ANKARA \u2014 COP31 Climate High-Level Champion Samed Ag\u0131rbas has stressed\nthat the UN climate change conference must focus on turning climate\ncommitments into concrete action, rather than simply producing new\ntargets and pledges.<\/p>\n
The Climate High-Level Champion is an official role established at\nCOP21 in Paris in 2015. It serves as a bridge between the governments of\nmember countries and non-state actors, including local governments, the\nprivate sector, investors and civil society organisations.<\/p>\n
\u201cCOP31 must be a meeting where decisions already taken are put into\npractice on the ground. We must build a process that translates existing\ncommitments into practice, rather than introducing new targets,\u201d Ag\u0131rbas\nsaid, as quoted by Daily Sabah on Sunday (11 October 2026).<\/p>\n
He noted that more than 80 decisions had been adopted at climate\nchange conferences over the past three decades. COP31 should therefore\nprioritise implementation and deliver measurable progress, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople want to see change and transformation on the ground. The\nworld does not need new promises; it is time to act,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrkiye expects more than 100,000 people from 193 countries to attend\nCOP31. Ag\u0131rbas said the conference would be geared towards turning\nclimate commitments into tangible results.<\/p>\n
Ag\u0131rbas, who is also president of the Zero Waste Initiative, urged\nCOP31 to make zero-waste policies a priority. T\u00fcrkiye wants to use the\nconference to promote waste reduction and sustainable resource\nmanagement.<\/p>\n
He warned of the effects of waste and plastic pollution on ecosystems\nand public health.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are seeing a new crisis in the oceans caused by plastic\npollution, cities around the world are being overwhelmed by waste, and\nmicroplastics have become a direct threat to human health,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Alongside climate action, Ag\u0131rbas identified climate justice and\nfinancing as important COP31 issues. He said the summit needed to\naddress disparities between developed and developing countries,\nparticularly regarding responsibility for environmental damage.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recognise that environmental damage was caused by the countries\nthat led the Industrial Revolution,\u201d Ag\u0131rbas said.<\/p>\n
He nevertheless said responses to climate change should remain\ninclusive and take everyone\u2019s interests into account. \u201cWe need to adopt\nan inclusive approach, leave no one behind, and involve all sections of\nsociety in this process,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ag\u0131rbas also highlighted global economic inequality. While some\ncountries are focused on reducing the cost of obesity medicines, he\nsaid, millions of people elsewhere still face hunger and a lack of clean\nwater.<\/p>\n
He also referred to the suffering caused by wars and conflicts,\nincluding the killing of civilians and children and the forced\ndisplacement of communities. Ag\u0131rbas criticised the way powerful\ncountries treat weaker ones, saying some countries\u2019 actions had reached\nthe point of genocide.<\/p>\n
He said T\u00fcrkiye wanted to use the international platform to highlight\nthe injustices faced by vulnerable groups around the world.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/cop31-climate-high-level-champion-urges-focus-on-implementing-climate-targets-1791769869", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }