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Minister Kurum calls for swift, strong climate action in COP31 message
Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum said in a video message sent to the United Nations conference on combating desertification in Ulaanbaatar that climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation are interconnected problems.
Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum said the most urgent problems facing the world are interconnected and called for swifter and stronger action in these areas.
Kurum is also chairing the COP31 process, hosted by Türkiye this year. The minister made the remarks in a video message he sent to the United Nations conference on combating desertification in Ulaanbaatar.
Climate, biodiversity and land degradation
Kurum said climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation are not separate problems, drawing attention to forest fires in different parts of the world.
Kurum said more than 1 million species are threatened with extinction and that up to 40 percent of the world's land is degraded. He said these indicators show that swifter and stronger action is needed.
Preparations for COP31 in Antalya
Addressing Türkiye's efforts to combat desertification and land degradation, Kurum also outlined the priorities of the COP31 presidency. The COP31 meeting will be held in Antalya from Nov. 9 to 20.
Kurum recalled that Ankara hosted the 12th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in 2015. He said Türkiye had contributed to including the goal of achieving a land degradation-neutral world by 2030 in the process.
Kurum said Türkiye later launched the Ankara Initiative, which supports developing countries in setting and implementing their own targets. He said more than 100 countries had achieved these targets.
Three principles of the presidency
Kurum emphasized the importance of cooperation among the core environmental agreements that emerged from the United Nations Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. He said Türkiye had taken an important step in this area by signing the Rio Synergy Protocol.
Kurum said the COP31 presidency is based on three fundamental principles: dialogue, consensus and action. He said countries would be brought together around the same table through dialogue. He added that consensus would strengthen a shared will, while action would turn that will into tangible results.
Kurum said the climate process is being addressed as a comprehensive effort that brings together political leadership, multilateral negotiations and implementation, adding that action is now needed more than words.
COP31 Action Agenda
The COP31 Action Agenda identified the transition to clean energy, zero waste and the circular economy, climate-resilient cities, food security and sustainable agriculture, green industrialization, and synergy among the Rio conventions as priority areas.
Kurum also addressed COP31's 2035 implementation targets. He said Türkiye aims to help climate finance reach projects on the ground more quickly and effectively through the Climate Implementation Bridge.
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