Green Transition: Climate Agenda | June 2026 Key Highlights Ahead Of COP31

INTRODUCTION

The international climate agenda has continued to evolve since June 2026 through major meetings and policy statements. The key developments highlighted during the Bonn Climate Meetings, London Climate Action Week, and the Climate Innovation Forum, together with Türkiye's preparations for the COP31 Presidency ahead of the COP31 Climate Summit to be held on 9 November 2026, offer insight into the direction of climate policies in the period ahead. In light of these developments, we would like to summarize the recent developments and Türkiye's climate agenda.

1.  BONN CLIMATE MEETINGS: TECHNICAL NEGOTIATIONS AHEAD OF COP31

The SB62 meetings, held in Germany in June, constituted the most significant technical negotiations in the lead-up to COP31. The meetings focused on climate finance, adaptation, Just Transition, emissions reduction, transparency mechanisms, and the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). However, the Parties were unable to reach agreement on key issues, particularly climate finance and adaptation, and the negotiations concluded without tangible progress.

During the closing plenary, Simon Stiell drew attention to the political deadlock during the negotiations, emphasizing that some negotiating groups remained unwilling to implement their own commitments or allow the negotiations to move forward until other parties took action first. Stiell noted that this approach made it difficult to conclude the negotiations at a time when urgent climate action is needed and to achieve progress.

Although the Bonn Climate Meetings were widely regarded as having reached a political deadlock, with limited progress across many agenda items and many key decisions deferred to COP31, they nevertheless remain significant as the first comprehensive round of multilateral climate negotiations following COP30. The technical work undertaken and the negotiating texts developed in Bonn will serve as the basis for the political negotiations and decisions at COP31 in Antalya.

2.  LONDON CLIMATE ACTION WEEK AND CLIMATE INNOVATION FORUM

 Held between 20–28 June as part of London Climate Action Week, the Climate Innovation Forum brought together government bodies, private sector representatives, investors, and international finance organizations to focus on the financing, investment, and technological dimensions of the climate agenda. During the sessions held throughout the week, state and government officials, local authorities, international organizations, business leaders, and climate experts evaluated the future of global climate policies.

Key agenda items highlighted at the Forum included:

• Accelerating clean energy investments,
• Strengthening sustainable finance mechanisms,
• The transition of industry to low-carbon production,
• Climate technologies and innovation,
• Enhancing collaborations among government bodies, the private sector, and financial institutions, and
• Strengthening the role of local governments in climate

During the discussions, it was emphasized that climate commitments must be translated into concrete implementation in order to achieve climate goals. Accelerating the energy transition, expanding electrification, increasing access to climate finance, and scaling up innovative technologies emerged as priority policy areas. Furthermore, a shared understanding emerged that strengthening cooperation among governments, international organizations, the financial sector, and the business community would play a critical role in accelerating climate action.

As one of Europe's largest climate events, London Climate Action Week brought together approximately 50,000 participants across more than 700 events. By helping to maintain the momentum of the international climate agenda between COP conferences, the event also created opportunities for establishing new partnerships among different stakeholders. Furthermore, it was regarded as an important preparatory process for communicating Türkiye's priorities on international platforms ahead of COP31, to be held in Antalya in November, and for strengthening global climate diplomacy through an implementation-oriented approach.

3.  TÜRKİYE'S CLIMATE AGENDA: KEY HIGHLIGHTS AHEAD OF COP31

 As part of its preparations for the COP31 Presidency, Türkiye has shared its priorities for the upcoming period on international platforms. The COP31 Action Agenda, announced during the Bonn Climate Change Conference, sets out the key policy areas and objectives that Türkiye intends to advance throughout its presidency.

In this context, the Action Agenda, structured around ten priority areas, adopts a holistic approach to climate action by addressing it not only from the perspective of emissions reduction, but also through the interconnected dimensions of the energy transition, finance, technology, resilience, and international cooperation. The priority areas announced under the Action Agenda are as follows:

• Zero waste and methane emissions reduction,
• Clean energy and electrification,
• Food security and sustainable agriculture,
• Green industrialization,
• Protection of oceans and seas,
• Climate-friendly and resilient cities,
• Youth engagement,
• Dynamic and resilient health systems,
• Building synergies among climate change, biodiversity, and land degradation, and
• Strengthening the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).

In addition to the priority policy areas, Türkiye's climate agenda continues to be shaped by secondary legislation related to the implementation of the Climate Law, preparations for the Emissions Trading System (ETS), and ongoing alignment efforts under the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). These issues should be closely followed in the coming period from the perspectives of both public policy and the business community.

4.  OUR VIEWS AND ASSESSMENTS

The international meetings held and the statements made in June have outlined the main themes of the climate agenda in the lead-up to COP31. Although the technical negotiations conducted in Bonn did not result in concrete consensus on finance and implementation mechanisms, they laid the groundwork for the political negotiations to be held in Antalya under the framework of COP31. When considered together, the technical negotiations conducted in Bonn, the investment and innovation-oriented approach highlighted in London, and the priorities shared by Türkiye under its COP31 Presidency indicate that the energy transition, climate finance, technology, and implementation-oriented policies will continue to shape the climate agenda in the period ahead. In the coming months, it will be important to closely follow both the international negotiations and developments related to Türkiye's climate policies.

As a result of all these developments, it is highly likely that amendments will be made to various legal regulations and new regulations will also emerge. In particular, companies operating in the energy, cement, iron and steel, aluminum, chemicals, automotive, transport, and financial sectors should closely follow the evolving agenda and proactively plan the necessary preparations and compliance processes. Accordingly, in order to foster sustainable awareness and understanding, it will be very importance for the relevant public institutions and authorities, civil society organizations, and private sector representatives to closely follow this process and implement the necessary preparations on time, both before and after the COP31Summit.

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