Mediterranean Climate Summit

Excellencies,

Distinguished Mayors and Governors,

Representatives of national and local governments, international organizations, civil society, academia and the private sector,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to be in Muğla for the Mediterranean Climate Summit.

I would like to congratulate the Metropolitan Municipality of Muğla, the Union of Coastal Municipalities, ICLEI, UCLG-MEWA and all partners for bringing together such a diverse group of leaders and practitioners around an issue that could not be more urgent: How can we translate climate ambition into meaningful action at the local level?

This is particularly important for the Mediterranean.

For it, climate change is no longer a distant or abstract challenge. It is experiencing more frequent and intense heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, water scarcity and flooding. These pressures are affecting not only its environment, but also its economies, food systems, infrastructure, public services, human well-being. And they do not affect everyone equally, with the most vulnerable communities often with the fewest resources to adapt.

The Mediterranean is therefore a powerful reminder that climate action, sustainable development and resilience cannot be addressed in isolation.

This brings me to the central role of cities.

More than half of humanity lives in urban areas, and this share will keep growing. Cities are where climate risks converge, but they are also where solutions can be designed, tested and scaled.

This is precisely the ambition of Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, to make our cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.  It also reminds us that urban resilience is closely connected with disaster risk reduction. 

This connection between climate action and disaster risk reduction is particularly relevant for the Mediterranean.

We need to move beyond responding to disasters after they happen. We need to anticipate risks, understand vulnerabilities and invest in resilience before crises occur.

That means investing in climate and disaster-risk information; climate-sensitive urban planning; resilient infrastructure; water security; nature-based solutions; sustainable mobility; and stronger local preparedness and response systems.

But resilience is not only about infrastructure. It is also about people, institutions and partnerships.

Local governments need the capacity, data, technology and financial resources to turn climate strategies into implementation. Communities need to be meaningfully involved in decisions that affect them. And national governments, development partners, financial institutions and the private sector need to create an enabling environment in which local climate action can be financed and scaled.

This is why I am particularly pleased that this Summit offers a platform for discussions on local leadership, regional cooperation, access to finance, capacity-building and knowledge exchange.

Dear Participants;

Finance will also be critical.

Many cities have ambitious climate and resilience plans but lack access to the resources required to implement them at scale. We therefore need to strengthen the connection between local climate priorities and national, international and private finance.

We need to develop stronger and more bankable project pipelines and improve local capacity to prepare projects and access financing. And we need to make better use of blended finance, development finance and innovative instruments to crowd in private investment.

In other words, we need to move from plans to projects, and from projects to implementation.

This will also be an important message as we move towards COP31.

COP31 provides an opportunity to strengthen the bridge between global climate commitments and the realities of communities and cities. Local governments should not simply be seen as implementers of decisions taken elsewhere. They are essential partners in designing and delivering effective climate solutions.

Türkiye has an important opportunity in this regard.

With its diverse geography, rapidly evolving cities, extensive coastline and exposure to climate and disaster risks, Türkiye also has considerable experience in innovation at the local level. The partnerships and solutions developed here can generate lessons not only for Türkiye, but for the wider Mediterranean and beyond.

The United Nations in Türkiye is committed to support this agenda and to work with the Government, municipalities, development partners, private sector, academia and civil society to strengthen local climate action and to ensure that no community is left behind.

A defining principle for us all must be that we cannot build resilience without inclusion.

The people most exposed to climate risks must have a voice in shaping solutions. Women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, migrants, low-income households and other vulnerable groups must be considered not only as beneficiaries of climate action, but as partners in designing it.

Ultimately, climate action is about protecting people's lives, livelihoods and dignity.

And this is why gatherings such as this Summit matter.

They create a space where mayors, national authorities, international organizations, researchers, businesses and communities can move beyond identifying shared challenges and begin building shared solutions.

The Mediterranean has always been a region connected by its people, its economies, its ecosystems and its shared waters. Today, climate change gives us another reason, and another opportunity, to strengthen that cooperation.

Let us use this Summit to strengthen local leadership, accelerate implementation, mobilize finance, share knowledge, and build partnerships across borders.As we look towards COP31, let us carry one clear message:

Global climate ambition must ultimately deliver local climate action, in our cities, in our communities and in the lives of the people we serve.

I wish you all a productive, inspiring and action-oriented Summit.

Thank you.