Turkey Opens COP31 in Antalya Amid Greenwashing Criticism
Activists in Antalya argue the summit serves Turkish prestige goals while domestic environmental policies lag behind international commitments.
By Ethan Cook ·
Thousands of diplomats, corporate executives, and world leaders arrived in Antalya, Turkey, on November 9 for the start of COP31, the United Nations' annual climate summit. The Turkish government views the event as a key moment to cement its status as an emerging global power. A promotional video from the Turkish Ministry of Climate features misty forests and mountain scenery, with a narrator asking how long the country can protect the air it breathes. The answer, according to the video, is Turkey.
Ümit Şahin, head of the climate change program at the Istanbul Policy Center, described the hosting of the summit as a showcase for Turkey's capabilities. He stated that the primary driver for Turkey was prestige and the desire to appear as a serious middle power and global player. Şahin noted that Turkey delayed participation in climate agreements for decades before deadly wildfires and European trade taxes forced a shift in policy. In 2021, the country ratified the Paris Agreement and created a dedicated climate ministry.
Despite these formal steps, Şahin argues that Turkey lacks a real climate policy. He pointed to the country's Zero Waste campaign, which aims to recycle or reuse all waste materials. Şahin said Turkey imports more European plastic waste than any other nation but burns or dumps much of it instead of recycling. He called the Zero Waste initiative the country's number one example of greenwashing and suggested that a ban on plastic waste imports would be the first step toward sincerity.
Turkish environmental activists are organizing a parallel event called the People's Climate Summit to apply pressure on the world leaders attending COP31. Çiğdem Özbaş, a Turkish volunteer at the parallel conference, accused the government of stripping local protections and favoring business interests over farmers and rural communities. She predicted that the official summit would feature many lies about technological solutions and greenwashing by companies engaged in ecological destruction.
Critics have also targeted specific corporate sponsors of the event. They point to Limak Holding, an infrastructure company expanding coal mines on ancient olive groves, and Sinpaş GYO, a real estate developer that poured concrete inside a national park to build a luxury resort. The Turkish Ministry of Climate did not respond to a request for comment regarding these criticisms.
Özlem Katısöz, a representative from the Turkey chapter of Climate Action Network Europe, offered a more optimistic view of the summit's impact. She believes that hosting COP31 creates an opportunity for Turkey to improve its global climate policies. Katısöz argued that the country must improve its domestic climate policies to have a credible voice in global discussions. She sees the event as an opening for Turkish civil society to hold the government accountable for its environmental actions.
