ANTALYA, Türkiye, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Urban resilience, energy-efficient buildings and investment in climate adaptation have featured prominently in discussions at the ongoing 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in the Turkish coastal city of Antalya.
At a High-Level Dialogue on Urban Resilience, Adaptation and Climate Action, convened Thursday by the COP31 Presidency of Türkiye and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), delegates discussed ways to translate national climate commitments and adaptation plans into concrete investments in cities and communities.
"Countries have made important climate commitments. Now it is time to deliver," Anacláudia Rossbach, UN under-secretary-general and executive director of UN-Habitat, told delegates.
"Prioritizing adequate housing, transforming informal settlements and slums, and strengthening urban resilience must be central to climate action if we are to build a more sustainable and inclusive future," she said.
COP31 President and Turkish Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum said climate action should deliver safer communities, more efficient homes, stronger infrastructure and better protection against the impacts of climate change.
Alongside discussions on urban resilience, participating countries welcomed the Antalya Compact for Energy Efficient Buildings, a COP31 Presidency initiative aimed at accelerating energy efficiency and electrification in buildings.
The compact seeks to advance two of the COP31 Presidency's Global Targets for 2035: pursuing a 25 percent reduction in the operational energy intensity of the global building stock and accelerating efficient electrification in buildings.
UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Inger Andersen said the compact marked an important step toward making energy-efficient and resilient buildings the global standard.
She called on governments to translate the commitment into policies, investments and solutions that reduce emissions and energy costs.
Meanwhile, the COP31 Presidency highlighted the Sustainable Urban Resilience Financing Facility (SURFF), launched in September to bring together countries, cities, international financial institutions and the public and private sectors to turn climate goals into investment-ready projects and mobilize financing for urban resilience.
The initiative draws on Türkiye's experience in post-earthquake reconstruction, including the construction of disaster-resilient and energy-efficient homes in 11 provinces following the February 2023 earthquakes, according to a briefing note provided by the Turkish side.
Efforts to mobilize climate investments also extended to the private sector. The COP31 Business Forum continued on Friday, bringing together more than 600 CEOs and senior business leaders from nearly 300 organizations to accelerate private-sector action and investment in electrification, resilient cities and green industrialization. ■
