Gulseli Kenarlı
15 May 2026•Update: 15 May 2026
Professor Baris Salihoglu, director of the Climate Change and Sustainable Development Application and Research Center at Türkiye's Middle East Technical University and Institute of Marine Sciences (METU), stated that COP31 offers a significant opportunity for the country to enhance regional climate cooperation and accelerate its net-zero targets.
Speaking to Anadolu, Salihoglu noted that one of Türkiye’s nine thematic priorities for COP31 is the protection of oceans and marine ecosystems, with a focus on enhancing cooperation against the climate crisis in surrounding regional seas.
Türkiye will host the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, more commonly known as COP31, from November 9 to 20.
Salihoglu said preparations for COP31 are being carried out at the METU Climate Center, with joint work ongoing with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change on several key areas.
He said that as part of COP31 preparations, Türkiye has proposed a regional seas initiative during talks with the Ministry.
Emphasizing that a COP held on the Mediterranean coast in Antalya should give greater visibility to marine issues, he noted that oceans and seas have historically been underrepresented in COP agendas, though they have gained prominence in recent years.
"With oceans and seas designated as one of COP31’s key themes, Türkiye has an opportunity to develop concrete regional cooperation across the Mediterranean, Black Sea and surrounding waters to address climate impacts and bring these efforts to the international level.
"It can also become a crucial milestone on the path to our net-zero goal in Türkiye," he added.
He underlined that COP meetings are no longer platforms reserved solely for state negotiations.
Despite criticism, he said COP remains the most important global platform for climate action and that hosting COP31 in Türkiye increases responsibilities for universities, which must go beyond producing knowledge to connecting with society and industry and turning research into action.
He added that COP31 is expected to prioritize implementation over strategy, with strong support from the ministry, noting that a key challenge in climate negotiations is the gap between decisions and their implementation.
“Many decisions are taken at COPs, but implementation remains limited. The difference with COP31 in Türkiye should be the ability to translate these decisions into action on the ground,” he said.
Salihoglu said Türkiye is among the countries most affected by climate change, making COP31 particularly critical. He added that the conference is important for raising public awareness, developing concrete policies, and building long-term infrastructure.
He further added that COP31 will take place and end, but the experience gained, the infrastructure built, and the cooperation developed will allow Türkiye to contribute more strongly and sustainably to future COP processes.
METU Climate Action Plan
He said the university aims to present its Climate Action Plan at COP31, describing it as one of the most advanced university-level plans.
The plan covers energy use, waste management, campus emissions, building upgrades, transport systems, and water and food management, with the goal of creating a campus model moving toward net zero across all areas.
He added that it is a highly participatory initiative involving students, academics, staff, and administrators and is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
