Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged developed countries to take greater responsibility for cutting emissions and providing climate finance, stressing that funding must become more accessible, predictable and responsive to countries' needs.

"Developed countries that have historically consumed the global carbon budget should assume greater responsibility for emissions reductions and financing," Erdogan said at the opening of the COP31 Leaders' Summit in Antalya, Türkiye's southern province, on Wednesday.

He warned that the world was grappling with mounting challenges, including global warming, biodiversity loss, excessive consumption of natural resources, threats to food security and increasingly destructive climate-related disasters.

Erdogan called for improved access to financing, technology and capacity-building opportunities, particularly for least developed countries and small island developing states.

"We have identified making the needs of Pacific countries more visible and bringing them to the forefront as a primary responsibility," he said.

Outlining Türkiye's climate commitments, Erdogan said the country was pursuing decarbonisation across sectors ranging from energy and industry to transportation and agriculture, making the green transition a priority throughout its economy.

"Our civilisation is founded on respect for nature, and the Earth is a sacred trust that must be protected and preserved," he added.

Zero emissions

He reaffirmed Türkiye's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2053, saying environmental considerations were being integrated into development planning and energy security policies.

Referring to the Zero Waste initiative launched in 2017, Erdogan said Türkiye's recycling rate had climbed from around 13 percent to nearly 40 percent by the end of 2025.

He said the country aimed to achieve tangible progress in 10 priority areas, including the clean energy transition, zero waste, food security, industrialisation, climate-resilient cities and ocean protection.

Over the next decade, Türkiye also aims to increase its electricity consumption rate by 50 percent, halve the growth in waste generation and expand the use of circular materials in industry, he added.

Gaza ecocide

Turning to Gaza, Erdogan condemned Israel's attacks, saying they had caused widespread environmental destruction alongside the loss of human life.

"As I emphasised in my address to the UN General Assembly, what has happened in Gaza is not only a genocide but also an ecocide," he said.

He pointed to the destruction of centuries-old olive trees, contamination of soil and water, and the reduction of entire cities to rubble.

Erdogan also highlighted the worsening humanitarian crisis following heavy rainfall and flooding in the enclave, saying tens of thousands of tents and shelters had been submerged amid widespread infrastructure destruction.

"Hundreds of thousands of our brothers and sisters in Gaza, who have no roof over their heads, particularly innocent children shivering in the cold, are struggling to survive in the water under winter conditions, often without their parents," he said.

Erdogan stressed that no one who witnessed or knew about the situation could evade responsibility.

He called for the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, an end to its isolation and an end to the suffering inflicted on Palestinians.

"Displaying power through the suffering of Gaza's children is, quite frankly, a sign of weakness, helplessness and, above all, a lack of conscience," Erdogan said.

He concluded by emphasising that leaving future generations a cleaner, greener and fairer world was essential before the planet became uninhabitable.