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Türkiye’s presidency of COP31 will focus on translating climate commitments into concrete action, according to Kasım Yenigün, director general of the General Directorate of Combating Desertification and Erosion.
Speaking on the sidelines of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification’s COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Yenigün said Türkiye is preparing an ambitious agenda for COP31, scheduled to take place in Antalya in November.
He described 2026 as a “triple COP year,” with UN conferences on desertification, biodiversity and climate change taking place consecutively.
Türkiye is working with Australia on negotiations while developing a broader action agenda covering electrification, zero waste, climate bridges, oceans and seas, and cooperation among the three Rio Conventions.
A key priority is “Rio synergy”, aimed at connecting commitments under the UN climate, biodiversity and desertification conventions and moving them from pledges to implementation.
Yenigün said Türkiye’s relevant government agencies are working together to develop projects and practices that could provide international examples of integrated environmental action.
He added that Türkiye’s COP31 presidency has generated strong interest among governments, international organizations, civil society groups and academics attending COP17, with many expressing interest in participating in the Antalya conference.
PM Tarique Rahman to Attend COP31 in Türkiye
EP Desk
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will visit Türkiye in November to attend the 2026 UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said recently.
He disclosed the information during a meeting with Türkiye’s Deputy Foreign Minister Musa Kulaklıkaya on the sidelines of the 23rd Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah.
COP31 is scheduled to be held in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20, 2026.
The two sides discussed regional developments and expressed their readiness to strengthen cooperation on issues of mutual interest.
Triple COP 2026 Offers New Business Opportunities for Green Growth
EP Desk
The 2026 “triple COP” year presents businesses with a major opportunity to strengthen resilience, unlock green investment and accelerate action on climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation, according to senior UN officials.
The three UN environmental conferences — the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP17 in Mongolia in August, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP17 in Armenia in October and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP31 in Türkiye in November — will bring together governments, businesses, investors and civil society to advance coordinated action.
UN officials Yasmine Fouad, Astrid Schomaker and Simon Stiell said climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation are increasingly affecting businesses through damaged assets, rising input and insurance costs, supply-chain disruptions and declining worker productivity.
Land degradation, desertification and drought are estimated to cost the global economy $878 billion annually, while climate-related disasters have caused about $3.6 trillion in damage this century. Pollinator loss also puts around $577 billion in annual crop production at risk.
The officials said businesses have a critical role in addressing these challenges by scaling clean technologies, mobilizing capital, strengthening supply chains and creating jobs.
The global green economy already exceeds $5 trillion annually and could surpass $7 trillion by 2030, with green revenues growing faster than conventional revenues.
Potential growth areas include agroforestry, battery recycling, industrial water management, nature-based solutions, sustainable rangeland management, drought-resilient agriculture and carbon markets.
However, investment in nature-positive activities remains far below investment in nature-negative activities. In 2023, private-sector financing for nature-negative activities was estimated at $4.9 trillion, compared with only $23 billion for nature-based solutions.
The UN officials urged governments to provide clearer policies, stronger investment signals and market incentives, while encouraging companies to make climate, biodiversity and land issues a core business priority rather than leaving them solely to sustainability departments.
Finance Tools Could Accelerate Fashion Industry Decarbonization
EP Desk
New reports from the UN Climate Change’s Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action have highlighted innovative financing and market-based solutions to help reduce emissions across the global fashion industry.
The reports — Carbon Market Solutions for Decarbonizing Fashion and Financing Mechanisms to Support Decarbonization within the Fashion Sector — examine ways to channel capital into emissions reduction, particularly among upstream manufacturers in major production countries.
The studies highlight tools including internal carbon pricing, carbon insetting, mitigation contributions, carbon removals, green and sustainability-linked loans and bonds, grants, blended finance and energy performance contracts.
A key finding is that small and medium-sized upstream suppliers often struggle to access affordable financing, despite much of the industry’s emissions being concentrated in these parts of the supply chain.
Fragmented production networks, limited data, short-term purchasing practices and perceived investment risks remain major barriers.
The reports call for stronger collaboration among fashion brands, suppliers, financial institutions and policymakers. Pooled financing, collective power purchase agreements, shared verification systems and supplier-focused decarbonization programs could help reduce costs and accelerate the adoption of clean technologies.
The findings are intended to help the fashion sector advance its commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, while improving supply-chain resilience and competitiveness.
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