The Stratcom Public Forum, organised by the Directorate of Communications in Antalya as part of COP31, provided a platform for comprehensive discussions on the role of communication in tackling climate change and competition among countries over climate policies.
The Forum highlighted the importance of keeping the public accurately informed, transparency and institutional trust as key elements of climate diplomacy.
The Stratcom Public Forum COP31 Edition, held on 14 November 2026 at the Türkiye Pavilion in the COP31 Blue Zone at the Antalya EXPO Centre, brought together national and international representatives. A panel entitled "The Climate Narrative in Global Competition: Trust, Transparency and Legitimacy", held as part of the programme, explored how the climate crisis is addressed on the global agenda and the impact of communication strategies in this field on societies.
The panel, moderated by Prof. Abdulmenaf Turan, featured Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Fatma Varank, AK Party Member of Parliament for Diyarbakır and Chair of the Environment Committee of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye Mehmet Galip Ensarioğlu, Head of COP31 Presidency of Negotiations Branch at the Australian Government Ingrid Lundberg, and Klima2020 Director Svein Tveitdal as speakers.
The panel emphasised that merely announcing climate targets was not enough and that it was equally important to openly share with the public the scientific data underpinning these targets and information on their implementation. It was highlighted that accurate information and trustworthy communication are decisive in ensuring that society embraces climate policies.
Combating misinformation and social trust at the fore
The panel, which addressed different dimensions of climate communication, focused on the risks posed by disinformation spreading rapidly through digital media. The issues of communicating scientific data in a language that everyone can understand, the accountability of public bodies, and increasing public support for climate policies were discussed.
Klima2020 Director Svein Tveitdal stated that the current trajectory points to a temperature increase of 2.8 degrees, meaning that the world could face a major crisis by the end of the century.
Stressing that it is now necessary to speak openly about shortcomings and responsibilities, Tveitdal stated that negotiators and governments must address the real challenges standing in the way of achieving climate targets while taking into account the circumstances of different groups and the hardships they face. Tveitdal noted that scientists were hesitant, even afraid, to speak out about their "doomsday scenario" predictions.
Participants pointed out that, alongside governments; international organisations, media outlets, the private sector, and digital platforms also have a responsibility to ensure the circulation of accurate information on climate issues. It was also noted that transparently explaining the economic and social consequences of green transition would increase public trust in the process.
Mehmet Galip Ensarioğlu, AK Party MP for Diyarbakır and Chair of the Turkish Grand National Assembly’s Environment Committee, emphasised that one of the most important factors in determining the public acceptance of climate policies is the accurate assessment of the economic and social impacts of the transition and their clear communication to the public.
The view that climate policies are not limited to political and economic decisions alone, but also require strong public communication, was among the key points raised during the panel discussion.
Türkiye’s approach of dialogue and consensus discussed
During the session, held in both Turkish and English, the climate policies and communication experiences of various countries were examined in a comparative manner. Views were exchanged on fostering a climate of trust between countries, strengthening the exchange of information, and finding common ground for different approaches with regard to climate diplomacy. Head of the Office of the COP31 President of Negotiations at the Australian Government Ingrid Lundberg stated that Türkiye had conducted a highly pragmatic, inclusive, transparent, and predictable effort in assuming COP leadership, adding that transparency is of great importance in climate policy and trust-building, and that this was why they were present there.
The panel also addressed Türkiye’s “Dialogue, Consensus, and Action” approach adopted during the COP31 process, emphasising the need to enhance international cooperation and turn shared climate targets into actionable steps. Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanisation, and Climate Change Fatma Varank stated that they were making intensive efforts to implement the concrete targets set out at the summit, which they had planned as an “Implementation COP,” and to ensure that the decisions to be taken are actionable.
Varank stated that their action agenda includes critical targets such as raising the electrification rate to 35 percent by 2035, halving the amount of waste, reducing energy intensity in buildings by 25 percent, and ensuring that at least 15 percent of raw materials used in industry consist of recycled materials. Varank further noted that the first decision texts in the negotiation process had been published two days before, that they would share the second draft text on Monday, and that they would prepare the final outcome document following three to four rounds of negotiations.
The assessments made at the forum highlighted that, just as effective policies are crucial in the fight against climate change, so is the importance of communicating these policies through a reliable, transparent, and inclusive approach.
