Büyükakın's call for global financing at the COP31 Leaders Summit

Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tahir Büyükakın used his address at the COP31 Leaders Summit to call for strengthening funds financed by a share of global financial transactions. He argued that climate finance access must be made fairer, with resources directed toward cities and local governments on the front lines of climate adaptation. The proposal positions municipal leaders as demand-side voices in the COP31 finance debate, pressing national governments and multilateral institutions to move beyond pledges toward dedicated, predictable revenue streams. What to watch next is whether the transaction-levy idea gains traction in the summit’s finance text and whether local governments secure a formal channel to those funds.