İmamoğlu speaks at summit in Paris: 'Istanbul is Europe's most vulnerable coastal city'

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu attended the Mayors Summit for Ecological Transition, organized by the City of Paris.

In addition to İmamoğlu, the summit hosted by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo was attended by Bologna Mayor Matteo Lepore, Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomaševic, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, Copenhagen Mayor Sophie Hæstorp Andersen, Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj, Sarajevo Mayor Benjamina Karic, and Baghdad Governor Abdul Muttalib Al Alwi.

“ISTANBUL IS THE MOST VULNERABLE COASTAL CITY”

Addressing the summit participants, İmamoğlu pointed out that the past June was the hottest on record according to 175 years of data, stating, “We are experiencing hotter summers every year, and record-breaking high and low temperatures are becoming our new normal. However, this new reality carries different meanings for climate-sensitive cities like Istanbul. Istanbul's geographical location and characteristics in the Mediterranean basin make it particularly sensitive to climate change, rendering it Europe's most vulnerable coastal city in this regard.”

“COST OF LOSSES IS 200 MILLION DOLLARS”

Noting that forecasts predict Istanbul will face increasingly severe weather events, İmamoğlu said, “Research shows that losses resulting from rising sea levels and storm surges will cost Istanbul 200 million dollars annually by 2030. During my time as mayor, I have personally witnessed the effects of climate-related disasters, from unprecedented hail storms to the mucilage outbreak in the Bosphorus. Unfortunately, these challenges are expected to worsen in the future and further strain the already limited funds of cities.”

“CLIMATE CRISIS IS AMONG THE TOP PRIORITIES”

“The climate crisis is among the top priorities on the political agenda for mayors,” said İmamoğlu, adding, “Because we mayors are the first to respond to the consequences of climate change. Moreover, these climate-related issues only further deepen the existing social inequalities in our societies.”

“G20 COUNTRIES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR 80 PERCENT OF GLOBAL EMISSIONS”

Pointing out that the G20 countries, which will meet in Rio this year, are responsible for 80 percent of global emissions, İmamoğlu shared that Turkey's current share of global greenhouse gas emissions is 1.3 percent. Addressing the existence of countries that have an even smaller share in global emissions but feel the effects of climate change most severely, İmamoğlu concluded his speech as follows:

“The establishment of the loss and damage fund at COP28 held in Dubai last year is an important step and underscores our shared determination to combat climate change. Establishing a global financing framework is the first step, but it is not enough.

Climate change reveals how interconnected our world is. True leadership requires us to act by thinking not only of ourselves but also of others.”