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03 June 2026

The “COP31 Business Forum - Turkish Business Community Consultation Meeting” was held in Ankara today, chaired by COP31 President-Designate and Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum, alongside the President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB), M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu.

Highlighting landmark projects such as the domestic automobile and the Zero Waste Movement at the forum—organized by TOBB, which has been designated the "COP31 Private Sector Envoy"—Minister Kurum called for deep cooperation from sector representatives throughout the COP31 cycle. “Let us broadcast this vision to the entire world and collectively revitalize Türkiye's success stories,” Kurum urged.

“In the run-up to COP31, let us work together to outline the green transition commitments, best practice models, and the necessary financial and policy instruments required by the Turkish private sector—the crown jewel of our economy. In the run-up to COP31, let us deliver a collaborative framework that makes the tangible contributions of our private sector visible, establishes Türkiye as a global brand in this field through its participation, workflows, and overarching vision, and reflects the stance, attitude, and vision of our business community.”

“TOBB Will Drive Private Sector Engagement in the COP31 Process”

Emphasizing that the ministry will work hand-in-hand with the business community throughout the COP31 process, Minister Kurum stated: “Today, we are elevating our strong cooperation to an entirely new level as we roll up our sleeves to leave the private sector's stamp on COP31. Throughout this process, TOBB will drive broad participation by defining the priorities of our business community and establishing a robust national stakeholder base. Furthermore, it will coordinate this critical process by building bridges across various stakeholders. Each of these responsibilities is vital and invaluable.
I say vital and invaluable because the active engagement of our business community in the COP31 process means that our green transition roadmap will be shaped through dynamic partnerships and joint policy development. It means that Türkiye and Turkish industry will actively write the rules of this new economic order on the ground. Instead of watching global actors from afar, our business world will sit side-by-side at the table, steering the roadmap and shaping the policy-making process. We view COP31 not just as an international summit, but as a turning point where our real sector can showcase its green transition capacity to the world. To this end, we will channel TOBB’s extensive national and global chamber network, its high institutional capacity, sectoral assemblies, and SME outreach into this effort. We wnat to secure high-impact deliverables.”

“We Have Structured Our Action Agenda Around 10 Core Pillars”

Minister Kurum outlined Türkiye's COP31 vision to business leaders, which is built on the paradigm of the “COP of the Future: COP of Implementation.”
Highlighting the principles of 'Dialogue,' 'Consensus,' and 'Action,' the Minister listed the ten focus areas of the COP31 Action Agenda: “We are anchoring our COP31 objective on a summit model where rhetoric transforms into action, and action scales up across the field. As one of the most vital instruments of this approach on the ground, we have structured our Action Agenda around 10 core pillars. This agenda encompasses the promotion of Zero Waste and the circular economy, clean energy transition, and green, low-carbon industrialization. Enhancing the resilience of vulnerable regions, oceans, and seas, alongside ensuring food security and sustainable agricultural systems, are among our primary focal areas. The agenda also targets making cities climate-resilient, strengthening financial and institutional mechanisms that back climate action, boosting youth engagement in the process, and developing resilient health care systems.”

“Global Trade Rules Are Being Rewritten Around the Green Transition”

Addressing the green transition in the industrial sector, Minister Kurum stated: "In today’s world, global trade rules that have been shaped since the Industrial Revolution are being rewritten around the axis of the 'Green Transition.' The European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is becoming a prerequisite for our exports, market share, and global competitiveness.
As you know, we conduct more than 50 percent of our trade with European Union countries. We are fully aware that the greatest hurdles you face during this transformation are accessing technology and securing affordable financing. This is precisely why the robust and effective participation of the private sector and the financial world is an absolute must. Active and strong engagement will serve as the key to unlocking the international climate finance our industrialists need.”

“The Zero Waste Vision Is Another Key to Multiplying Our Competitiveness”

Stressing that the COP31 process represents a major opportunity for all stakeholders, Minister Kurum said: “COP31 must not be viewed merely as a bureaucratic exercise run by governments.
Instead, you must see it as a climate and development mobilization with our business community leading the charge. Remember, science frames the policy, but you are the ones who must translate that policy into investment, technology, and tangible transformation on the ground. We want you to address the COP31 process not just with general assessments, but with concrete proposals, bankable projects, and viable business models. Massive investment frontiers lie ahead of us. In particular, building energy efficiency and green certification frameworks—the most rational solutions to rising global energy demands—offer an immense arena for innovation and investment across our construction and materials industries. Similarly, I want to draw your attention to electrification, a critical pillar of the clean energy transition that we are actively developing alongside the International Energy Agency. Furthermore, integrating the Zero Waste vision—which has grown into a global brand under the leadership of First Lady Emine Erdoğan—into industry via circular economy models is another key that will multiply our competitiveness.”

“Let Us Broadcast This Vision to the Entire World”

Minister Kurum concluded his address with a call to the business delegates: “Let us broadcast this vision to the entire world and collectively revitalize Türkiye's success stories. In the run-up to COP31, let us work together to outline the green transition commitments, best practice models, and the necessary financial and policy instruments required by the Turkish private sector—the crown jewel of our economy.
In the run-up to COP31, let us deliver a collaborative framework that makes the tangible contributions of our private sector visible, establishes Türkiye as a global brand in this field through its participation, workflows, and overarching vision, and reflects the stance, attitude, and vision of our business community. Let us treat climate action not merely as an environmental policy, but as a strategy for competitiveness, exports, technology, employment, and development. I place great weight on your ability to carry this mindset into every sector of our business world, ensuring that our private sector prepares concrete commitments for COP31.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu: “Let Us Turn COP31 Into a Historic Opportunity”

In his opening remarks, TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu noted that under Minister Kurum’s directive, TOBB has been tasked as the “COP31 Private Sector Envoy” to coordinate the global business community. Underscoring that Türkiye aims to lead the way in the green transition, Hisarcıklıoğlu said: “The climate struggle is no longer purely an environmental issue;
it is the industrial and competitive arena of the 21st century. Whoever dictates the factories, supply chains, and technology standards of the green transition will command the industrial hierarchy of this century. Our goal is not to be spectators to this transformation, but to position the Turkish business community among the rule-makers who define the game. Let us collectively serve as the strong, constructive, and solution-oriented voice of the Turkish private sector in the international arena. Let us use this process as a showcase to demonstrate Türkiye's and the Turkish private sector's strength, production capacity, and resolve to the world. Let us turn COP31 into a historic opportunity for investors to view Türkiye in an even more positive light.”

Director of Climate Change Hasar

Speaking at the forum, the Director of Climate Change, Prof. Halil Hasar, addressed technical inquiries from delegates regarding verification and reporting frameworks. The forum was widely attended by business executives, representatives of non-governmental organization, presidents of various chambers and commodity exchanges, and numerous invited guests.