Turkey’s young Climate Envoys are at the forefront on tackling Climate Change

Climate Envoys coming from 81 provinces and 209 different universities of Turkey presenting the country’s nearly 15 million young people presented their Youth Declaration stating their worries and their suggestions for solutions in tacking the climate crisis at the Climate Council organized in Konya by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change.

Climate Envoys prepared their declaration calling for comprehensive climate change action plans and a sustainable, equal and green economic development plan free of fossil fuels during several workshops organized by UN Turkey, Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, UNICEF and Nature Conservation Center.

Climate Envoy Meryem: “For the future of our world, our country and our humanity we are ready to take action to tackle climate change”

Climate Envoy of Erzurum Technical University Meryem Payveren speaking to UNIC Ankara said “Climate change is for sure one of the most important problem we face as human beings. It has been a great source of motivation for us to act together as climate envoys, who have not met before but came together for the same goal, and to be united in this process. With this motivation, 30 of us as the declaration team with great effort, enthusiasm and happiness worked on the declaration which we presented under 13 headings. For the future of our world, our country and our humanity we are ready to take action to tackle climate change.”

The Climate Envoys read their declaration at the opening ceremony of the Climate Council on 21 February. The declaration calls for road map to quit coal, mobilization for waste management, continous access to clean water, protection of ecosystems, paying attention to vulnerable groups in tackling climate crisis, healthy environment for all and more.

Climate Envoy Ceylan Vural from Manisa Celal Bayar University said “I am very happy to be here. It means a lot to me to be part of the fight against climate change as a woman.”

Turkey’s Climate Envoys in their declaration urged decision makers to play a more effective role in tackling climate change using the power of media and to mobilize masses for action on climate crisis.

“We all tried to do something here so that we can live in healthier and sustainanle cities” said Climate Envoy Anıl Sevban Güneş from Gaziantep Hasan Kalyon University.

United Nations Resident Coordinator in Turkey Alvaro Rodriguez met the Climate Envoys of Turkey during the Climate Council.

“We should all take action responsibly for the climate crisis. The role of young people in tackling climate change is extemely important” said Rodriguez.

Answering the questions of the young climate envoys Rodriguez said “COVID-19 showed us that global problems require global solutions, they can not be solved within the borders of nations. We can solve global problems including climate change with multilateral approaches and global partnerships.”

Maria Osbeck Climate Change Coordinator from UNICEF also took part at the meeting with Climate Envoys and emphasized the importance of children and young people to be not the victims of climate change but a part of the solution.