Muğla Metropolitan Municipality is preparing to carry its work carried out on a local scale in the fight against climate change to international platforms. Muğla Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ahmet Aras, who will attend the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to be held in Antalya, will represent Muğla at the World Leaders Summit where global climate policies will be discussed.
President Aras will participate in programs to be held in different country pavilions as well as international organizations such as the United Nations, European Union, UCLG and ICLEI in the Blue Zone, where official negotiations are held during COP31. The topics of increasing the resilience of cities against the climate crisis, the participation of local governments in decision-making processes and the development of international cooperation will be highlighted during the meetings.
WILL TAKE PART IN 16 INTERNATIONAL SESSIONS AND EVENTS
Mayor Aras, who will take part as a speaker in the sessions to be held in the United Nations, European Union, UCLG, ICLEI, Akdeniz, Turkey, Spain and Japan pavilions within the scope of COP31, will evaluate Muğla's climate change adaptation policies and the responsibilities of local governments in this field.
In the program to be organized in cooperation with UCLG and Konya Metropolitan Municipality, local climate action and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda will be discussed, while decarbonization policies will be discussed with the participation of young people at the Japan Pavilion.
Aras will also attend the high-level opening of the ICLEI Multi-Layered Action Pavilion, and will evaluate practices for creating cities resilient to climate change at the European Union Pavilion, and inclusive urban resilience and sustainable transformation processes at the United Nations Turkey Pavilion.
THE FUTURE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN WILL BE ON THE INTERNATIONAL AGENDA
In line with Muğla's geographical location and the risks it faces from climate change, protection of the Mediterranean will be among the priority topics of the COP31 program.
Mayor Aras will discuss the climate risks faced by coastal cities and common policies that can be developed against these risks in the session "Coastal Cities for a Resilient Mediterranean: From Local Policy to Regional Action" to be held at the Turkey Pavilion in cooperation with the Union of Municipalities of Turkey.
While regional collaborations for common problems of Mediterranean cities will be evaluated in the Spanish Pavilion, the protection of marine and coastal ecosystems, restoration of blue forests and the financing of these studies will be on the agenda in the Mediterranean Pavilion.
INTERNATIONAL CONTACTS FOR WATER SECURITY AND CLIMATE INVESTMENTS
The protection and sustainable management of water resources, which Muğla prioritizes in the fight against climate change, are also among the issues to be discussed at COP31.
Aras will evaluate the policies and grey-green infrastructure solutions developed by cities to protect their water resources against the effects of climate change, in the session to be held at the Water for Climate Pavilion in cooperation with ICLEI and GWOPA/UN-Habitat.
Aras, who will also make contacts with international organizations to provide financing for climate investments, will attend the "Financing of Climate Action in Cities" session to be held with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) at the ILBANK Pavilion. In addition, the meeting to be held with the French Development Agency (AFD) will discuss local governments' access to financial resources and new cooperation opportunities.
THE CLIMATE DIALOGUE THAT STARTED IN MUĞLA IS CARRIED TO COP31
The common will demonstrated at the Mediterranean Climate Summit hosted by Muğla Metropolitan Municipality will also be brought to the international agenda of COP31.
The joint declaration, supported by 50 signatories from cities and international and regional organizations within the scope of the summit, aims to strengthen the cooperation between local governments in the fight against climate change.
Aras will draw attention to the role of municipalities in turning global climate targets into concrete investments and measurable results during the meetings he will hold at COP31. In this context, he will emphasize that local governments should be represented more strongly in international decision-making mechanisms, their direct access to climate finance should be facilitated, and experience sharing between cities should be increased.
EXAMPLE PROJECTS OF THE METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY WILL BE INTRODUCED AT COP31
The projects implemented by Muğla Metropolitan Municipality in the fields of disaster and risk management, environment, energy, climate change and water management will be introduced to international participants at the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye Stand on November 19.
The Metropolitan Municipality, which will also provide transportation support to the COP31 organization, will put 10 buses in its fleet into service in the organization area during the summit.
Muğla Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ahmet Aras stated that they will share Muğla's efforts to combat climate change and international cooperation goals at COP31 and made the following evaluation:
"The climate crisis is no longer just a threat to the future, it is one of the most important problems our cities face today. Especially as cities in the Mediterranean basin, we struggle with drought, pressure on water resources, extreme weather events and ecosystem losses. It is of great importance that the knowledge, experience and implementation capacity of local governments are reflected in global climate policies in solving these problems."
"WE DO NOT EVALUATE THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY WITHIN OUR OWN BORDERS"
As Muğla, we continue our work towards our 2050 climate neutrality goal, and we do not evaluate the future of our city only within our own borders. We aim to take the international dialogue we started with the Mediterranean Climate Summit further at COP31 and find solutions to our common problems together. Promises made in the climate fight need to be transformed into concrete projects, investments and results. "The message we carried from Muğla to COP31 is very clear: Global climate targets cannot be achieved without the power to implement them at the local level."
