The Mediterranean Climate Summit Concluded in Muğla: Local Governments Gathered on the Road to COP31
During the three-day program hosted by the Muğla Metropolitan Municipality, climate finance, resilient cities, and shared risks in the Mediterranean were discussed.
This article was translated automatically from Turkish. Türkçe orijinal ›
The Mediterranean Climate Summit, hosted by the Muğla Metropolitan Municipality, and the event titled “Toward COP31: Policy Dialogue on Local Climate Action,” concluded after a three-day program. Held at the Türkan Saylan Contemporary Life Center, the event brought together local government representatives from three continents, international organizations, and experts working in the field of climate change in Muğla.
The summit was organized in collaboration between the Muğla Metropolitan Municipality and the Local Governments for Sustainability Network (ICLEI Europe). The policy dialogue segment was carried out in collaboration with the United Cities and Local Governments Middle East and West Asia (UCLG MEWA), the United Nations Office in Ankara, and the Zero Waste Foundation. Hosted by Muğla Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ahmet Aras, the program was attended by representatives of the Union of Turkish Municipalities and local governments from various countries.
Common risks facing Mediterranean cities were discussed
On the first day of the summit, sessions titled “A Resilient Mediterranean: Strengthening Local Leadership and Regional Cooperation” and “From Shared Challenges to Regional Action” were held. The sessions addressed topics such as water resources, extreme heat, drought, floods, wildfires, and loss of biodiversity. Participants emphasized that these risks threaten all Mediterranean cities in similar ways and stressed the need to strengthen cooperation among them.
The COP31 process highlighted the role of local governments
The policy dialogue segment was conducted around the themes of local leadership and multi-level climate governance for climate action; urban resilience and climate-sensitive development; the localization of climate finance; just and inclusive transformation; water, food, nature, circularity, and innovation, technology, and data. Participants highlighted the importance of translating national and global climate goals into concrete actions at the local level and called for facilitating municipalities’ access to climate finance.
During the three-day event, a consensus emerged that collaboration among local governments, national institutions, international organizations, and financial institutions is crucial in the fight against climate change. You can follow other developments across Muğla on our news page.
