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, Urbanisation and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum, who will serve as COP31 president, met International Energy Agency Executive (IEA) Director Fatih Birol in Istanbul on Thursday 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 percent 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 percent 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 kilometres of forest — key carbon sink areas — were lost to wildfires between 2024 and 2025.
He added that 35 percent 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 percent in 2023 — roughly double the previous decade’s average.
Electricity demand could rise by 40 percent by 2035 under current policies and by up to 50 percent 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 towards the 1.5°C global warming target while accelerating implementation.
