In his statement to AA correspondent before the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which will be hosted by Türkiye, Scheurer said that Switzerland has been following the COP process closely from the very beginning and has been at the forefront of the negotiations.
Explaining that the importance Switzerland attaches to the COP31 negotiations, as a country seriously affected by climate change, is also reflected in the level of the delegation that will attend the conference, Scheurer stated that they expect concrete results from Antalya.
Emphasizing that Switzerland will attend the conference with a strong delegation, Scheurer said, "Swiss Federal Council Member and Minister of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications Albert Rösti will come to Antalya. Our negotiation delegation will be chaired by Swiss Environment Ambassador Felix Wertli. Our delegation will also have a significant participation from the private sector and civil society. Therefore, the Swiss delegation will participate in the entire high-level section and negotiation process in Antalya. I think this is an indication of the importance Switzerland attaches to these negotiations. "We hope to see very concrete results from Antalya," he said.
Scheurer stated that Switzerland is closely following Türkiye's efforts and policies towards increasing renewable energy and combating climate change. He said, "In Turkey, we follow with great attention your government's strong efforts and policies towards increasing renewable energy and combating climate change. We really appreciate them. We see a strong determination and political will to transition to better and greener energy sources."
Explaining that Switzerland has deep-rooted experience in the fields of renewable energy and energy conversion, Scheurer said that the private sector in his country is in a leading position in terms of innovation, new technologies and experience.
Scheurer evaluated, "I think COP31 will be a platform where we can bring these common interests together and where our governments, as well as the Turkish and Swiss private sectors, can develop complementary approaches."
Scheurer stated that they follow Türkiye's work, especially in the field of wind and solar energy, with great attention and interest and said, "We see that there are strong companies in Türkiye that can provide such renewable energy technologies. This can create a win-win situation for both parties. Switzerland can benefit from Türkiye's experience, especially in the field of solar and wind energy."
Stating that Switzerland can contribute to Türkiye in areas such as energy storage, grid modernization and smart energy systems, Scheurer said, "I see a significant potential to take our current cooperation further. I especially think that the current dialogue should be transformed into concrete, long-term partnerships and projects."
Scheurer pointed out that COP31 is also an important platform for discussing climate finance and potential partnerships between Switzerland and Turkey, and said, "Switzerland can facilitate the establishment of connections between investors and projects in Türkiye. This can make a more permanent contribution to Türkiye's renewable energy transformation rather than a one-time financial support."
