Under the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change, the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31)—expected to play a significant role in shaping global climate policies—will be hosted by Türkiye in Antalya from November 9–20, 2026, and the eyes and ears of the entire world will be on Türkiye.
Sustainability must be strategically positioned correctly. Why? Because in a world undergoing major transformation, sustainability is one of the most important driving forces. Those who foresee long-term change on this path and persist in pursuing it will undoubtedly be the true winners, and COP summits play a crucial role in determining the future course of our planet in this context. While the importance of interpreting this challenging period the world is going through through the lens of a sustainability strategy is clear, COP31 also presents a crucial opportunity for Türkiye to accelerate its green transition and showcase it to the entire world.
While COPs in their early years focused primarily on climate negotiations and the establishment of commitments, in recent years they have come to be remembered not only for the decisions reached but also for how inclusive and trust-based the process is, as well as for the institutional and political legacy they leave behind in host countries after the summits conclude. Beyond organizing the summit, any host country is also viewed as a key actor in safeguarding the reliability, continuity, and legitimacy of global climate and sustainability governance. Consequently, COP31 could present a strategic opportunity for Türkiye to reposition itself in terms of climate diplomacy, industrial transformation, and regional leadership.
Türkiye Can Play an Active Role in Climate Finance
Of course, the COPs will continue to address the most significant global challenges regarding climate policies where they left off. Strengthening and implementing financing mechanisms to support developing countries’ efforts to combat and adapt to climate change will be one of the most important agenda items. Indeed, Murat Kurum, Minister of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change and Chair of the Summit, has already announced that Türkiye will play an active role in the COP31 process to ensure that climate finance reaches developing countries and those most affected by the climate crisis directly.
Adaptation strategies and infrastructure projects—along with their financing—to address the impacts of climate change, such as droughts, floods, and extreme weather events, as well as ensuring that “loss and damage” mechanisms function effectively, particularly for countries most harmed by climate change yet bearing the least historical responsibility, will also be on the agenda. In addition, a fair transition from fossil fuels to clean energy—one that leaves no one behind—will, of course, remain perhaps the most important agenda item at the summit. COP31 President Kurum also emphasizes that the world must move away from fossil fuels.
COP31 Offers Türkiye the Opportunity to Be a True Turning Point
Against the backdrop of all these challenges, Türkiye’s presidency of COP31 will carry particular significance due to current global geopolitical and economic conditions. On the one hand, Türkiye has set a Net Zero target for 2053 and has begun taking steps toward it. It is also initiating the necessary transformation in sectors covered by the EU Green Deal. Türkiye is positioning COP31 as a platform focused on implementation and building bridges in the climate arena. In fact, there is no reason why Türkiye cannot create a true turning point by redefining its role in the international climate arena.
Meanwhile, preparations for the Summit are proceeding at full speed. In this context, efforts are underway to refine targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and sectoral transformation roadmaps. In addition, during the preparation phase, efforts are being made to strengthen institutional coordination among public agencies, local governments, universities, and the private sector. In particular, projects focused on the circular economy, waste management, and resource efficiency appear set to form the most concrete implementation methods that Türkiye plans to present at COP31.
As part of its diplomatic preparations, Türkiye is also working to establish common ground on shared priorities by intensifying its contacts with various regional blocs and groups of countries. In addition, to spread climate action to the grassroots level, broad-based awareness and education campaigns are being launched. As part of the summit’s organization, the goal is to design the venues in accordance with sustainability principles, minimize the carbon footprint, and implement environmentally friendly practices throughout all organizational processes.
In line with all these goals, public administration in Türkiye faces significant responsibilities. The most important of these will be the climate law, the updating of the National Determined Contribution (NDC) for emissions reduction, the definition of sectoral responsibilities in line with climate policies, and the establishment of an emissions trading system. Companies, meanwhile, will focus on transitioning to green energy, investing in energy efficiency, shifting to low-carbon production technologiesparticularly in the sectors that are the largest polluters—and, more generally, ensuring transparency in their corporate sustainability reports. One of the most strategic aspects of COP31 for Türkiye will be in the financial sector. The transformation of capital markets, ensuring that carbon risk is aligned with credit risk in the banking sector, directing funds toward renewable energy projects, and scaling up green finance through tools such as climate funds and green bonds will also be key priorities for this sector.
Türkiye Has a Great Opportunity for the Transformation and Resilience Agenda
For Türkiye, hosting COP31 offers an opportunity to assume a more visible role in international climate policies, while also contributing to bringing issues such as drought and water management—which the Mediterranean region faces—to the global agenda. Indeed, disasters such as extreme heat, water scarcity, drought, and wildfires are becoming increasingly common in this region. Consequently, in a Mediterranean city like Antalya, we can expect topics such as climate adaptation, water management, and resilient cities to take center stage.
At the same time, because Türkiye is situated in a region that is simultaneously navigating an agenda of transformation in the fields of energy, industry, and investment, as well as an agenda of resilience in areas such as disaster risk, water management, agriculture, and urbanization, it will have the opportunity to highlight its capacity to address these two agendas within the same framework.
The summit will also be of great importance as it offers an opportunity to provide strong momentum for Türkiye to raise its own climate targets, accelerate investments in renewable energy, and promote the transition to a green economy. It could open new doors to the technology and financing needed to combat climate change, or serve as an important platform for NGOs to bring the climate agenda to a wider audience and influence policymaking processes.
As COPs increasingly focus on accelerating implementation and function as a platform that raises the visibility of best practices and brings together different actors under a common framework, COP31 in Antalya also appears poised to provide a venue where discussions on how to bridge the gap between “goals” and “implementation” will intensify. Indeed, Türkiye’s bridging role at the summit could also highlight a diplomatic capacity that makes these connections visible and brings to the fore the balancing points that enable progress.
Date: 20 May 2026
