COP31: More than just greenwashing

Cemil Aksu

The 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change is currently taking place in Antalya. The Summit, which will run until 20 November, will feature negotiations under headings such as “Food, Agriculture, and Health”, “Energy Security”, “Energy and Transport” (covering electrification and grid infrastructure), “Zero Waste”, and “Resilient Cities” “Finance and Trade”, and “Oceans, Seas, Nature and Land Use”. The final day has been set aside for concluding negotiations.

Firstly, I would like to address the reactions on social media regarding COP31 being held in Turkey and the presence, amongst its sponsors, of members of the ‘gang of five’ – the architects of the AKP era’s environmentally destructive projects, such as Cengiz Holding. These reactions stem from a lack of understanding of the purpose and function of COP summits. The fact that these summits are called “climate summits” and t