The event, entitled “From Campus to COP31: Young People Shaping a Climate-Resilient Future”, in which they developed proposed solutions to the climate crisis and transformed these into messages to be conveyed to decision-makers at the COP31 Antalya 2026 UN Climate Summit, took place on 14 September at the Mehmet Akif Ersoy Hall on Hacettepe University’s Beytepe Campus. The programme featured Sally Higgins, Youth Climate Champion for the COP31 Presidency; Maryse Guimond, Country Director for UN Women in Turkey; Mariam A. Khan, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sport, Assoc. Prof. Dr Safa Koçoğlu Gürsoy, Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, Fatma Varank, and Hacettepe University Vice-Rector Prof. Dr Mustafa Şahmaran, along with university administrators and numerous students.
The programme’s opening ceremony was hosted by Prof. Dr Mine Durusu Tanrıöver, our university’s Coordinator for Social Contribution. Stating that Hacettepe University regards education, research and social contribution as an indispensable mission, Prof. Dr. Durusu Tanrıöver said in her speech: “We view the COP31 process as a long-term opportunity for transformation, where scientific knowledge is converted into social benefit, and where education, research, healthcare services, campus initiatives and social contribution are integrated within a common framework of climate action.”
Güzey: “The message from Hacettepe’s young people will be conveyed to COP31”
Following Prof. Dr Durusu Tanrıöver, İpek Güzey, a final-year Environmental Engineering student, delivered a speech on behalf of the students of Hacettepe University. Stating that climate change is a reality that will directly affect young people’s future, Güzey emphasised the participatory role of young people in this event, describing it as “the first step towards a new model in which young people are not merely listened to, but are an integral part of the process”. Güzey continued her speech with the following words:
“Today, the message of Hacettepe’s youth—written in the words chosen by young people in this hall—will be carried to COP31. Today is our day. We will bring together our own disciplines, our concerns and our unconventional ideas at these tables. We will not be content with the idea that ‘the world must take action’; instead, we will discuss who can do it, how and in what way.”
Prof. Dr. Şahmaran: “We see our young people not as observers of the process, but as its designers”
The opening ceremony continued with a speech by Prof. Dr Mustafa Şahmaran, Vice-Rector of Hacettepe University. Prof. Dr Şahmaran recalled that the founding philosophy of our university includes making scientific knowledge available to serve society; he also noted that the university operates with the same approach in the field of sustainability. Stating that Hacettepe University is one of Turkey’s pioneers in shouldering the responsibility that falls to universities regarding climate change, Prof. Dr. Şahmaran continued his speech as follows:
“Climate change is no longer a scenario set in the distant future. It is a fundamental issue that directly affects our health, food security, our cities and social equality. We believe that the solution to this major problem lies in science, interdisciplinary collaboration and, most importantly, the participation of young people in decision-making processes. As Hacettepe University, we see our young people not as observers of this process, but as its architects.”
UN Director Maryse Guimond: “What is expected of us today is to listen to you and learn from you.”
Maryse Guimond, Country Director for UN Women in Turkey, highlighted the inequalities that climate change will impose on women and girls. Stating that it is estimated that around 158 million women and girls will be pushed into extreme poverty by 2050, Guimond said, “This is not just a statistic. It is a mother wondering whether there will be enough food left to feed her daughter tonight. That is the true face of those 158 million,” she said. Emphasising the importance of young people in the fight against climate change, Guimond included the following remarks in her speech:
“Representation in climate diplomacy and the representation of women are, unfortunately, going backwards. This is important here on campus too. The green transition is currently being built in laboratories and lecture theatres like this one. Climate action is inconceivable without young people. Nor can it be implemented without women and girls. Not as spectators, but as people who are already actively involved in this work. You are already leading the way for us. You are already shaping us. Therefore, what is expected of us today is not to address you, but to listen to you and learn from you.”
UN Representative Mariam Khan: “You will be facing this challenge for much longer”
Another speaker at the event was Mariam A. Khan, the UN Population Fund’s Representative in Turkey. In her speech, Mariam Khan emphasised that climate change is a far more significant issue for young people, stating:
“Climate change is a massive problem for your generation and for your future families. Because it is you who will have to live through it. I want you to think very carefully about this. I’m not trying to scare you, but in terms of the consequences, I can say that you will live with this problem for a longer period and face it far more frequently. Please bear this in mind when making decisions.”
COP31 Youth Climate Champion Higgins: “A very special invitation for young people”
One of the programme’s key participants was Sally Higgins, the COP31 Youth Climate Champion. In her speech, Higgins explained—using examples from her own life—that climate change is not merely a theoretical issue, but a process that directly affects people’s lives. Higgins made the following remarks in her speech:
“The role of the COP31 Youth Climate Champion is to act as a bridge or link between young people and children and the COP31 Presidency. Today, I will listen to you and take note of the points you raise. My task is to convey these to COP31. By working alongside the Deputy Minister, I will ensure that your stories are taken into account.”
Higgins also noted that COP31 presents an opportunity, stating: “We really must recognise the opportunity and platform we have this year. I would like to invite you to recognise this with me: COP31 is, first and foremost, a time for taking action and putting things into practice. I believe this is a very special invitation for young people.”
Deputy Minister Koçoğlu: “Ensuring your voices are heard is a matter of necessity”
In his speech, the Deputy Minister for Youth and Sport, Av. Assoc. Prof. Dr Safa Koçoğlu, highlighted the importance of the programme in the COP31 process with the following words:
“Today, an important topic will be discussed at Hacettepe. Yes, we are embarking on a journey to Antalya. In fact, this journey is just the beginning. I hope that the ideas we discuss and develop here will be sustainable. They are of great value both for your campus and, subsequently, for the campuses of other universities.”
Deputy Minister Koçoğlu emphasised the importance of young people in this process with the following remarks: “Promises are sometimes made to young people, but are they kept or not? However, this is not that sort of issue. This is a matter where it is essential that you are given a place and that your voice is heard. Because this is, in fact, a matter that concerns you very closely.”
Deputy Minister Fatma Varank: “We will make these decisions; you will implement them.”
The final speaker at the programme’s opening ceremony was Fatma Varank, Deputy Minister for the Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change. In her speech, Varank said:
“We have allocated a high number of accreditations to young people at COP31. We want all young people – not just university students, but our children and young people who have entered the workforce after university – to follow these processes closely. We want them to follow both the negotiations and the activities in the green zone, and to see first-hand what is being discussed on each of the ten days of this event. They should keep track of the decisions taken. Because whilst we will be the ones making these decisions, it is you who will implement them. These decisions will, in fact, have been taken for your sake. In other words, all the decisions to be made regarding the future of the world will, in reality, be decisions that concern you in the future. That is why it is of great value to us that you become much more actively involved in this process and influence the decisions taken.”
Our students and the Youth Climate Champion came together
Following the opening speeches, Sally Higgins met with young people from Hacettepe University. The discussion, moderated by İpek Güzey, addressed the role of young people in climate decision-making processes, the responsibilities universities can undertake to ensure a climate-resilient future, and expectations for COP31.
Later in the event, at the Hacettepe University–UNFPA Youth Climate Lab, students worked in interdisciplinary groups to assess climate change from various perspectives, including health, inequality, education, sustainable universities, population mobility and youth participation in decision-making processes.
The working groups identified priority issues in their respective areas and developed proposed solutions that could be implemented at universities. The students then presented their proposals at a session attended by Sally Higgins and representatives from the United Nations.
Messages from Hacettepe’s youth to COP31
In the programme’s section entitled ‘Messages from Hacettepe’s Youth to COP31’, the messages that young people wished to convey to the COP31 process were collectively reviewed and prioritised. The programme, which emphasises the importance of involving young people in the process not merely as recipients of climate policies but as active contributors to their formulation, brought together the proposals put forward by Hacettepe students in their working groups under the title “Hacettepe Youth Messages to COP31: Building Healthy, Equitable and Climate-Resilient Futures”. Through this initiative, the aim is to ensure that our university’s work within the framework of COP31 is incorporated into the COP31 agenda, which will take place in Antalya in November.
As part of the event, Sally Higgins also visited the Beytepe Campus to inspect sustainability initiatives first-hand and gained insight into Hacettepe University’s practices in this field.
