Patricia Scotland, a member of the UK House of Lords and former secretary-general of the Commonwealth, has praised Türkiye and Australia for their joint leadership in addressing climate change, describing their cooperation as a significant opportunity to confront one of the greatest threats facing humanity.
Speaking to Anadolu during an interview on the sidelines of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Antalya, Scotland stressed that international cooperation had become more important than ever.
She welcomed Türkiye’s efforts alongside Australia to develop practical solutions to the growing climate crisis, emphasizing that the threat required urgent and coordinated global action.
Scotland described COP31 as an important platform for strengthening international efforts and developing effective responses to environmental challenges.
Reflecting on previous climate conferences, she noted that countries had established their climate targets during COP29 in Baku and developed a roadmap and key objectives at COP30 in Belem, Brazil.
She explained that the international community was now looking towards the Antalya conference to translate those previous commitments into practical measures and ensure their effective implementation.
Scotland emphasized that the world had reached a decisive stage in addressing climate change, expressing strong support for Türkiye’s decision to host the international gathering.
She also highlighted the significant participation at COP31, noting that thousands of delegates and representatives had assembled in Antalya to contribute to global climate initiatives.
Furthermore, Scotland praised efforts to promote environmentally sustainable practices, particularly zero-waste initiatives and the development of a circular economy.
She said international participants were working together with Türkiye to achieve meaningful environmental progress, stressing that sustainable resource management and waste reduction were essential components of tackling the climate crisis.
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