Not Only Leaders: COP31 Green Zone Opens Its Doors to Youth, Business and Citizens

Preparations are continuing for the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which Türkiye will host in Antalya. COP31 President and Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Murat Kurum introduced the summit's Green Zone in a social media post.

Kurum said the area, which will bring together children, young people, entrepreneurs and the business world, will showcase climate solutions in practice.

Blue Zone and Green Zone

A total of 1.1 million square metres has been allocated for COP31 in Antalya. Of this, 527,000 square metres will be the Blue Zone and 582,000 square metres will be the Green Zone.

World leaders will hold negotiations on combating climate change in the Blue Zone. The Green Zone will show how these negotiations can be turned into action.

A Hub for Climate Solutions

The Green Zone sits at the centre of COP31's “implementation COP” approach. Work across 12 thematic areas, including green energy, Zero Waste and food, will be displayed there.

In his post, Kurum said the Green Zone will be a meeting point for climate solutions. He said: “Türkiye's face open to the world: COP31 Green Zone. Here, dialogues turn into consensus and ideas turn into action! The Green Zone, which brings together children, young people, entrepreneurs and the business world, will be the hub of climate solutions, from Zero Waste to science, from resilient cities to start-ups. With concerts, exhibitions, talks and event venues, the Green Zone will become a festival area. We are waiting for all our citizens.”

The Green Zone is designed as a place where investors, entrepreneurs, technology developers, local governments, universities, civil society organisations and young people can come together.

Thematic centres will be set up in the area: Zero Waste, Climate Finance, Energy and Transport, Science and Technology, Resilient Cities, Green Industrialisation, Culture and Civilisation, Business World (TOBB), Start-up Zone and COPArt. Climate projects will be presented at these centres, new partnerships will be developed and implementation examples will be shared with participants.

Strong Interest from Volunteers and Organisations

Volunteer applications for COP31 have drawn strong interest. More than 45,000 people from 154 countries have applied to serve at the summit.

In addition, close to 2,000 civil society organisations and municipalities have applied to take part in COP31.

International Participation

International organisations will also take part in the COP31 Green Zone. The European Union will participate in the area, and projects carried out by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Türkiye will be presented.

International parliamentarians and local government representatives from Europe will meet in Antalya. The global idea-sharing platform TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is also planned to come to Türkiye as part of COP31.

The Green Zone is designed under the coordination of the host country as a space where climate change implementations are showcased. Private sector representatives, academics, civil society organisations, young people and technology start-ups can present their projects and develop partnerships there.

Beyond climate solutions, the Antalya Green Zone aims to involve citizens in the summit process through concerts, exhibitions, talks and other events.