By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Türkiye’s COP31 Presidency
has announced that resilient and sustainable cities will be a major priority at
the upcoming United Nations climate summit scheduled to take place in Antalya
in November 2026.
COP31 President-Designate
and Türkiye’s Minister for Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, H.E.
Murat Kurum, made the announcement during the “Türkiye’s Road to COP31:
Resilient Cities” event held in Hatay, one of the regions most affected by the
devastating 2023 earthquakes.
In his keynote address, Mr.
Kurum said the COP31 Presidency intends to place resilient, sustainable and
people-centred cities at the core of the global climate agenda, describing
cities as the “main arenas of climate action” due to their high levels of energy
consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
He explained that Türkiye’s
post-earthquake reconstruction programme had evolved into a broader model for
climate-resilient urban development, integrating environmentally friendly
buildings, energy efficiency, smart systems management and zero-waste principles.
According to the minister,
nearly half a million homes have already been rebuilt across the earthquake-hit
regions under the reconstruction initiative led by his ministry.
Mr. Kurum noted that newly
developed projects in Hatay, built using nearly-zero energy building concepts,
have reduced energy consumption by almost 40 percent while aligning with
Türkiye’s 2053 Net Zero Emissions Target and Green Development Vision.
He stated that COP31 in
Antalya would serve as a solutions-oriented platform that highlights the role
of local governments in climate action and promotes practical implementation of
resilient urban policies.
As part of efforts to
strengthen regional cooperation, the COP31 Presidency is also signing an
agreement with UN-Habitat to establish Istanbul as a regional cooperation hub
for urban planning, housing and land management across Eastern Europe, the
Western Balkans, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
The centre is expected to
support more than 24 countries through joint urban development projects and by
facilitating access to international financing for sustainable city
initiatives.
The Hatay Resilient Cities
Forum, taking place from May 8 to 9, brings together ministers, government
officials, financial institutions, local authorities and civil society groups
to discuss practical approaches to urban resilience, reconstruction and sustainable
development ahead of COP31.
