As Turkey advances its preparations for the COP31 Climate Summit in Antalya, collaboration between the country’s insurance industry and business community is gaining momentum. In a recent high-level meeting, representatives of the Turkish Insurance Association and the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey evaluated how the insurance sector can support the summit’s broader climate objectives through risk expertise, financial protection tools, and long-term resilience planning.
The discussions focused on the sector’s potential role in addressing the growing consequences of climate change, particularly in the areas of disaster preparedness, economic recovery, and sustainable insurance models. With climate-related threats becoming more frequent and severe, participants emphasized the importance of strengthening institutional cooperation ahead of COP31.
Strategic coordination ahead of the Antalya summit
The meeting brought together Ahmet Yaşar, President of the Turkish Insurance Association, Board Member Neslihan Neciboğlu, Secretary-General Özgür Obalı, and M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, President of TOBB. Saygın Baban, Head of TOBB’s Sectors and Entrepreneurship Department, also took part in the exchange.
During the visit, attention centered on TOBB’s role as a coordinator for the global business community throughout the COP31 process. In parallel, the insurance sector’s capacity to contribute to this international platform was assessed as a key element in supporting climate risk governance and sustainable development priorities.
Insurance as a partner in resilience and transition
Participants reviewed ways to improve financial resilience against the social and economic effects of climate change, while also examining how disaster risks can be managed more effectively. The dialogue included sustainable insurance solutions and stronger public-private cooperation, both seen as essential for building a more adaptive and prepared economy.
As natural disasters and climate-linked losses continue to rise, the insurance industry is increasingly viewed not only as a mechanism for compensation but also as a strategic actor in prevention, mitigation, and resilience-building. In this context, COP31 offers an important opportunity for the sector to present its expertise in risk assessment, data-driven analytics, financial safeguards, and innovative sustainability-focused products.
The Turkish Insurance Association underlined that the sector is ready to support Turkey’s climate ambitions through its technical knowledge, risk management capabilities, and solution-oriented approach. The contribution of insurance to green transformation and climate resilience is expected to become even more significant during the COP31 process and beyond.
