Minister Kurum: We can never give up on the 1.5 degree target

The institution held a joint press conference with UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell and COP31 Head of Negotiations and Australian Minister of Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen at the Mevlana Press Conference Hall in the COP31 Area.

The institution stated that the rapid adoption of the COP31 agenda yesterday provided a positive start to the work, and expressed that it thinks the parties will maintain the same determination and approach over the next two weeks.

Emphasizing that they said from the beginning that a decision would not be taken from the top, Kurum said, "It was important that the action agenda was frankly accepted and that the goals we had set could be discussed. We will continue to show the same determination to realize our goals here." he said.

Explaining that the whole world is experiencing the effects of El Nino, Kurum said that they met in Antalya at a time when the risk of exceeding the 1.5 degree threshold becomes increasingly evident.

Pointing out that exceeding this threshold even for a short time may lead to irreversible losses and damage, Kurum said, "We can never give up on the 1.5 degree target. The Paris Agreement continues to guide us. Our duty is to limit the temperature increase, minimize the level and duration of a possible exceedance, and quickly take the necessary steps to return below this threshold." he said.

Stating that they attach importance to the shaping of a decision that will respond to this need in line with the comprehensive consultations carried out, under the leadership of the COP31 Presidency, the Authority continued as follows:

"We believe that adaptation, loss and damage should be at the center of the climate agenda. During the summit, we will focus on strengthening climate resilience, from oceans to cities. We will host a special ministerial meeting on the second global stocktaking, and we expect this assessment to fully address the exceeding of the 1.5 degree threshold and its impacts. The findings should guide the steps we will take to reduce the temperature increase back below this threshold."

Electrification issue

Minister Kurum stated that they focused on electrification, one of the main topics of the COP31 agenda, and discussed the widespread use of electricity in transportation, buildings and industry.

Stating that the crisis in the energy markets this year showed everyone how countries are faced with price fluctuations and supply disruptions due to dependence on imported fuels, the Authority reported that countries importing fuel in the March-August period faced an additional cost of approximately 330 billion dollars.

Explaining that electrical technologies are becoming increasingly cheaper and provide an important opportunity to reduce this fragility, Kurum said that, as the COP31 Presidency, they initiated the 35 global electrification commitments by 2035 with this understanding.

Stating that electricity meets approximately 23 percent of the world's final energy consumption today, the Authority stated that their goal is to increase this share to 35 percent by 2035.

Bowen: Türkiye has done a wonderful preparation

Bowen, Chairman of COP31 Negotiations and Australian Minister of Climate Change and Energy, thanked Minister Kurum and said, "As Australia and Türkiye, we always work closely." he said.

Saying that they did their best on behalf of the countries, Bowen said, "Türkiye has done a wonderful preparation." he said.

Bowen pointed out that the world is going through multiple crises and said, "As in the previous COPs, we are also struggling with the increasing acceleration of artificial intelligence." he said.

Pointing out that countries around the world continue to struggle with natural disasters, Bowen said, "Countries that have not experienced these crises before have also begun to be affected. That is why it is important to accelerate the work. We have only one way to combat the effects of climate change. Türkiye and Australia are really working very intensively on this issue." he said.

Stiell: Many countries need to be supported to switch completely to clean energy

Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said: "Our goal is now to work concretely and we are here for countries to work in parallel to achieve their goals. We now need to involve more people in this action." shared his opinion.

Stating that COP31 coincided with a period when all the negative effects were experienced in the world, Stiell continued as follows:

"Many countries need to be supported to completely switch to clean energy. Clean energy economies are an important option to save them from dependence on fossil fuels. 30 percent of energy demand can be made cleaner using existing technologies, and we need these solutions to be delivered faster, to more people and to more countries. To improve access to electricity, around 180 companies have called for an investment of 1.7 trillion dollars to improve electricity systems. In this context, the action agenda of the COP31 Presidency is until 2035." "The 35 percent electrification target gives a great message to achieve this goal."

"My friends, we do not have a quick cure for climate change. Therefore, studies like this are our only opportunity for faster momentum and a better recovery," Stiell said. he said.

Answering the question about the USA not participating in COP31, Stiell said, "It is the second COP meeting in which the USA did not participate. But we saw it in Belem last year, and we will see it here this year. There is a very serious participation in the USA at the sub-governmental level and at the level of non-state actors, and despite the decisions taken at the federal level, there is still a very serious appetite. We think that this will be generally reflected in this year's COP." made his assessment.

"We are responsible for the safety of all our guests"

COP31 President Institution, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Stiell and COP31 Negotiations Chairman and Australian Minister of Climate Change and Energy Bowen also answered the questions of the press.

Reminding that Türkiye has been saying "implementation" since the day it took the COP Presidency with Australia, the Authority noted that while working on the action agenda and setting the targets, they determined the targets and actions that will facilitate the implementation of the COP decisions taken so far and ensure progress.

Underlining that this is not an unusual situation in the history of the COP, Kurum said that they witnessed that the reactions were very positive when the action agenda was announced.

Kurum also stated that they told the world about their experience and knowledge in the work they carried out in Türkiye's earthquake zone, and stated that they built a resilient city and that they saw that the energy intensity used in buildings decreased by 40 percent.

Emphasizing that they want to get results at COP31, the Authority said, "Emission reduction will show us this result and allow us to make concrete progress. When we implement all these targets, we see that today's emissions will be reduced by around 30 percent by 2035. This is the progress that can be achieved." he said.

Explaining that Türkiye's attitude towards coal mines and fossil fuels is clear, Kurum said that today Türkiye is in a leading position in Europe in renewable energy and is one of the countries making the largest renewable energy investments in the world.

Minister Kurum stated that they announced that Türkiye will implement investments that will declare its energy independence by 2040 and that it will continue to work in this context.

Stating that the consumption of fossil fuels will decrease after carrying out these studies, Kurum said, "Now you have a choice. It is a costly investment and the cost is fossil fuel. The cost of renewable energy is almost half, and it is decreasing even more. Which would you prefer? After all, countries will continue to make investments in this direction. We will make tangible progress when we achieve these targets." he said.

In response to a question, the Authority emphasized that there will be no arrests in Türkiye regarding any peaceful demonstration and said:

"We have given this assurance to all countries at the COP. We are responsible for the security of all our guests. We are responsible for the peace here. Our teams and security forces work here so that no one of our guests will be harmed. In this context, our Ministry of Internal Affairs, under the coordination of our governorship, receives the necessary applications for peaceful demonstrations from those who want to demonstrate here, and within the framework of these applications, every individual is able to demonstrate here. Other demonstrations or arrests. I could not complete what you wanted to express, but Turkey is one of the most just countries in the world at this point. Therefore, "There will be no arrests in Türkiye during a peaceful demonstration."