The Ocean and Seas Summit began Thursday in Trabzon, northeastern Türkiye, and continues through Friday as part of Türkiye’s preparations for the COP31 climate summit, bringing together discussions on the impacts of climate change on oceans and seas, marine ecosystem protection, the blue economy, financing and international cooperation.
The summit is one of the key milestones on the COP31 Presidency’s road map ahead of the U.N. climate conference in Türkiye this year.
During the High-Level Ministerial Session on Oceans, Climate and the Blue Economy, COP31 President-Designate and Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum said Türkiye is ready to share its experience and successful practices in protecting marine ecosystems.
“Changing the course is in our hands, and for this we need stronger cooperation among countries, the sharing of knowledge and experience, and joint action,” Kurum said.
He said oceans provide livelihoods for more than 3 billion people and produce half of the air humans breathe, while warning that their future faces significant risks from climate change and other environmental pressures.
