and COP31 President Murat Kurum will hold a joint press conference with International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol in Istanbul on March 12 to outline Türkiye’s priorities for the COP31 process, according to an announcement made Thursday.

Earlier, Türkiye presided over initial preparatory meetings for COP31 held in Istanbul on Feb. 11–12.

The sessions included participation via video conference from UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell, Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen, and COP29 President and Azerbaijan President’s special representative on climate issues Muhtar Babayev.

Türkiye positions itself as a voice for developing countries pursuing economic growth through climate justice, a just transition and what officials describe as humane diplomacy in climate policy.

It stresses that combating climate change does not hinder economic growth but instead promotes inclusive global prosperity and equity.

In line with this vision, Türkiye is accelerating renewable energy expansion, with combined installed wind and solar capacity recently surpassing 40 GW.

According to WindEurope, the Brussels-based wind energy industry association, Türkiye ranked second in Europe for new wind power installations in 2025.

Türkiye and Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power are also set to sign the second phase of a 5 GE renewable energy cooperation agreement during COP31 in Antalya.

The overall 5 GW framework, with expected investment of about $4-5 billion, began with the first phase covering 2 GW of solar capacity in Sivas and the Taseli region.

The second phase will include the remaining 3 GW through additional solar, wind and energy storage projects.

Türkiye is also establishing a national Emissions Trading System (ETS), with a pilot phase expected to launch in 2026, highlighting the country’s commitment to carbon pricing and market-based emissions reduction mechanisms.

- COP31 and Türkiye’s green transformation

The COP is the supreme decision-making body of the UNFCCC and has held annual meetings since 1995 to review climate progress and negotiate global climate action.

The 31st session will be held in Türkiye in November, mainly in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya, while the World Leaders Summit is expected to take place in Istanbul.

Türkiye will host COP31 through a partnership arrangement with Australia.

Türkiye will hold the formal COP31 presidency and oversee hosting logistics, communications and overall coordination of the conference.

Australia will preside over negotiations and lead the negotiation process during the conference.

Nearly 200 countries are expected to gather in Türkiye to discuss the next steps in implementing the Paris Agreement, including updated emission reduction targets, climate finance, adaptation measures and carbon market rules.

Hosting COP31 is seen as important for Türkiye in terms of strengthening its international visibility and playing a more active role in climate diplomacy.

The process is also expected to accelerate the country’s green transformation efforts, with renewable energy, sustainable urbanization and climate adaptation projects gaining greater prominence.

Growing interest from international financial institutions and climate funds may also increase Türkiye’s potential to attract investment in clean energy and climate finance.

Writing by Selcuk Uysal