COP31 co-host Türkiye on Friday called on member states of the Developing Eight Organization for Economic Cooperation (D-8) to strengthen cooperation, saying the bloc's collective weight gives it a transformative role in the global climate agenda.
"The D-8 family, with its geography stretching from Asia to Africa and the Middle East and a population exceeding 1 billion, has a special place and transformative power in the global climate agenda," Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum said.
Kurum was speaking at a meeting of D-8 in Istanbul, which gathered environment and climate ministers and senior officials from Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Azerbaijan as Türkiye prepares to host this year's U.N.-sponsored climate talks.
"The common will to be demonstrated by the D-8 is of particular importance for COP31's implementation-oriented approach," Kurum, who's also the COP31 president, said.
The conference will start on Nov. 9 in Antalya, southern Türkiye, while Australia will oversee the formal negotiations.
Kurum said Friday's gathering was particularly significant as Türkiye prepares for its COP31 presidency and that cooperation among D-8 members would strengthen the role of developing countries in the global climate agenda.
Climate change is no longer a future risk but a global challenge directly affecting economic development, cities, food security, energy systems and public welfare, he said.
Despite numerous commitments, a significant gap remained between climate pledges and implementation on the ground, he added.
Kurum said Türkiye was ready to share its experience in post-disaster reconstruction, Zero Waste practices, resilient cities, energy efficiency, the circular economy and sustainable infrastructure.
"We see COP31 as an implementation platform where climate adaptation is accelerated, access to finance and technology is strengthened, urban resilience is enhanced and nature-based solutions are expanded," he said.
He said the COP31 presidency had adopted three main principles: "dialogue, consensus and action."
Türkiye's COP31 Action Agenda includes 10 priority areas, including reducing methane emissions, accelerating electrification and energy efficiency, promoting sustainable agriculture, supporting green industrialization and building climate-resilient cities.
It also prioritizes youth participation, resilient systems and stronger cross-sector cooperation.
Kurum said Türkiye had proposed measurable global implementation targets extending to 2035.
These include raising the global electrification rate to 35%, halving the growth rate of global waste generation, reducing energy-use intensity in buildings by at least 25% and increasing circular material use in production and manufacturing to at least 15%.
The targets also seek to expand climate education and improve the speed, effectiveness and inclusiveness of climate finance.
Kurum said one of the main COP31 initiatives would be the Climate Implementation Bridge, designed to help developing countries turn climate commitments into investable projects and gain access to financing.
The meeting was expected to address climate adaptation, loss and damage, climate finance, a just transition and stronger cooperation among D-8 countries.
Kurum said the Istanbul Declaration would set out the group's common environmental and climate vision and make an important contribution to COP31.
