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Antalya wildfires highlight climate risks ahead of COP31, group warns – EnviroNews
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Hundreds of people have been evacuated and thousands left without electricity as wildfires swept through Türkiye’s Mediterranean province of Antalya, prompting climate campaigners to warn that the blazes underscore the growing risks posed by a warming planet.
Antalya is scheduled to host the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in November 2026, bringing together world leaders and climate negotiators to discuss global action on climate change.
Climate campaign group, 350.org, said the wildfires should serve as a warning to governments that rising temperatures and increasingly dry conditions are intensifying the threat of extreme weather events.
The organisation called on Türkiye, as host and co-chair of COP31, to place a global transition away from fossil fuels at the centre of the climate summit.
It also urged the Turkish government to demonstrate leadership by announcing a national roadmap for ending the country’s dependence on coal, oil and gas ahead of the conference.
The call comes as Türkiye faces a range of climate-related pressures, including recurrent wildfires, drought in Anatolia, increasing sinkholes in the Konya Plain and the drying of Lake Iznik and other lakes.
350.org said these developments should prompt stronger government action to address the underlying causes of the climate crisis.
Efe Baysal, Türkiye Manager at 350.org, said the situation in Antalya illustrated the urgency of the climate challenge ahead of COP31.
“In November, the world will gather in Antalya for COP31 to discuss the steps that must be taken against the climate crisis. Today, however, that same city is battling an uncontrollable wildfire that began in Aksu district of Antalya and spread throughout the region,” Baysal said.
He noted that fires had also been reported in Adana and Mersin, expressing solidarity with those working to contain the blazes and protect affected communities.
According to Baysal, rising temperatures are creating conditions in which wildfires can start more easily, spread faster and become more destructive.
“The climate crisis is here, and the frequency and severity of extreme weather events are increasing day by day,” he said.
Baysal urged Türkiye to use its COP31 presidency to pursue concrete measures to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels.
He called for the country to announce a timeline for phasing out coal and begin a just transition towards renewable energy to reduce dependence on coal, oil and gas.
“It is not enough merely to respond to the consequences of the climate crisis. We must eliminate the causes that exacerbate it. COP31 is an opportunity for Türkiye to demonstrate true leadership in this direction,” he said.
350.org is also campaigning for stronger action to protect Türkiye’s water resources and agricultural land from the impacts of climate change.
The organisation is calling on the Turkish government to develop and implement a coal-exit strategy, end fossil-fuel subsidies and promote community-led renewable energy.
The campaigners said the Antalya wildfires provide a stark backdrop to the upcoming COP31 discussions and reinforce the need for governments to move beyond commitments and implement measures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate the shift to cleaner energy.
