D‑8 Nations Gather in Istanbul for COP31 Climate Meeting

Turkey’s Environment Minister Murat Kurum chaired a D‑8 meeting in Istanbul that brought together climate and environment representatives from Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Turkey. The gathering, held under the COP31 framework, produced the Istanbul Declaration outlining the group’s shared vision for climate action.

Kurum highlighted the bloc’s potential as a transformative force in global climate policy, noting the D‑8’s population of over one billion across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The declaration set 2035 targets, including raising global electrification to 35 %, halving waste‑generation growth, cutting building‑energy intensity by at least 25 %, and boosting circular material use to 15 %. It also called for universal climate education for children and faster, more inclusive climate financing.

Turkey pledged to share its experience in post‑disaster reconstruction, zero‑waste initiatives, resilient city planning, energy efficiency and circular economy to support the D‑8’s implementation of COP31’s agenda.