Turkish Finance and Treasury Minister Mehmet Simsek has unveiled the “Climate Implementation Bridge” as one of Türkiye’s top climate initiatives at London Climate Action Week to help countries make their climate plans into investable projects and their financial needs into bankable project pools.
Speaking at his opening remarks at the London event’s Climate Resilience Finance Summit on Thursday, Simsek stated that the global climate agenda has evolved from what it was a decade ago, moving away from discussing targets and commitments to implementing them.
“We do not need another conversation about what should be done,” he said.
“We need to accelerate delivery, and delivery mostly depends on finance.”
“The question is whether we can mobilise sufficient capital, quickly enough, and channel it effectively towards real projects and real outcomes for people. This challenge becomes even more pressing when we look at climate resilience,” he noted.
Simsek emphasised that only about a quarter of climate-related losses are insured, and the rest are borne by households, businesses, and governments, underlining the need to ensure climate resilience to protect people against climate-related disasters instead of merely meeting environmental objectives.
The minister noted that while climate shocks grow increasingly severe, investments to enhance resilience have become key, as establishing climate resilience reduces future risks and creates new opportunities.
“For example, last year, Türkiye experienced a severe agricultural frost and severe drought, affecting the livelihoods of millions of people,” he said.
“Economies that are better prepared for shocks are more productive, more competitive, and more attractive to investment.”
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Simsek stated that a climate-resilient economy requires investments into better water management, climate-friendly agriculture, sustainable land use, resilient infrastructure, and healthy ecosystems.
