Pre-COP31 Workshop: National Policies and Solutions for Municipalities
With just days remaining until COP31, Türkiye's climate agenda was addressed in Ankara
The Pre-COP31 Workshop, organized by the Nordic-Baltic Climate Technologies Platform—established through the collaboration of the diplomatic missions of Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden in Türkiye—was held in Ankara. The workshop brought together Türkiye’s climate policy priorities and the Nordic-Baltic countries' expertise in climate technologies as part of the preparations for COP31, which Türkiye will host in Antalya from November 9 to 20. Addressing the issue of climate change—a topic of global significance that will profoundly impact future generations—the workshop evaluated concrete areas for action regarding the local implementation of climate goals, technology transfer, and the development of pilot projects.
The Pre-COP31 Workshop hosted participation of key institutions—including the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change; the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Turkish Environment Agency; the Ankara Chamber of Industry; the Marmara Municipalities Union; the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye; and various municipalities such as Ankara and Çankaya—alongside private sector representatives and diplomatic missions from Nordic-Baltic countries. Bringing together 60 participants from key stakeholder groups, the workshop was regarded as a pivotal step toward transforming climate technology cooperation between the two sides into concrete projects.
The workshop commenced with opening remarks by Marius Janukonis, Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to Türkiye; Özlem Gülsün Ergün Ulueren, Climate Change Coordinator at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye; and Bülent Özcan, Director General for Financial Cooperation and Project Implementation at the Directorate for EU Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye. Attendees included representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change; the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Directorate for EU Affairs; the Turkish Environment Agency; ILBANK; the Ankara Chamber of Industry; the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye; the Marmara Municipalities Union; various municipalities (notably Ankara and Çankaya); private sector companies such as RVM Systems, TOMRA, Arlight, Grundfos, Nokia, Dewaco, and Traidenis; and diplomatic missions from Nordic-Baltic countries.
The Nordic-Baltic experience and local solutions were discussed
In the second session, the climate technologies and local practices of countries in the region were discussed under the heading “Nordic-Baltic Experience – Solutions for Municipalities.” During the “Clean Technologies” panel, representatives from RVM Systems (Sweden), TOMRA (Norway), Traidenis (Lithuania), Dewaco (Finland), and the Environment Agency (Türkiye) presented information on deposit systems and recycling infrastructures. Meanwhile, in the “Energy Efficiency” panel, Arlight (Sweden), Grundfos (Denmark), and Nokia (Finland) shared insights into smart technologies designed to reduce energy consumption in buildings, industry, and municipal infrastructure. The final session of the day was a discussion session; the segment titled “National Regulatory Gaps and Challenges – Opportunities for Nordic-Baltic Cooperation” focused on evaluating legislative shortcomings and potential areas for collaboration.
Areas of concrete cooperation
The workshop clarified the requirements for implementing Türkiye’s climate goals. Discussions focused on strengthening implementation capacity for the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and long-term strategies; developing implementation and oversight mechanisms for energy efficiency in the construction and heating sectors; enhancing the capacity of municipalities regarding climate action plans and reporting; facilitating access to finance and technology in waste management and the circular economy; and improving alignment between national legislation and local practices. Opportunities aligned with the experiences of Nordic-Baltic countries were also evaluated.
Following the workshop, the process shifted its focus to the large-scale summit scheduled to take place in Istanbul in December. The summit aims to strengthen connections and develop new areas of collaboration among public institutions, municipalities, the private sector, and international stakeholders. By planning at least one technical meeting or site visit prior to COP31, the goal is to transform the contacts established during the Ankara workshop into a permanent mechanism.