With less than a month to go before the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), Türkiye is stepping up preparations to jointly host with Australia the global climate summit in Antalya from Nov. 9 to 20.
Türkiye is positioning COP31 as an “Implementation COP,” aimed at accelerating global climate action and delivering tangible results.
In an interview with Daily Sabah, COP31 High-Level Climate Champion and Zero Waste Foundation President Samed Ağırbaş said the summit must focus on putting existing climate commitments into practice.
“We say that COP31 should be a summit where the decisions taken so far are implemented on the ground. We need to build a process that puts existing commitments into practice rather than introducing new targets,” Ağırbaş said.
He noted that more than 80 decisions had been adopted at climate conferences over the past three decades, arguing that COP31 should prioritize implementation and deliver measurable progress.
“People want to see change and transformation on the ground. The world does not need new promises anymore. It is time for action,” he said.
Türkiye expects more than 100,000 people from 193 countries to attend the conference, Ağırbaş said, as the summit seeks to turn climate commitments into tangible outcomes.
Türkiye aims to make zero waste a key pillar of its COP31 presidency, with a focus on reducing waste and promoting sustainable resource management.
Alongside efforts to curb plastic use, tackle pollution and cut methane emissions, Ağırbaş warned of the growing threat of waste and plastic pollution to ecosystems and public health.
“We are witnessing a new crisis in the oceans caused by plastic pollution, cities worldwide are drowning in waste, and microplastics are now a direct threat to human health,” he said.
The COP31 Action Agenda includes a zero-waste initiative focused on preventing food waste, expanding reuse and recycling through circular economy policies, and incorporating waste-related methane reduction into countries' updated climate plans.
Ağırbaş said climate justice and finance will be key issues at COP31, stressing the need to address the gap between developed and developing countries.
“We are aware of the environmental damage caused by countries that led the industrial revolution,” Ağırbaş said, adding that developing countries also have rights and needs. “We need to adopt an inclusive approach, leave no one behind and involve all societies in this process.”
He pointed to global inequalities, noting that while some countries focus on lowering the cost of obesity drugs, millions of people elsewhere continue to face hunger and a lack of clean water.
Ağırbaş also highlighted the suffering caused by wars and conflicts, including the killing of civilians and children and the displacement of people forced to leave their homelands.
He criticized powerful countries for their treatment of weaker nations, saying some actions had reached the level of genocide. He added that Türkiye was using international platforms to draw attention to injustices faced by vulnerable communities worldwide.
Climate change is also threatening livelihoods and forcing people from their homes, Ağırbaş said, pointing to desertification and soil erosion that are destroying farmland.
To ensure that these concerns are reflected in COP31 discussions, Türkiye is seeking to bring a broad range of stakeholders into the process, including civil society organizations, young people, women, children, minorities, universities, municipalities and other nonstate actors.
Under the leadership of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum, the COP31 presidency has organized consultations across different regions to hear stakeholders' concerns and expectations, Ağırbaş said.
The next step is to bring these views into diplomatic discussions and develop practical outcomes that can be implemented, Ağırbaş added.
“We are building this conference together with all stakeholders. Our goal is a more livable, fairer and more prosperous world,” he said.
Türkiye is also working to establish a platform in Istanbul for discussions focused on practical climate solutions and to give nonstate actors a greater role in the process, Ağırbaş added.
Asked what would make COP31 a success, Ağırbaş said the conference must deliver on its targets rather than simply announce new commitments.
He highlighted reducing waste and plastic pollution, accelerating electrification and speeding up the transition away from fossil fuels as key priorities.
“We are ambitious and determined about these targets. We will work with the whole world to reduce waste, accelerate electrification and speed up the transition away from fossil fuels,” he said.
