Turkish communications chief highlights COP31 as opportunity to advance climate diplomacy

Türkiye's upcoming hosting of the UN climate summit COP31 will provide an important opportunity to share the country's vision for climate diplomacy with the international community, Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said Tuesday. "COP31, to be held in Antalya on Nov. 9-20, is an important opportunity for our country to share its vision in the field of climate diplomacy with the international community," Duran said at a panel titled From Zero Waste to COP31: Türkiye's Climate Diplomacy, held at the Communications Directorate.

Duran said that climate challenges, including biodiversity loss, ocean pollution, desertification, water-related problems, global warming and waste management, had long exceeded the capacity of individual countries to address them using national resources alone. "Climate diplomacy is a concept we use precisely for this reason," he said, adding that government policies could become meaningful only through international negotiations, cooperation, and shared commitments.

Duran said a climate diplomacy book prepared by the Communications Directorate aims to bring together Türkiye's experience, efforts, and vision in the field and contribute to policymaking and further work. - Scientific knowledge 'must also be reflected positively in political decision-making processes' Emphasizing that the consequences of the climate crisis were already being felt, Duran said international policies must balance countries' sovereign rights with their global responsibilities.

He said countries with greater responsibility for climate change were expected to build greater capacity for technology transfer and climate finance, while a fair negotiation framework was needed to reconcile national interests. "Scientific knowledge is not enough. It must also be reflected positively in political decision-making processes," he said. Duran cited political scientist Joseph Nye's description of climate change as a "threat multiplier" rather than merely an ecological crisis, saying the issue was directly linked to global justice and equity.

He also argued that conflicts in different parts of the world had serious environmental and climate consequences. "Israel's unlawful attacks on Gaza not only threaten human life but also deepen the climate crisis through the intensive greenhouse gas emissions they release into the atmosphere," Duran said. He added that carbon emissions caused by Israel's attacks since October 2023 had exceeded the annual emissions of hundreds of countries and the consequences extended beyond regional peace and security to the global climate.

Türkiye's climate policies and Zero Waste initiative Duran said that Türkiye had adopted a comprehensive approach to combating climate change, ratifying the Paris Agreement in 2021 and setting a 2053 net-zero emissions target under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Priority areas include improving energy efficiency, expanding renewable energy, reducing industry's carbon footprint, developing sustainable agricultural practices, and protecting natural areas, he said.

He also highlighted the Zero Waste initiative led by first lady Emine Erdogan, saying the UN General Assembly's designation of March 30 as International Zero Waste Day, with support from 105 countries under Türkiye's leadership, reflected the country's efforts. Duran said the initiative had given Türkiye a distinctive form of soft power in climate diplomacy by helping turn the Zero Waste approach into a global norm. He stressed the need to support climate efforts with legal frameworks and warned that inadequate public communication could leave them vulnerable to disinformation and social resistance.

"My personal view is that conducting politics through social vulnerabilities will not carry us into the future," he said. Duran said the Communications Directorate's Center for Combating Disinformation monitored misleading campaigns on climate issues and other subjects, adding that authorities needed to build a bridge of communication between legislation and society. He also urged the media to focus not only on the risks of climate change but also on solutions, warning that repetitive negative messaging could increase public anxiety and lead to "green fatigue."

Long-term communication strategy Duran said climate change was a long-term issue that would affect future generations even more than the present one, calling for hopeful messaging across communication platforms. He said Türkiye envisioned a multifaceted, long-term climate communication strategy, including age-appropriate environmental education for children through experiments, trips, books and stories. He stressed the role of Turkish public broadcaster TRT in promoting environmental awareness through children's programs.

Duran also cited Anadolu's "Green Line" project, launched in 2022, to provide accessible coverage of environmental and climate issues, and a joint statement on Mediterranean forest fires signed by news agencies from Italy, Spain, and Greece. He said environmental awareness needed to become part of everyday life, including home heating, transport, consumption habits, packaging and waste management, rather than remaining limited to expert opinions.

COP31 to promote shared solutions Duran said Türkiye's vision for COP31 was based on restoring trust through dialogue and translating commitments into concrete results on the ground. "Our goal is to help turn climate pledges into measurable and lasting action," he said, adding that Türkiye aimed to accelerate the implementation of international commitments, strengthen cooperation among countries, and support tangible results in climate action.

The Communications Directorate was organizing environmental and climate media tours, accrediting national and international journalists for COP31 and helping plan and establish the media center at the conference venue, he said. "Of approximately 3,000 members of the press, the procedures for 1,400 have been completed," Duran said. He expressed confidence that the summit, to be hosted by Türkiye, would bring countries with different circumstances and priorities together around shared solutions, and wished the conference success.