04.11.2026 19:32
According to KONDA's "COP31 and Energy" survey conducted with 2,568 people, 90% of participants are not aware of the COP31 summit to be held in Turkey in November; the proportion of those who know what the summit is is only 5%. In the survey, while the rate of those concerned about climate change rises to 71%, 77% of participants want solar and wind investments to be accelerated.
According to the “COP31 and Energy” survey conducted by KONDA with 2,568 people, 90 percent of participants stated that they were not aware that COP31 will be held in Turkey in November 2026. The share of those who had heard that COP31 will take place in Turkey remained at 10 percent, while only 5 percent of participants were found to be informed about what COP31 is.
The survey was reported to have been conducted through telephone interviews with people who voluntarily participated in the KONDA Mediated Panel between September 10 and 14. The study, which addresses risk perception regarding the climate crisis and public awareness of the COP31 Summit that Turkey will host, indicated that there is a significant lack of communication and trust in awareness of the summit and in assessments of Turkey's climate policies.
7 OUT OF 10 PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE
According to the survey results, 79 percent thought climate change is caused by human activities, while 17 percent stated that it is a natural process. The share of those who said they were concerned or very concerned about climate change was recorded at 71 percent. This rate showed an increase of 7 points compared with the survey conducted in November 2025. In contrast, the share of those saying “I am very concerned” declined from 21 percent to 16 percent over the same period.
Climate change was most associated with air pollution (72 percent), an increase in disasters (69 percent), and a rise in unusual seasonal events (56 percent).
Among the events considered most likely to occur within the next two years, the possibility of suffering harm from disasters such as forest fires, floods, and droughts ranked first at 44 percent. Of the participants, 37 percent were concerned about the possibility of suffering harm from water scarcity, 34 percent from health problems, and 30 percent from weather events such as unusual rain, snow, or hail.
Scientists were the most trusted group in the climate struggle, at 54 percent. Trust in scientists was recorded as having increased by approximately 2 points compared with 2022. Research institutions stood out as the second most trusted group, at 11 percent.
ACCORDING TO 44 PERCENT, TURKEY IS MAKING NO EFFORT AT ALL
According to the survey, only 13 percent of participants thought Turkey was making “sufficient effort” in combating climate change. While 43 percent of participants found the work carried out “insufficient,” 44 percent expressed the view that Turkey was making no effort at all on this issue. The share of participants with this view was 56 percent in 2023 and declined to 44 percent in 2026. The share of those who thought efforts were being made but were insufficient rose from 33 percent to 43 percent over the same period.
Of the participants, 77 percent thought that Turkey's energy policy should prioritize solar and wind investments and accelerate investments in this area. The share of those stating that no more coal mines should be opened was recorded at 78 percent. In addition, half of the participants held the view that new coal power plants conflict with Turkey's goal of leadership at COP31.
Among preferred energy sources for electricity generation, solar stood out at 80 percent and wind at 63 percent, while the share of those preferring electricity generated from coal remained at 3 percent. The power plants that participants were most positive about having built in areas near where they live were solar and wind power plants. The energy plants most opposed were nuclear power plants at 68 percent and coal power plants at 56 percent.
Participants were also asked what outcomes of Turkey's climate policy they would support if they knew about them. Of the participants, 57 percent mentioned contributions to clean air and public health, 36 percent lower energy bills, and 30 percent reduced foreign dependency in energy. The creation of new employment was preferred at 23 percent, and the strengthening of Turkey's influence in foreign policy at 11 percent.
EXPECTATION FROM COP31: ENERGY TRANSITION AND ADAPTATION TO DISASTERS
Among the topics that participants wanted Turkey to prioritize at COP31, accelerating the transition to renewable energy ranked first at 45 percent. The share of those wanting increased capacity to adapt to disasters such as floods, droughts, and forest fires was 35 percent. The share of those who considered setting a timetable for exiting fossil fuels a priority was 12 percent, while the share of those wanting priority given to access to climate finance and support was recorded at 8 percent.