ISTANBUL
As host and president of COP31, Türkiye has pledged to pursue a climate agenda that does not exclude energy security, protects the right to development, supports a just transition and focuses on concrete implementation.
Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum, who will serve as COP31 president, met International Energy Agency Executive (IEA) Director Fatih Birol in Istanbul to discuss cooperation between the COP31 presidency and the agency on energy transition and the circular economy.
Following the meeting, Kurum held a press conference outlining the COP31 presidency process and the discussions held with the IEA.
Kurum said he sees COP31, which Türkiye will host and preside over, not merely as a platform for discussing new commitments but as a process where promises turn into action, trust is strengthened and tangible progress is achieved.
He pointed out that Türkiye’s industrial sector is still heavily dependent on fossil fuels and that heavy industry sectors account for around 40% of global emissions.
Aligning Turkish industry with long-term net-zero goals is therefore essential, Kurum said, adding that Türkiye will approach COP31 with a structural transformation roadmap.
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the supreme decision-making body of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and has held annual meetings since 1995.
The 31st session will take place in Türkiye in November — mainly in Antalya, with the World Leaders Summit expected in Istanbul — under a partnership arrangement with Australia.
Under this arrangement, Türkiye will oversee hosting and coordination while Australia will lead negotiations.
Nearly 200 countries are expected to attend the conference to discuss emission reduction targets, climate finance, adaptation measures and carbon market rules under the Paris Agreement.
Kurum said around 70% of global emissions are energy-related and that the world now stands at a critical point where energy and climate policies intersect.
Recent geopolitical developments and conflicts have exposed the fragility of energy supply chains, raising the strategic importance of energy security, he said.
Birol expressed full readiness for cooperation with the COP31 presidency, Kurum added.
The minister also warned that the climate crisis has reached a critical threshold, pointing to rising forest fires, drought, water scarcity and biodiversity loss.
He noted that the annual global cost of drought stands at about $307 billion while nearly 4 billion people experience severe water scarcity for at least one month each year.
Kurum also cited environmental trends showing that about 3.7 million square kilometers of forest — key carbon sink areas — were lost to wildfires between 2024 and 2025.
He added that 35% of the world’s wetlands have disappeared since 1970 and more than half of the world’s major lakes have shrunk since the early 1990s.
On energy demand, Kurum said global consumption increased by 2.2% in 2023 — roughly double the previous decade’s average.
Electricity demand could rise by 40% by 2035 under current policies and by up to 50% under net-zero scenarios.
“The world faces two great realities: rapidly rising energy demand on one side, and the imperative to fight climate change on the other. Humanity must now build safer, cleaner energy systems,” he said.
‘Our approach rests on 3 core principles’
Kurum said Europe and other regions have experienced the challenges of dependence on Middle Eastern energy supplies, highlighting the need for a new energy perspective.
He called for reducing reliance on single energy sources, ensuring affordable energy access and accelerating the transformation of global energy systems.
Kurum said the COP31 presidency’s approach rests on three core principles: dialogue, consensus and action.
Dialogue will build an inclusive platform that strengthens trust and leaves no one behind. Consensus will foster shared responsibility and ownership among countries. Action will ensure that decisions translate into credible and measurable implementation on the ground.
Kurum also said Türkiye is working closely with the Brazilian and Azerbaijani presidencies and with Australian partners on developments from COP30 and preparations for COP31.
The aim, he said, is to maintain political momentum toward the 1.5C global warming target while accelerating implementation.
5 priorities for COP31
Kurum outlined five priorities for the COP31 action agenda. The first priority is clean energy transition. With about 730 million people worldwide still lacking access to electricity, he said energy transition is also a matter of health and justice.
Türkiye plans to deepen cooperation with the IEA in areas including renewable energy, food systems, heating and cooling and digitalization.
The second priority is zero waste and methane reduction. Kurum said the zero waste initiative carried out under the auspices of First Lady Emine Erdogan will become one of the core pillars of the COP31 agenda.
The third priority is climate-resilient cities. With global building floor area expected to grow by around 45% by 2050, Kurum said cities are where climate risks concentrate but also where solutions can scale quickly.
He noted that Türkiye has built more than 500,000 climate-resilient housing units across 11 provinces following the 2023 earthquakes.
Energy efficiency, zero-energy buildings, urban energy solutions, resilient infrastructure and climate-adaptive settlement models will feature prominently at COP31.
The fourth priority is establishing a climate action implementation mechanism to bridge the gap between global climate targets and national plans.
The fifth priority is green industrialization, requiring structural transformation of industry in line with long-term net-zero targets.
Restrictions on non-recyclable plastics
Kurum also said new regulations restricting non-recyclable single-use plastic products such as plates, forks and knives are being prepared.
Under the Zero Waste Project, Türkiye currently recycles about 40% of its waste and aims to increase this rate further.
“We are preparing a regulation to replace non-recyclable single-use plastics such as plates, forks, knives and similar items widely used in daily life, with recyclable or biodegradable alternatives,” he said.
Kurum added that the views of relevant ministries and civil society organizations have been taken into account and the regulation is expected to enter into force in August or September.
He said the COP31 presidency aims to expand the zero waste concept across areas ranging from plastic recycling and landfill management to renewable energy.
Kurum also highlighted that the initiative supported by the Zero Waste Foundation and Emine Erdogan has grown into one of the world’s largest environmental projects. The UN has recognized the initiative by declaring March 31 as International Zero Waste Day.
*Writing by Selcuk Uysal and Zeynep Ozturhan
