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New Delhi: The COP31 president, Murat Kurum, Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change of Turkey has said the UN climate summit will be “COP of the Future” in his first letter to parties, in run-up to the meeting in Antalya this November.
Turkey's Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Murat Kurum (centre) speaks next to United Nations Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell (left) and COP30 president Andre Correa do Lago (R) during a new conference in Istanbul on February 12. (AFP)Amid unprecedented geopolitical crisis and conflict in West Asia, Kurum said COP31 will be guided by dialogue, consensus, and action. This is the second year in a row when US, responsible for largest historical greenhouse gas emissions, will not participate in the UN climate negotiations
In January this year, President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum directing the United States to withdraw from 66 international organisations and treaties, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
COP31 will be realised through a new model of cooperation developed between Turkey and Australia, marking a departure from previous COPs. “The COP31 Presidency takes pride in establishing an innovative model that promises to deliver a new, inclusive, and solution-oriented COP.
Turkey will hold the COP31 Presidency, host COP31 including its World Leaders’ Summit in Antalya, and lead the Action Agenda. In accordance with Turkey-Australia Partnership Modalities, a representative of Australia has been appointed as President of Negotiations and will have exclusive authority in leading the COP 31 Negotiations, in consultation with Turkey,” Kurum wrote. Accordingly, Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, has been appointed as the COP31 President of Negotiations.
“This new model connects the Mediterranean and Pacific regions, initiating a new era for climate diplomacy based on our deep commitment to supporting the goals of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement,” Kurum wrote.
Dialogue will strengthen participation and help build trust among Parties; consensus will ensure ownership of outcomes and respect the unique circumstances of countries and action will enable commitments to be transformed into concrete, balanced, and applicable outputs, he said.
Turkey’s focus areas will be strengthening the zero waste and circular economy approach; accelerating the clean energy transition; supporting green and low carbon industrialisation; increasing the resilience of vulnerable regions, oceans and seas; supporting food security and developing sustainable agricultural systems; promoting climate-resilient and sustainable cities; strengthening financial and institutional mechanisms that support climate action; increasing the active participation of youth and promoting a cross-sectoral action to jointly address climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation, he added.
The COP31 Presidency draws inspiration from Göbeklitepe, civilisation’s first settlement, dating back twelve thousand years, and known as the “Zero Point of History”. Göbeklitepe reminds us of the principles of solidarity, balance, and harmony with nature, Kurum said.
“Our shared home requires both commitments and measurable outcomes that re-affirm confidence in multilateralism and build on the achievements of recent COPs. This includes the unanimous agreement by all countries at COP30 that the Paris Agreement is working, and together we will resolve to go further and faster. With the valuable contributions of all Parties and other participants, I believe that COP31 will demonstrate how we are collectively delivering on this promise and will be remembered as a COP distinctive for both its coherence and effectiveness,” he has stressed.
The Turkiye Presidency said they intend to bring the expectations of the Parties together on common ground to build a safer world and a more secure global economy for humanity as climate impacts rapidly worsen.
HT has reported on March 23 that the Earth’s climate is more out of balance than at any time in observed history, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) flagged. WMO’s State of the Global Climate 2025 report for the first time included the earth’s energy imbalance as one of the key climate indicators. The earth’s energy balance measures the rate at which energy enters and leaves the earth system. Under a stable climate, incoming energy from the sun is about the same as the amount of outgoing energy. However, increasing concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases have upset this equilibrium, WMO said.