"The ongoing disruption to energy supplies caused by the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has shown us all the risks of fossil fuel dependence. We will use the market's accelerated move away from fossil fuels amid this crisis as an opportunity to expand clean energy."
Fatma Varank, chief executive officer (CEO) of the 31st Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) and Vice Minister at the Türkiye Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, stated accordingly in a recent written interview with ChosunBiz about the goals of COP31, which will be held in Nov. COP is the world's largest climate summit where countries gather to discuss climate policy. Since the first conference in Berlin, Germany, in 1995, it has been held annually on a rotating basis by continent, and the host country serves as the conference chair.
COP31 is unusually being pushed jointly by Türkiye and Australia. Türkiye will serve as host and chair, while Australia will lead agenda negotiations. If Minister Murat Kurum of the Türkiye Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change leads the meeting as COP31 president, Vice Minister Varank is taking on the operational lead, coordinating COP31's overall strategic framework and overseeing international negotiations and inter-agency collaboration.
Antalya, Türkiye, where the conference will be held, is a city frequently hit by heat waves and wildfires due to abnormal high temperatures, making it a symbolic place that shows how destructive rising global temperatures are to human life. Vice Minister Varank said, "For some countries, the climate crisis is existential," and noted that COP31 this year will focus on shifting global climate action—so far centered on stocktaking and negotiations—into actual implementation.
The COP30 agreement adopted in Belém, Brazil, last year drew criticism as a "hollow agreement" because it lacked a concrete implementation plan (road map) to respond to global warming and language on cutting fossil fuels. Can COP31 become a real turning point for solving the climate crisis? The following is a Q&A with CEO Varank.
—What are the core priorities to be addressed at COP31.
This year, Türkiye is focusing on forging a strong joint response to the ongoing energy crisis and accelerating the "electrification" of the world economy—shifting from oil- and gas-centered economies to electricity-centered structures.
—How does this differ from past conferences.
Over the past decade, within the global climate action framework, countries have focused on building the Paris Agreement's architecture and on stocktaking and negotiating its implementation. It is now essential to focus on executing the decisions made so far as swiftly as possible.
To that end, we aim to forge new partnerships that can deliver real-world results, strengthen existing coalitions, and focus on concrete solutions.
At COP30, more than 480 climate cooperation projects were launched under the collaborative platform "Action Agenda," which brings together governments, corporations and financial institutions to advance real climate projects, with tens of thousands of stakeholders from 190 countries participating. This year, we will deepen this process and deliver the first concrete outcomes.
—Even at COP, efforts failed to set a clear timetable to phase out fossil fuels.
The recent energy crisis has clearly shown the need for countries to diversify energy sources and accelerate the deployment of clean energy. Korea announced a new plan to expand renewable energy by more than 100 GW by 2030, and Türkiye also set a goal to add 8 GW of renewable energy capacity every year through 2035.
As the COP31 chair, we have put clean energy that enables the energy transition and industrial decarbonization at the top of the agenda under the "Action Agenda." During our term, we plan to drive tangible progress in these areas. As COP is consensus-based, we are committed to creating space for countries to listen to each other's positions and find points of agreement.
—There is also criticism that Türkiye's 2053 carbon neutrality (Net Zero) target is unambitious.
Türkiye has already made significant progress in accelerating the energy transition. Thanks to energy efficiency measures implemented during reconstruction after the 2023 earthquakes, we were able to cut energy consumption in affected areas by 40%.
More recently, it granted permits for more energy storage system (ESS) capacity than any European Union (EU) member state. In addition, it set a goal to add 8 GW of renewable energy capacity each year through 2035. It also plans to invest $20 billion in energy efficiency improvements by 2030.
—What effect will Türkiye's "Zero Waste" efforts have at COP31.
Under the leadership of First Lady Emine Erdoğan, Türkiye has spread Zero Waste as a global agenda. This goes beyond simple waste management to a society-wide effort to improve efficiency and positively change our habits and lifestyles.
This year we selected Zero Waste and the circular economy as one of the core priorities of the "Action Agenda." We are currently conducting new research with the International Energy Agency (IEA) analyzing how waste and recycling policies affect climate change.
The goal is to provide key information that countries and corporations need to develop data-driven, goal-oriented waste management and circular economy policies.
—Private-sector participation is essential for responding to the climate crisis.
We are urging all governments to share their climate plans—detailing what measures they will take for emissions reduction and climate adaptation—with the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the international community.
When properly developed, these plans can guide investment and capital flows toward the green transition by identifying priority industries and signaling government commitment.
At COP31, we also plan to advance initiatives to mobilize private and philanthropic capital. We are preparing new mechanisms that connect key actors across society to link investable, financeable projects with funding.
Through this, we plan to create new financial pathways that allow promising projects to secure funding more quickly and move into actual implementation.
—Doubts are growing about COP's effectiveness due to the noncooperation of major emitters.
We should not forget that COP has already delivered tangible results. COP has mobilized trillions of dollars for climate projects and helped reduce the projected level of global warming from 4 degrees to 2.6 degrees.
At COP31, we will ask world leaders to continue to support joint solutions to our shared problems.
Of course, faster and bolder action is needed to respond to the climate. If the past decade was about setting the rules and frameworks for global climate action, the COP process now needs to evolve to focus on delivery.
This means not only fulfilling past commitments but also building new commitments and coalitions to drive real progress across areas ranging from food security to industrial decarbonization.
—What do you expect from the Korean government and corporations participating in COP31.
This year we have already seen the Korean government and corporations respond firmly to the energy crisis and strengthen their energy transition efforts. The Korean government recognizes that fossil fuel dependence can pose serious risks to security and the economy and is rapidly diversifying its energy supply structure. We hope government official in Korea and corporations will participate in COP31 and share their experiences and visions.
We believe this energy crisis must be a turning point that accelerates the expansion of renewable energy at an unprecedented pace. But that is only possible when open, constructive and solutions-focused discussions take place on the way forward. We look forward to active participation by the Korean government and corporations.