Sectoral Priorities in Türkiye-Africa Climate Cooperation at COP31

This analysis examines how Türkiye’s COP31 presidency can strengthen climate cooperation with Africa. COP31 will be held in Antalya in November 2026. Under the arrangement reached at COP30 in Belém, Türkiye will host and preside over the summit, while Australia will lead the negotiations. The conference comes at a moment when trust in global climate action is weakening and the United States has withdrawn from the UNFCCC, creating an opening for non-Western actors to shape the multilateral agenda. While Türkiye-Africa relations have deepened over three decades, climate-related issues have remained a secondary item on their agenda. The analysis identifies five priority sectors where Turkish capabilities align with African needs: renewable energy technology transfer, climate-smart agriculture, climate finance, early warning systems, and climate diplomacy. It argues that COP31 should be treated as the first stage of a two-COP process extending to COP32 in Ethiopia, and that its success should be measured not by declarations signed but by whether it produces implementable projects, designated institutions, and a credible monitoring process.