Konya Metropolitan Municipality implemented the application of nanographene-added asphalt produced from plastic waste on the route used by world leaders at the COP31 Summit held in Antalya. Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay stated that this environmentally friendly technology, which is a first in the world, was gifted to the whole world and emphasized that the project provides an annual carbon emission reduction of 420 tons per kilometer.
While the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) brings together world leaders, international organizations and experts working in the field of climate in Antalya, Konya Metropolitan Municipality contributes to the organization with a high-tech application in the field of environmental sustainability.
COP31 Leaders' Road, which is the route used by many world leaders attending COP31 to reach the summit area and where President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomed the leaders, was prepared with the nanographene-added asphalt application of Konya Metropolitan Municipality.
Thus, at the international platform where the world comes together to fight against climate change, an innovative environmental technology developed in Konya has turned into an infrastructure application directly used by world leaders.
The project, implemented together with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change and Hexagraphene Nanotechnology company, created an alternative to traditional asphalt applications. This innovative study brought together waste management and transportation infrastructure, revealing the transformative power of technology in the fight against climate change.
Uğur İbrahim Altay, Union of World Municipalities (UCLG), Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor and COP31 Local and Regional Governments Ambassador, stated that the fight against climate change can be possible with science, technology and concrete practices, as well as environmental awareness.
Noting that, as Konya, they attach great importance to studies that protect the environment, use resources efficiently and set an example for the cities of the future, Mayor Altay said, "As Konya Metropolitan Municipality, we played important roles in COP 31, but the most important thing for us is the application we made on the path followed by world leaders. The graphene road we made as a result of R&D as Konya Metropolitan Municipality is a first in the world and one of the important outputs of the COP. This application, which reduces carbon emissions and plastic waste, is an exemplary application for the world and all cities." he said.
Noting that they have carried out various studies on climate change with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Mayor Altay said, "One of the best examples of this is this graphene road. It is a municipal success and a success in working together. I would like to thank our Ministry for their support to this application. We hosted world leaders in Antalya, but the road traveled by world leaders is an environmental gift of our Konya Metropolitan Municipality to the whole world."
Mayor Altay stated that it is a source of pride for Konya to implement this technology in the COP31 Leaders' Route after the pilot application they carried out in Konya, and said, "The inclusion of an environmentally friendly technology developed by our country on this route used by heads of state and government from all over the world also shows the vision of Türkiye in the fight against climate change under the leadership of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Our goal is not only to build a road; it is more durable and has a future that produces less carbon, consumes less energy, "It is to build cities that leave a more livable world to generations. I believe that this practice we use on the path of COP31 leaders will set an example for the whole world. I would like to thank our Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, COP31 President, Mr. Murat Kurum, for his endless support in the process."
