Minister Institution announced! A 191 million euro sub-loan agreement was signed with the World Bank

Regarding the platform that will provide financial contribution to local governments to create climate-resistant and environmentally friendly cities, the COP31 President said, "As the COP31 Presidency, our desire is to put forward collaborations that are implemented in Antalya, financed projects and results that reach people's lives. To make Antalya the capital of global climate applications. I wholeheartedly believe that the Turkey Resilient Cities Country Platform will be one of the strong and permanent examples of this understanding."

Stating that the 150 million euro renewable energy project signed with the Asian Development Bank was shared with the public for the first time today, Kurum said, "We are planning to establish solar and wind power plants with a total power of 186 megawatts in Hatay, Malatya, Istanbul Bağcılar, Tokat, Trabzon, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep and Mardin. With these investments, approximately 320 million kilowatt hours of clean energy will be produced. This is very important. Why do we want clean energy, electrification?" "This is why we say: What will we achieve? Just within the scope of this project, 120 thousand tons of greenhouse gas emissions will be prevented and energy will be produced for approximately 150 thousand households in return for electricity consumption. Of course, we expect the environmental benefit to be equivalent to approximately 6 million trees and at the same time to save approximately 800 million liters of water."

The 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the world's most important climate summit hosted by Turkey in Antalya, continues on its 5th day with the theme of 'Finance and Trade'. The 'COP31 Turkey Platform Signing Ceremony with International Organizations', created within the scope of the Sustainable Urban Resilience Financing Activity (SURFF) developed in cooperation with ILBANK, UN-Habitat and the World Bank, took place at the Zero Waste Museum in the Blue Zone. The program was opened by COP31 President and Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum, and World Bank Vice President Valerie Levkov and UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach also made speeches.

“NOW LET'S MOVE FROM COMMITMENT TO IMPLEMENTATION, LET'S GET RESULTS”

At the beginning of his speech, COP31 President Kurum said: May God have mercy on the 4 soldiers who were martyred in the helicopter crash in Malatya; He expressed his condolences to their families. Noting that they set out from Antalya to call on the world and humanity to 'share the responsibility of the common future', COP31 President Kurum said that they want to bring global goals and local needs, financing and project together in the same direction, and present a fair world to future generations. Drawing attention to the importance of the title of 'finance and trade', which is the 4th day theme of the COP31 Summit, COP31 President Kurum said, "We always say this. Let's move from commitment to implementation, get results, and in order to get results, we need to provide finance, especially to the countries in need. We have to carry out this work together with fairness and justice."

“OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE INSTITUTIONS THAT DIRECTLY EXPERIENCE THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE”

Noting that local governments are most affected by the effects of climate change, Minister Kurum explained this with examples: Today, local governments are the institutions that feel the effects most in the fight against climate change. Balıkesir struggled with the earthquake. Mardin is trying to preserve its historical and cultural values. There were floods in Trabzon and they fought against the floods. Izmir had to struggle with both the earthquake and the gulf pollution. The biggest fires in history took place in Antalya. The biggest fire in our Republic's history occurred here in 2021. Again, Hatay and Gaziantep are cities that experienced the Disaster of the Century, the suffering of the February 6 earthquake. Konya is struggling with drought. The number of sinkholes is now increasing. The groundwater level has receded, and cities sometimes struggle to find new sources of water to supply water. In other words, our local governments are actually institutions that directly experience the effects of this work.

“WE SEE THE ISSUE OF RESILIENT CITIES AT THE CENTER OF OUR DEVELOPMENT POLICIES”

Stating that cities are among the places where the effects of climate change become most visible, COP31 President Kurum said, "Water security, energy, transportation, wastewater management, infrastructure risk and rapid urbanization are becoming parts of the same whole in the future planning of our cities. For this reason, we see the issue of resilient cities at the center of our development policies. In line with this understanding, the 'Turkey Resilient Cities Country Platform' was prepared within the scope of the Sustainable Urban Resilience Financing Activity, that is, SURFF. I am pleased to announce this here today. ILBANK "Our teams have worked really hard with their stakeholders for this platform, which will be shaped under the coordination of the World Bank and UN-Habitat, with the contribution of our international stakeholders. Here we have introduced 3 main components to serve the development of this understanding on an international scale."

191 MILLION EUROS SUB-LOAN AGREEMENT WITH THE WORLD BANK

COP31 President Kurum said that they signed a 191 million euro sub-loan agreement with the World Bank within the scope of the 'Green and Future Cities Project'. Pointing out that they will implement important projects together with local governments in this context, COP31 President Kurum said, "For example, Konya Meke Lake is the evil eye of the world. Within the scope of this project, we aim to bring 1.2 billion liters of water into the lake every year. Let the evil eye of the world shine again. Let it be a source of inspiration for the whole world. This amount means the size that can fill approximately 480 Olympic swimming pools. The wastewater resulting from the daily life of approximately 5 thousand households is also added to Beyşehir Lake." "712 million liters of water will be treated and returned to nature safely annually. We are planning to reduce leakages in drinking water networks and develop investments in sewerage, rainwater and wastewater treatment within the scope of the 'Water Safety and Efficiency Project' of approximately 700 million Euros with the World Bank," he said.

POPING THE WAY FOR INTERNATIONAL FINANCING FOR MUNICIPALITIES

The institution shared the following information about the collaborations to be implemented within the scope of the COP31 Turkey Platform: We are also working very well with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the business model we will implement will offer new opportunities for our municipalities to access international finance. While IFC provides direct financing to our municipalities, ILBANK will contribute to the process with guarantee and technical support mechanisms. The European Investment Bank is another of our partners, and thanks to the cooperation to be established with them within the scope of the City Climate Finance Fund, we will strengthen ILBANK's capacity to prepare, evaluate and access financing for climate-friendly urban infrastructure investments.

SOLAR AND WIND POWER PLANTS WILL BE ESTABLISHED IN 8 PROVINCES

Stating that the 150 million euro renewable energy project signed with the Asian Development Bank was shared with the public for the first time today, Kurum said, "We are planning to establish solar and wind power plants with a total power of 186 megawatts in Hatay, Malatya, Istanbul Bağcılar, Tokat, Trabzon, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep and Mardin. With these investments, approximately 320 million kilowatt hours of clean energy will be produced. This is very important. Why do we want clean energy, electrification?" "This is why we say: What will we achieve? Just within the scope of this project, 120 thousand tons of greenhouse gas emissions will be prevented and energy will be produced for approximately 150 thousand households in return for electricity consumption. Of course, we expect the environmental benefit to be equivalent to approximately 6 million trees and at the same time to save approximately 800 million liters of water."

“EVERY DROP CONSERVED IS AN ASSURANCE LEAVED FOR THE FUTURE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST DROUGHT”

Expressing that all these collaborations will serve the future of children and young people, Minister Kurum said, "Each of these figures only gains meaning to the extent that it touches human life and nature. The water that will reach Lake Meke is the new breath of an ecosystem. Every drop preserved is an assurance left to the future in the fight against drought. Every clean energy produced is an investment in the economic power and environmental quality of our cities. Every ton of emissions reduced is an expression of our responsibility towards the world in which our children will live."

“Türkiye HAS REVERSED THE CITIES WHERE 14 MILLION PEOPLE LIVE IN IN 2 YEARS”

COP31 President Kurum stated that while Türkiye is strengthening its years of urban planning experience with international partners, they are ready to share the models they have produced for their own cities with other countries. Emphasizing the 455 thousand climate-resistant houses built with the Construction of the Century Campaign in the earthquake zone, Minister Kurum said: Türkiye has written a success story in the earthquake zone. In 2 years, under the leadership of our President, it has carried out a work that will set an example for the world, with its 86 million citizens and local governments, and in 2 years, it has revived the cities where 14 million people live. We went through very difficult times, but we supported each other. Each of my brothers took responsibility there. We fought together. We were sad together, we cried together, but at the end, we all saw the smiling face of that citizen. We witnessed our children's confidence and happiness in the future. This is our aim.

“IT IS THE TIME FOR US ALL TOGETHER TO PUT OUR WILL ON THE FUTURE”

"We are now on the 5th day and we want to get results at COP31, we want to get results," said COP31 President Kurum, and completed his speech as follows: It is now time for us to put our will for the future together. We want, after COP31, to put forward the will together to say "at the end of the work, we have reduced this much emissions" regarding adaptation, reduction and financing. Let's leave a beautiful future for our children and our people together, and as the COP31 Presidency, our desire is to produce collaborations that turn into practice in Antalya, funded projects and results that reach people's lives. To make Antalya the global climate applications capital. I wholeheartedly believe that Türkiye Resilient Cities Country Platform will be one of the strong and lasting examples of this understanding. I hope that the agreements we will sign, the Türkiye Resilient Cities Country Platform and our work within the scope of SURFF will be beneficial for our cities, our country and our common future.

PRAISE FOR TURKEY FROM UN-HABITAT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ROSSBACH

In the program, UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach praised Turkey's resilient cities and the Reconstruction Campaign that it launched immediately after the February 6 earthquakes. Emphasizing Türkiye's construction experience, Rossbach said, "From what I saw on the ground, the reconstruction processes in Hatay really impressed me. Dear Minister, I see the successes you have achieved in a very short period of time, the construction of more than 400 thousand houses in 2 years, and we can see that you have reflected your principles on the field along with the entire new city agenda and provided access to services even after so many problems. I think there are lessons to be learned from Türkiye here." Speaking about the COP31 Leaders Summit, Rossbach thanked the COP31 President Institution: We had a very successful day yesterday. The date of November 12 has been recorded as an iconic date for me and for the cities. I would like to thank Mr. Institution again for the COP31 Presidency. Because a very comprehensive, comprehensive and meaningful discussion was held about how to solve climate-related problems within the framework of this role of cities. We must strengthen local actions and local leadership here so that we can carry out the implementation side better.