What happened
The third COP31 Dialogues meeting, organised by the Istanbul Policy Center, brought together Turkish experts and civil society representatives in Istanbul before the COP31 summit in Antalya.
Discussion covered Türkiye’s priorities as COP31 host, alongside coal, electrification, carbon pricing, food, health, climate finance and a just transition. Participants said the summit’s emphasis on implementation should also be reflected in Türkiye’s own policies through targets that can be measured and monitored.
Ümit Şahin, the centre’s climate studies coordinator, said Türkiye’s hosting and presidency role created a responsibility for climate leadership and stronger domestic policy. He said an electrification objective would need to sit alongside renewable-energy deployment and a move away from fossil fuels.
Researcher Onur Akgül pointed to a global objective of 35% electrification by 2035. He argued that electrification should be coupled with renewable power and fossil-fuel reduction, and called for a timetable for coal retirement, a just-transition approach for workers and coal regions, and an official signal that no new coal investments would proceed.
Why it matters
For Turkish businesses, the discussions connect climate policy with investment decisions, industrial competitiveness and the social effects of the energy transition. Ebru Voyvoda of Middle East Technical University said carbon pricing should be considered alongside trade and could steer investment towards lower-carbon activities.
She said Türkiye could use its monitoring, reporting and verification system and its emissions trading system to contribute to the summit’s Finance and Trade day on 13 November. The emissions trading system regulation entered into force in August 2026, according to the discussion. Voyvoda also said targeted use of system revenues could help manage the transition’s social consequences.
Participants also argued that food, water and climate policy should support agroecological change, with grant funding reaching producers directly. Health impacts should be considered in energy, agriculture and urban-development decisions, they said.
What's next
COP31 will take place in Antalya between 9 and 20 November 2026. Türkiye will host the summit, while Australia will hold the negotiating presidency. Civil society participants said they want continued engagement with public institutions and a process for tracking commitments after the summit.
