In recent years, Turkish urban municipalities have started to accelerate policy efforts addressing climate adaptation and mitigation. However, new initiatives and policy experimentation and innovation often occur in isolation. Consequently, there is significant scope for policy learning amongst municipalities, with a view to scale and amplify their effects. Accordingly, this project aims to strengthen knowledge systems required to support effective and socially just climate adaptation/mitigation action within and across urban municipalities in the Marmara Region of Türkiye.

CLEMM comprises an equitable partnership of IDS with Istinye University, Marmara Municipalities Union (MMU), Şişli Municipality (Istanbul). It adopts a participatory co-design approach and leverages existing institutional learning platforms. Notably, MMU convenes a community of practice of urban municipalities responsible for climate action. Through participatory workshops, diagnostics and trainings with municipal officials and other stakeholders, CLEMM will examine and strengthen diverse knowledge needs and gaps, identify and implement knowledge system recommendations that enhance urban municipalities’ capacities to act on priority climate adaptation/mitigation issues in an evidence-informed and socially just manner. The project builds essential new relations between urban municipal policymakers and enhances systemic ways of mutual learning to incur a step-change in municipal capabilities to take evidence-informed and socially just climate action.