İzmir Became the National Champion of the One World Cities Contest

Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, which has implemented its projects against the climate crisis with the goal of zero carbon in 2030, became the champion of Turkey in the One World Cities Competition organized by WWF. Stating that he is happy and proud that İzmir was declared the winner as a result of the evaluation made by the international jury, Mayor Soyer said, "We will continue to be an exemplary world city in the fight against the climate crisis with the concept of circular culture that we announced for the first time at the UCLG Culture Summit."

Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Tunç Soyerİzmir, which was selected for the Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Mission from the European Union in line with the vision of tackling the climate crisis, became the national champion in the One Planet City Challenge (OPCC) of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, who said that they are very happy and proud that İzmir is the national champion in the competition, in which cities that develop effective, assertive and innovative solutions in the fight against the climate crisis stand out. Tunç Soyer“We are one of the leading cities that determine the roadmap in the fight against the climate crisis. With the action plans we have prepared, we contribute to the goal of limiting the global temperature increase to 1,5°C in the Paris Agreement and we are implementing our practices in this direction. We are honored that our efforts are recognized on an international scale. In the light of the circular culture concept, which we announced for the first time at the UCLG United Cities and Local Governments Culture Summit hosted by İzmir, we will continue to be an exemplary world city in the fight against the climate crisis.”

Pasinli: “Izmir has taken pioneering steps”

WWF-Turkey General Manager Aslı Pasinli celebrated İzmir's success with the following words: “Cities that host more than half of the world's population are also responsible for approximately 70 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. For this reason, local governments have important duties in terms of both reducing the emissions that cause the climate crisis and adapting to the effects of this crisis, which can no longer be avoided. I sincerely congratulate this success of İzmir, which stands out among 9 municipalities in Turkey by taking pioneering steps with its vision of being a sustainable city and once again became the national winner of the OPCC after 2018.”

Cities that develop innovative solutions are highlighted

In the international competition organized by WWF since 2011, cities that develop effective, assertive and innovative solutions in the fight against the climate crisis are highlighted. In the competition where WWF-Turkey followed the Turkey leg, this year's jury appreciated İzmir's clear leadership in this area by adopting a comprehensive climate action plan. It was noteworthy that the action plan developed by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality is evidence-based and includes concrete actions for emission-intensive sectors. Welcoming Izmir's plan to support sustainable agriculture, especially around the city, the jury noted that it is one of the rare examples of its influence beyond the borders of cities.

280 local governments competed

The One World Cities Competition is organized to enable cities to take action and contribute to a global transformation towards a climate resilient and 50% renewable energy future. This year, 280 local governments from 9 countries participated in the competition, which is held every two years. In the competition where XNUMX municipalities from Turkey took part, İzmir was selected as a national finalist along with İstanbul and Gaziantep. The international OPCC jury, consisting of urban experts, examined each finalist and determined İzmir as Turkey's national champion.