TÜRÇEV President Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdulkadir Ateş and TÜRÇEV General Manager Almıla Kından Cebbari attended the “Ocean & Seas: Climate Change and Resilience Blue Dialogue” meeting held in Trabzon ahead of COP31, together with José Archer, President of the Portuguese Environmental Education and Blue Flag Association (ABAAE), a member of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).
The meeting brought together international participants to discuss the impacts of climate change on oceans and seas, the protection of marine ecosystems, climate finance, and ecosystem restoration.
As part of the programme, the International Marine Litter Platform Initiative, developed under the coordination of the General Directorate of Environmental Management of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of the Republic of Türkiye, with contributions from TÜRÇEV through the Blue Flag Programme, was also introduced to international participants.
Oceans and Seas Gain Prominence on the COP31 Agenda
In the 31st year of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the issue of Oceans and Seas has gained significant prominence on the COP31 agenda due to its direct connection with climate change.
Within this framework, a series of workshops and consultation meetings were held to address the oceans and seas agenda at the international level. Discussions focused on the protection of marine environments, climate finance, ecosystem restoration, and strengthening the resilience of marine areas against the impacts of climate change.
The meetings also included discussions on ensuring that these issues are addressed at the highest level during COP31 and the Leaders’ Summit, to be held in Antalya from 9 to 20 November 2026.
TÜRÇEV continues its efforts to contribute to the protection of marine and coastal ecosystems, strengthen environmental education, and support the development of sustainability policies through national and international cooperation.