UfM and Turkish COP31 presidency hold Antalya Mediterranean Climate Dialogue consultation in Madrid
20 July 2026, Madrid. The fourth of seven Antalya Mediterranean Climate Dialogue consultations took place today at the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Madrid. Organised by the UfM alongside the COP31 president and host country, the initiative aims to promote a unified Mediterranean voice ahead of the conference, with conclusions from these talks consolidated into a Mediterranean Synthesis Note that will be presented in Antalya this November.
As a hotspot warming 20% faster than the global average, the Mediterranean faces growing climate and environmental pressures that underscore the urgent need for enhanced regional cooperation on the matter. Following discussions in Rabat, Cairo, Paris and Madrid, consultations will be taking place in Rome, Amman and Algiers in the coming weeks.
Today’s event, held in cooperation with Spain’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge and overseen by Turkish Ambassador Nüket Küçükel Ezberci and UfM Deputy Secretary General for Stability and Resilience Joan Borrell, brought together Spain’s main climate actors around three thematic round tables aligned with the COP31 Action Agenda: electrification and the energy transition; zero waste and the circular economy; and droughts and food security. Participants emphasised the importance of fostering regional climate resilience with adaptation and mitigation measures that champion sustainability alongside human and economic development.
“We believe that COP31 provides a unique opportunity to elevate the Mediterranean dimension of global climate action. Our ambition is for COP31 to leave a lasting legacy for the Mediterranean by strengthening regional cooperation and advancing practical implementation across the region. In this context, we expect the Antalya Mediterranean Climate Dialogue to identify regional implementation priorities, develop a pipeline of cooperative initiatives, mobilise partnerships among governments, international organizations, financial institutions and the private sector, and generate concrete contributions to the COP31 Climate Action Agenda,” said Türkiye’s Ambassador to Spain, Nüket Küçükel Ezberci.
“The Mediterranean is already experiencing some of the most severe impacts of climate change, making stronger regional cooperation more necessary than ever. Spain is committed to working with its Mediterranean partners to accelerate action on adaptation, renewable energy, resilience and the circular economy. We want COP31 in Antalya to be a turning point from ambition to implementation,” said Elena Pita, General Director of the Spanish Office for Climate Change at the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.
“Climate change does not stop at our national borders, and neither should Mediterranean cooperation. Antalya is an opportunity to transform the Mediterranean’s shared vulnerability into a shared agenda because we cannot afford to arrive at COP31 without a common regional message. The Antalya Mediterranean Climate Dialogue series helps us become a laboratory for climate cooperation and a source of practical solutions for ourselves and the rest of the world,” said UfM Deputy Secretary General Joan Borrell.
Given the impact of climate change on our region, the UfM is once again working to organise a Mediterranean Pavilion at this year’s COP, the first of its kind on the shores of our shared sea. The pavilion will allow Mediterranean countries, scientific experts, the private sector and civil society to showcase their commitments to climate action and sustainable development. It will also serve as a platform to present the Mediterranean Climate Action Plan following the consultation process the UfM launched earlier this month at the 3rd Mediterranean Green Week. By joining forces with key regional players, the UfM aims to ensure the region’s unique climate challenges are present in global climate processes.
