The Turkish Embassy in Cairo transformed into an open dialogue platform on October 6, 2026, as it hosted the "Climate Bridge" event, organized by the Youth Love Egypt (YLE) foundation in partnership with the Turkish Embassy in Egypt. The event, titled "Middle East and North Africa Climate Café: Mapping the Road to COP31," drew a large crowd of ambassadors, former ministers, parliamentarians, representatives from the Coptic Church, media, and youth leaders. Turkish Ambassador to Egypt, Salih Mutlu Sen, opened the event, which aimed to foster dialogue between youth and decision-makers.
In his opening speech, Ambassador Sen emphasized the significance of the "bridge" concept, highlighting the need for bridges between youth and decision-makers, local priorities and global climate agendas, and ideas and implementation. He stressed that the climate crisis is no longer a future threat but a current challenge affecting water, food security, energy, biodiversity, and forests. Sen outlined Turkey's priorities for COP31, which include dialogue, consensus, and action, with a focus on turning commitments into measurable results.
Ambassador Sen highlighted Turkey's key initiatives, including expanding electrification, reducing methane emissions, and promoting green transformation in industry. He also emphasized the importance of integrating climate change into education curricula by 2030 and fostering a climate-conscious society by 2035. Sen addressed the youth, stating that they are not only future leaders but also crucial to current climate action, and encouraged them to contribute to climate policy-making.
Australian Ambassador to Egypt, Joël McGregor, expressed his country's commitment to working with Turkey in a spirit of partnership towards COP31. He emphasized the importance of including the perspectives of Pacific Island nations and the Middle East in climate discussions. McGregor outlined Australia's priorities, including keeping the 1.5°C goal within reach, protecting ocean health, and accelerating the transition to clean energy.
McGregor praised the "Road to COP31" series, which has produced 23 dialogues on climate-related topics, and welcomed the opportunity to listen to the concerns and ideas of the participants. He emphasized that effective negotiation requires not only talking but also listening, and announced that a new climate café will be hosted at the Australian Embassy to build on the discussions.
The event built on a series of dialogues organized by the Youth Love Egypt foundation, which has been hosting the "Road to COP31" series since February 2026. The series has included five forums at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, the launch of a climate leaders academy, and the announcement of a bird rescue and rehabilitation center.
The "Climate Bridge" event featured presentations on Turkey's COP31 priorities and the Arab Youth Statement, followed by a panel discussion and interactive roundtable sessions on adaptation, finance, water, land, biodiversity, and youth participation in COP31. The event aimed to foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing between youth and decision-makers ahead of the COP31 conference in Antalya, Turkey.
Key points
- The Turkish Embassy in Cairo hosted a climate dialogue event with youth and decision-makers on the road to COP31 in Antalya, Turkey.
- The event aimed to foster dialogue between youth and decision-makers, and to promote collaboration and knowledge-sharing on climate-related topics.
- Turkey and Australia are working together in a spirit of partnership towards COP31, with a focus on dialogue, consensus, and action.
