What happened
Greenpeace Türkiye has started its “Take It to the Summit” campaign ahead of COP31, the UN climate summit due to take place in Antalya in one month. The group is asking the public to bring climate-related demands and local campaigns into the summit process.
Its two main requests are a fair transition away from fossil fuels and a permanent, exception-free prohibition on plastic-waste imports. Greenpeace Türkiye said the campaign is intended to ensure these issues receive attention while Antalya hosts the summit.
Alongside the campaign, the organisation released research titled Water in Coal’s Shadow: The Hidden Cost of Türkiye’s Energy Choices, prepared by Ortak, an independent journalism centre. The work examines accounts and articles on the effects of coal mines and coal-fired power plants on water sources and river basins.
The research cites Elbistan, where annual dewatering across mining operations is calculated at 113.3 million m³. It says the basin’s groundwater faces an annual deficit of 28.8 million m³. Residents describe growing difficulty in accessing irrigation and drinking water, with consequences for local farming.
Why it matters
The campaign places domestic energy and waste-management decisions alongside Türkiye’s role as COP31 host. Greenpeace Türkiye is calling for planned coal retirement measures that protect workers and communities dependent on coal-related livelihoods.
It also argues that imported plastic waste that is not recycled can reach the Mediterranean. Greenpeace Türkiye linked this issue to pollution reported from the Seyhan River to the Antalya coast during the summer, and said ending waste imports is necessary if Türkiye is to set an example on zero waste.
For businesses and policymakers, the demands point to potential changes in coal investment, energy-transition planning, waste trade and recycling practices.
Background
The water study follows earlier Greenpeace Türkiye publications on coal’s economic costs and its health effects. The organisation says coal’s impacts extend beyond mining and generation areas through environmental damage and public-health costs.
Greenpeace Australia Pacific also called on Australia, which will lead COP31 negotiations, to present concrete plans for reducing fossil-fuel use and production.
What's next
COP31 is scheduled for Antalya in November. Greenpeace Türkiye plans to use the campaign to carry public demands on a coal transition and plastic-waste imports into the summit.
