Addis Ababa, November 11, 2026 (FMC) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called for a decisive shift from climate commitments to practical implementation, urging developed countries to shoulder greater responsibility for emissions reductions and climate finance while ensuring developing nations have the resources to confront the climate crisis.
Addressing the COP31 Leaders’ Summit in Antalya, Erdoğan stressed that the gap between international climate commitments and their implementation continues to widen, warning that the risks and costs of delayed action are growing with every passing moment.
He described COP31 as an opportunity to establish an implementation-focused approach that translates existing commitments into measurable progress, with particular attention to countries and communities bearing the greatest climate burdens despite contributing least to the crisis.
Erdoğan emphasized that access to climate finance, technology and capacity-building must become easier, particularly for least developed countries and small island developing states. He called for climate finance that is accessible, predictable and responsive to the needs of vulnerable economies.
He also maintained that developed countries, having historically consumed a greater share of the global carbon budget, must assume greater responsibility for reducing emissions and financing climate action, while the development rights of poorer countries must be protected.
As part of efforts to bridge the gap between local climate needs and investment, he pointed to Türkiye’s Climate Implementation Bridge Initiative, announced in September, which is designed to connect local priorities with concrete investments.
The Turkish President further outlined a ten-priority Climate Action Agenda under the COP31 Presidency, covering clean energy transition, zero waste, food security, industrialization, climate-friendly cities and ocean protection.
Among the targets he presented for 2035 are raising the global electrification rate to 35 percent, cutting the growth in waste generation by 50 percent and increasing the use of circular materials in industrial activities.
Highlighting Türkiye’s domestic efforts, Erdoğan noted that renewable energy sources now account for more than 60 percent of the country’s installed electricity capacity. He also cited the country’s Zero Waste Movement, under which the national recycling and recovery rate has risen from around 13 percent in 2017 to nearly 40 percent by the end of last year, with 90 million tonnes of waste brought back into the economy.
He underscored that climate action must also address the consequences of armed conflicts, pointing to the environmental destruction and humanitarian suffering in Gaza. He described the destruction of centuries-old olive trees, pollution of soil and water, and the devastation of urban infrastructure, while calling for immediate humanitarian access and an end to the suffering of Palestinians.
Erdoğan also drew attention to the vulnerability of Pacific island countries to rising sea levels, noting that Türkiye had organized preparatory COP31 meetings in Fiji and Tuvalu to bring their concerns more prominently into the international climate agenda.
He called for stronger international solidarity in addressing drought, soil degradation and extreme weather events, which threaten agricultural production and access to healthy food, while stressing the importance of climate-resilient cities, sustainable infrastructure and financing for local governments.
Erdoğan expressed confidence that cooperation between Türkiye and Australia under the COP31 partnership model would bring fresh momentum to international climate action. He also welcomed Ethiopia’s forthcoming assumption of the COP32 Presidency, wishing the country success as it prepares to host the next climate conference.
COP31 is being held in Antalya under the theme “Towards a Sustainable, Resilient and Equitable Future.”