UfM and Turkish COP31 presidency hold Antalya Mediterranean Climate Dialogue consultation in Rome
23 July 2026, Rome. The fifth of seven Antalya Mediterranean Climate Dialogue consultations took place today at the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Rome. 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, Madrid and Rome, further Antalya Mediterranean Climate Dialogue consultations will be taking place in Amman and Algiers in the coming weeks.
Today’s event was held in cooperation with the Italian authorities and overseen by Turkish Ambassador Elif Çomoğlu Ülgen and UfM Deputy Secretary General for Economic Development and Employment Meltem Büyükkarakaş. It brought together Italy’s main climate actors around four thematic round tables aligned with the COP31 Action Agenda: electrification and the clean energy transition; food security; oceans, seas and the blue economy; and green industrialisation. Participants emphasised the need to foster regional climate resilience with adaptation and mitigation measures that champion sustainability alongside human and economic development.
“Türkiye believes that COP31 provides a unique opportunity to elevate the Mediterranean dimension of global climate action, and that it leaves a lasting legacy for the Mediterranean by strengthening regional cooperation and advancing practical implementation across the region,” said Türkiye’s Ambassador to Italy, Elif Çomoğlu Ülgen. She also added the significance of hosting the event in collaboration with the Italian authorities. Türkiye and Italy, as Mediterranean frontline states, are two actors with the capacity to shape developments in the region and beyond against the backdrop of a complex global landscape marked by geopolitical tensions.
“Italy comes to this discussion with a clear sense of responsibility, realism, and determination. We believe COP31 should be a conference focused on implementation, credibility, and delivery. At a time when the climate challenge is becoming more urgent and more complex, what the multilateral system needs most is not rhetoric, but concrete progress. We must ensure that the commitments already taken are translated into action that is visible, measurable, and capable of strengthening trust among parties,” said Francesco Corvaro, Italy’s Special Envoy for Climate Change.
“The Mediterranean may be on the frontline of climate change, but it is also at the forefront of regional climate solutions,” said UfM Deputy Secretary General Meltem Büyükkarakaş. “Climate change does not stop at national borders, and neither should our response to it. The Antalya Mediterranean Climate Dialogue consultations are therefore an opportunity for us to come together as region to find synergies and identify practical areas of cooperation, ensuring the Mediterranean’s unique climate needs are heard on the global stage ahead of COP31.”
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 climate challenges are present in global climate processes.
