Civil society steps up climate efforts ahead of Türkiye COP31 hosting

ISTANBUL

As Türkiye prepares to host the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in November 2026, civil society organizations are intensifying efforts to push for stronger climate action.

The İklim Agı (Climate Network), formed in January 2025 by 15 Turkish civil society organizations, including the European branch of the Climate Action Network (CAN Europe), has continued coordinated initiatives focused on policy advocacy, public awareness and local climate projects.

Speaking to Anadolu, Omur Kula, general manager of WWF-Türkiye and a member of the network, described Türkiye’s hosting of COP31 as a “historic opportunity” to strengthen climate policies and move toward a carbon-free future.

She highlighted signals in Türkiye’s National Energy Plan pointing to a coal phase-out within the next decade and stressed the urgency of shifting to 100% renewable energy, exiting coal and protecting forests to mitigate climate impacts.

Kula said effective policies for phasing out coal in power generation and ensuring a just energy transition are essential, adding: “Fighting climate change demands a profound socioeconomic transformation. We will persist in this effort.”

Founded in 1961, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has been active in Türkiye for nearly 50 years, working on biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, forest and water management, and climate action, including endangered species protection, plastic pollution reduction and habitat restoration.

The COP is the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change’s highest decision-making body and has convened annually since 1995 to assess global climate action and negotiate collective measures.

COP31, scheduled for November 2026, will primarily take place in Antalya on Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast, with a leaders’ summit planned in Istanbul.

Nearly 200 countries are expected to attend, with discussions set to focus on implementation of the Paris Agreement, including updated emissions targets, adaptation measures, climate finance and carbon markets.