The Center for Applied Research in Islamic Economics and Finance (CIEF) at Ibn Haldun University participated in two consecutive high-level events focusing on the intersection of climate finance and Islamic finance at the Istanbul Financial Center on September 4, 2026.
The first event was the high-level panel titled "Creating Coordinated Market Infrastructure and Effective Deployment in Global Climate Finance and Islamic Finance", organized by the Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye and the Participation Banks Association of Türkiye (TKBB) as part of the Istanbul Climate Finance Summit. The panel addressed challenges in deploying global climate capital into investable projects, the potential contribution of Islamic finance to climate finance, the development of investment-ready pipelines across OIC economies, the COP31 process, and the potential role of the Istanbul Financial Center as an international climate-finance hub. The prospective role of GICFA as a market-infrastructure platform connecting capital providers with implementation ecosystems was also among the themes discussed.
The panel was followed by the GICFA Pre-COP31 High-Level Strategic Dialogue titled "Mobilising Islamic Finance for COP31 Implementation". Convened by the Global Islamic Climate Finance Alliance (GICFA) and hosted by the Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye at the Ziraat Bank Towers in the Istanbul Financial Center, the closed, invitation-only dialogue focused on integrating Islamic finance more systematically into the COP31 implementation agenda, developing institutional partnerships, and advancing scalable financing solutions.
Building on the GICFA Founding Roundtable held in Baku, the Istanbul Dialogue considered GICFA's role not as a substitute for existing institutions, but as a collaborative implementation platform connecting governments, multilateral development banks, financial institutions, regulators, investors, and other stakeholders. Its objectives included defining two or three priority collaboration tracks ahead of COP31, developing potential demonstration initiatives and partnerships, and producing an Istanbul Partnership & Implementation Roadmap.
The final agenda of the GICFA Dialogue included sessions involving representatives of the United Nations, the COP31 Presidency, the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB), the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI), the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Development and Investment Bank of Türkiye, TKBB, and the African Insurance Organization (AIO).
The CIEF delegation included Asst. Prof. Fatih Al, Asst. Prof. Meryem Solmaz, and CIEF Advisory Board members Assoc. Prof. Münir Yaşar Kaya and Assoc. Prof. Faruk Emrah Oruç.
IHU Rector Prof. Atilla Arkan also attended the events, representing the University at the highest institutional level. The IHU delegation also included International Office Manager Salim Korkmaz, while Assistant Expert Muaadh Saeed Gamea Al-Hashemi and Halil İbrahim Aksen accompanied the delegation.
CIEF's participation supported the Center's continuing research and international collaboration agenda at the intersection of Islamic finance, sustainability, impact, and climate finance, while further strengthening its engagement with public institutions, the financial sector, and international organizations.
