Tunç Soyer, Izmir Metropolitan Mayor, participated in the GLOBE COP26 Legislative Summit held in the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh upon the invitation of the International Parliamentary Union within the scope of UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26).

Mr. Soyer, speaking at the summit hosted by Edinburgh Mayor Frank Ross, pointed out the need for multi-tiered collaboration on climate strategies at local, regional and national levels and said, "Furthermore, more resources should be mobilised for municipalities declaring a Climate Emergency and committing ambitious climate actions."
Mayor Soyer, as well as UN Secretary-General Special Representative Mami Mizutori, Brazilian Parliament House of Representatives member Viviane da Costa Reis, and Australian Capital Region Climate Action and Shadow Minister for Environment, Legislative Council Member Elizabeth Lee made speech during the summit.
 
A new era in global climate action
Mayor Tunç Soyer, stating that humanity is at a crucial crossroads, said, "Let's be realistic about where we are 75 years after the establishment of the United Nations, 50 years after the Stockholm Environment and Vancouver Habitat conferences, 30 years after the World Summit, and even five years after the Paris Convention. Our solutions were gradual as the challenges grew exponentially. The COVID-19 pandemic of last two years has reminded us of one fact: Without collaboration within the cities in a 21st century world, we cannot overcome global challenges. Indeed, five years ago the Paris Convention ushered in a new era of global climate action, acknowledging the importance of the engagement of local governments. The first day of COP26 in Glasgow coincided with October 31, World Cities Day for the first time, and now it’s time for Glasgow to make this into practice".

"Collaboration with local authorities is important"
Mayor Soyer, noting that since 2015, only 80 out of approximately 200 countries have increased their national climate targets, said, "The United States and Rwanda, Japan and the Dominican Republic, some of them, and they all have one thing in common: Their national climate related targets increased as they worked closely with their local governments. Now there is a clearer truth than ever: In the 21st Century, cities need multi-tiered collaboration that is supported by a circular culture. Glasgow, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, should be considered the place where the next generation of transformative climate action begins."