The "Young Climate Envoys Movement", launched in November 2021 with the support of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change and UNICEF Türkiye, aims to raise awareness among young people on climate change and the environment. In this context, Environmental Engineering student Elif Ayhan was selected as the climate envoy of our university and climate envoys coordinator.
The 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change occurred in Dubai, United Arab Emirates between 30 November - 12 December this year. Our student Elif Ayhan participated in the conference with the Turkish delegation as one of the 5 representatives who attended COP28 representing climate envoys.
Elif Ayhan listened to the speech of Mrs. Emine Erdogan, wife of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at the Türkiye pavilion, where she talked about the work carried out on the Zero Waste Movement. Our student took part in the visit of Mr. Mehmet Özhaseki, Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, to the Türkiye pavilion.
Elif Ayhan, who participated in negotiations, panels, and side events during COP28, attended the meeting of the COP28 Presidency together with Ayşin Turpancı, Head of Climate Negotiations and International Policies Department of the Climate Change Directorate, and other climate envoys. Our student attended, "The Dilemma of the Green Transition: Navigating Challenges, Unlocking Opportunities and Ensuring" panel by Fatih Birol, President of the International Energy Agency; "Intergovernmental Climate Change" panel by Jim Skea, President of IPCC; and "Redefining Sustainable Mobility" panel by Gürcan Karakaş, CEO of TOGG, and met with the speakers.
Elif Ayhan, together with Özyeğin University climate envoy Emre Yiğit Ay, Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa climate envoy Fatma Nur Tosun, Niğde Ömer Halisdemir climate envoy Metehan Üstündağ and Antalya Bilim University climate envoy Büşra Gül İnal, organized a panel titled "Young Climate Envoys Platform and the Voice of Turkish Youth in Climate Action" at the Türkiye pavilion on 8 December. Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanisation, and Climate Change and Chief Negotiator Fatma Varank, and Head of Climate Change Prof. Dr. Halil Hasar, who joined the panel, came together with climate envoys many times during the conference.
