As the next major global climate conference approaches, Türkiye is preparing an agenda that places practical implementation alongside longer-term climate commitments. The country is scheduled to host COP31 in Antalya from November 9 to 20, 2026.
At a United Nations event in New York, Türkiye’s Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum, who is also COP31 president, outlined several themes expected to shape the summit. Reuters reported that the agenda emphasizes turning existing climate commitments into projects, investment and measurable implementation.
Among the targets presented was increasing electricity’s share of energy consumption to 35%. Türkiye also outlined an objective of cutting energy-use intensity in buildings by 25% and increasing the global circular-material-use rate to 15%.
Waste management is another component of the agenda. Türkiye has proposed reducing the growth in municipal waste by half by 2035, placing greater attention on how cities manage materials and resources as populations and consumption patterns change.
The agenda includes ten broad themes, ranging from clean energy and zero waste to climate-resilient cities and green industrialisation. These areas connect climate policy with sectors that affect investment, infrastructure and everyday economic activity.
One proposed initiative is a Green Industrialisation Facilitation Mechanism for least-developed countries. The mechanism is intended to connect countries with technology and financing, potentially helping projects move from climate objectives toward practical implementation.
Türkiye has also proposed a Climate Implementation Bridge, designed to help translate national climate commitments into investment-ready projects. The concept reflects a growing emphasis on financing, since climate targets often depend not only on policy but on whether sufficient capital and technology can be mobilized.
Other initiatives expected around COP31 include discussions on green freight, artificial intelligence for clean technologies and food security. These subjects show how climate policy is increasingly connected with digital technology, logistics and agricultural systems.
The business dimension is therefore difficult to separate from the environmental one. Investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency, circular materials and resilient infrastructure can simultaneously involve industrial production, employment, technology development and financing.
The effectiveness of the agenda will depend on implementation after the conference itself. International climate meetings can establish frameworks and commitments, but the measurable changes occur later, through projects, regulations, infrastructure and investment decisions.
As Antalya prepares to receive delegates in November, Türkiye’s stated focus on implementation places attention on what happens beyond the conference rooms. The challenge is to connect international climate objectives with practical projects capable of operating across different economies and communities.
Image Disclaimer: The illustrations described below are conceptual visualizations created for editorial purposes and are not photographs of COP31 proceedings.
Sources: Reuters; United Nations; Türkiye Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change.
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