The second of seven consultative sessions of the Mediterranean Climate Dialogue was held Tuesday at the Embassy of Türkiye in Cairo, in preparation for the Antalya conference later this year.

The initiative is organized by the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean in cooperation with Türkiye, which holds the presidency and will host the 31st session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP31. The aim is to strengthen a unified Mediterranean voice ahead of the summit, with the outcomes of the consultations to be compiled into a Mediterranean synthesis note to be presented in Antalya in November.

Given that the Mediterranean is warming 20 percent faster than the global average, the region faces mounting climate and environmental pressures, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced regional cooperation.

the event was held in cooperation with Egypt’s Ministry of Local Development and Environment, and under the auspices of Turkish Ambassador to Egypt Salih Mutlu Şen and Deputy Secretary-General of the Union for the Mediterranean for Sustainable Development Nesrine Tamimi. It brought together leading climate actors in Egypt around three roundtables aligned with the COP31 agenda: electricity and the energy transition, access to and delivery of climate finance, and the interlinkages between the Rio Conventions and climate adaptation.

Participants stressed that climate action must go hand in hand with sustainable development, particularly in urban planning and transport, as well as in the blue and green economies.

Ambassador Şen said that as host of COP31, Türkiye has made strengthening the Mediterranean dimension of global climate action one of the priorities of its presidency. “Our ambition is for COP31 to leave a lasting legacy for the Mediterranean region by enhancing regional cooperation and driving practical implementation across the region,” he said.

“Through the Antalya Mediterranean Climate Dialogue, we seek to reflect the experiences, priorities and aspirations of governments, civil society, the private sector and academia in our region in the COP31 agenda. I am particularly pleased to host the Egyptian consultation session of the Antalya Mediterranean Climate Dialogue at a time when the legacy of COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh continues to amplify the voice of Africa and the Mediterranean in the global climate process.”

For her part, Deputy Secretary-General Tamimi said that extreme climate conditions such as heatwaves, drought, wildfires and flash floods have become a growing and urgent concern for millions of people in the region.
“The Antalya Mediterranean Climate Dialogue consultations represent an opportunity to move forward together on climate action in a way that also advances sustainable development, by strengthening resilience, protecting natural resources, and supporting more inclusive and prosperous communities across the Mediterranean,” she said. “As climate change is a transboundary challenge, it must be addressed through transboundary action.”

In light of the impact of climate change on the region, the Union for the Mediterranean will again organize 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 conclusion of the consultation process launched by the Union earlier this month during the Third Mediterranean Green Week.

Aligning efforts with key regional actors, the Union for the Mediterranean aims to ensure that the unique climate challenges facing the region are reflected in global climate processes.

The Union for the Mediterranean
is a Euro-Mediterranean intergovernmental organization that brings together the member states of the European Union and 16 countries from the southern and eastern Mediterranean. It provides member states with a platform to promote regional cooperation and dialogue, and to implement projects and initiatives that have a tangible impact on citizens, in pursuit of the region’s three strategic objectives: stability, inclusive development, and integration.

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