Turkiye's Cop31 Chief Calls For Fairer Global Climate Framework Protecting Developing Nations

ANTALYA/ISTANBUL, Nov 12 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- COP31 President Murat Kurum called for a fairer global climate framework that protects developing countries' right to development, facilitates access to financing and technology for vulnerable nations, and ensures that all countries benefit from the green transition, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

"We can establish a system that respects the right of developing countries to development, facilitates vulnerable countries' access to financing and technology, and ensures that everyone benefits from the transition," Kurum, who is also Turkish Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Minister said Wednesday in Antalya, the venue for the COP31 UN Climate Change Summit.

"Under the leadership of our President (Recep Tayyip Erdogan), Turkiye is ready to contribute to this consensus through its historical and geographical experience bridging East and West, North and South," he said at the opening of the High-Level Segment of the COP31 Leaders' Summit.

He cited how, in the 16th century, Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent commissioned architect Mimar Sinan to develop a water supply system that would serve Istanbul for centuries, saying this story highlights the need to anticipate future needs through decisions made today.

He added that the "Century of Turkiye" vision, introduced by Erdogan, similarly looks towards the second century of the Turkish Republic with a long-term perspective.

He said the vision, which includes a target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2053, reflects Turkiye's determination to shape its cities, energy systems, industry, technology and environment with future generations in mind.

Kurum said the importance of long-term planning had become particularly evident following the February 2023 devastating earthquakes in southeastern Turkiye.

"Following that great tragedy, we launched one of the largest reconstruction mobilisations in world history to rebuild our cities. Our architects, engineers, workers, public institutions and local administrations worked together across thousands of construction sites," he said.

He noted that Turkiye had rebuilt homes, workplaces, infrastructure, roads, schools and hospitals, delivering 455,000 housing units to their rightful owners.

Turning to the changing global landscape, Kurum said geopolitical balances and trade routes were shifting, while technology and artificial intelligence were transforming production.

He added that energy security was becoming increasingly important, rising debt was narrowing countries' development opportunities, and water and food security were emerging as major national security concerns.

Climate change, he said, was increasingly intertwined with all these challenges.

"As the world's challenges become more interconnected, the horizons of governance must also expand. Climate change has become an integral part of the agendas of energy, industry, agriculture, development and even security.

"Therefore, when we discuss the future of the climate, we are also discussing the future of our countries, our energy systems, the competitiveness of our industries, the safety of our cities and the world in which our children will live. This is why the political will represented in this room is so valuable," Kurum said.

Kurum described the 1.5C (2.7F) target as a common compass for global climate action while noting that the global average temperature in 2024 exceeded pre-industrial levels by 1.5C on an annual basis.

He warned that climate-related disasters were occurring with increasing frequency.

Referring to the impacts of climate change around the world, he highlighted the challenges facing small island nations in the Pacific, which are struggling to protect their future from rising sea levels.

He also noted that natural climate phenomena such as El Nino could temporarily increase global temperatures.

"We must recognise the value of time and strengthen our capacity to implement solutions without delay. Of course, every country has different circumstances, resources, economic capacities, development needs and responsibilities.

"Our collective success depends on our ability to identify common interests despite these differences," he said.

Kurum stressed that climate action and national interests were not mutually exclusive but closely interconnected.

"Energy efficiency strengthens energy security, while investment in water resources strengthens food security. Clean technologies create opportunities for industry and employment, while resilient cities strengthen economies.

"Properly designed climate action is an investment in prosperity, security and competitiveness," he said.

He added that since assuming the COP31 presidency, Turkiye had been working with Australia, which is leading the negotiations, to advance three key priorities in Antalya.

The first priority, he said, was to translate national climate targets into investment programmes and ensure that commitments were reflected in national budgets.

Kurum highlighted the 35 by 35 Global Electrification Pledge as an expression of the commitment to a just energy transition.

The initiative aims to increase electricity's share of final energy consumption to 35 per cent by 2035, creating opportunities for global cooperation on energy security and technological transformation.

He also stressed that development models based on unlimited resources and the assumption that the planet could sustain endless consumption were no longer sustainable.

The second priority was to move beyond financial pledges towards actual access to climate financing.

Kurum warned that projects often waited years for funding and that the failure to convert financial resources into investments, or the imposition of excessive debt burdens on countries, resulted in lost time and weakened collective capacity to find solutions.

He called for urgent efforts to strengthen mechanisms that would make climate financing faster, more accessible and easier to implement.

"As the COP31 Presidency, the Climate Implementation Bridge we have developed will address this need. We will support the transformation of political will into tangible investments by connecting national plans with projects, projects with financing, and financing with technology and expertise," he said.

The third priority, Kurum added, was to place resilience at the centre of national development policies by preparing cities, water resources, agricultural systems and critical infrastructure for future risks.

He said Turkiye was ready to share its reconstruction experience in earthquake-affected regions with countries facing climate-related disasters, citing the construction of 500,000 climate-resilient homes over two years.

Kurum said the fundamental principle underpinning all three priorities must be justice. Climate justice, he argued, requires a system in which every country can work towards common goals in line with its own resources, capabilities and development circumstances.

"We can establish a system that respects the right of developing countries to development, facilitates vulnerable countries' access to financing and technology, and ensures that everyone benefits from the transition.

"Under the leadership of our president, Turkiye is ready to contribute to this consensus through its historical and geographical experience bridging East and West, North and South," he said.

He emphasised that although countries could compete and firmly defend their national interests, cooperation was essential in areas such as water, food, natural disasters and climate risks, which transcend national borders.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU