Sally Higgins brings youth voices and local climate solutions into focus on the road to COP31

COP31 Presidency Youth Climate Champion Sally Higgins met with children, young people, women leaders, farmers, government representatives, universities and United Nations agencies in the country during her visit to Türkiye, highlighting inclusive participation and locally driven solutions on the road to COP31.

At the United Nations premises in Ankara, Higgins joined members of the UN Türkiye Youth Advisory Board, climate activists and advocates for gender equality and inclusive leadership for a dialogue on young people’s priorities for COP31, chaired by the UN Türkiye Youth Working Group.

Opening the meeting, UN Resident Coordinator in Türkiye Babatunde Ahonsi stressed that young people should not be treated simply as a target group, but recognized as partners, innovators and ambassadors for climate action and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Moderated by the UN Türkiye Youth Working Group, the discussion explored how the climate crisis is affecting young people; from health, education and employment to their plans for the future, as well as their needs, expectations and participation in climate action.

"Young people are part of the solution. Young people are the rights holders of the next generation" emphasized UN Türkiye Youth Working Group Chair and UNFPA Assistant Representative Zeynep Başarankut Kan.

The dialogue provided young participants with an opportunity to share their concerns, experiences and proposals directly with the COP31 Presidency Youth Climate Champion. 

“My task is to listen to young people and carry their points to COP31,” Higgins said. 

“Children and young people are not just those experiencing the climate crisis, they’re driving the solutions,” she added. “Meaningful youth participation means not just being in the room, but being listened to, being respected and having the power to influence what happens next.”

“If young people in Türkiye already have this much power and energy, COP31 is going to be an incredible experience for all of us" Higgins said. 

From university campuses to COP31

At Hacettepe University, Higgins met young people during the “From Campus to COP31: A Climate-Resilient Future” gathering, organized in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The event was attended by the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Assoc. Prof. Safa Koçoğlu Gürsoy and Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Fatma Varank.

As part of the programme, young participants gathered at a Youth Climate Lab organized with Hacettepe University and UNFPA Türkiye. Working across areas including health, education, gender equality and sustainable campuses, they developed innovative responses to the climate crisis and presented their proposals to Higgins to be conveyed to decision-makers ahead of COP31.

As a young woman leader from a farming community where drought and flooding are a recurring reality, Higgins also recorded a joint video message on women's leadership in climate action with UN Women Türkiye. "Every climate decision is a decision about the future of women and girls," she said. "We should be at the table, not on the sideline." 

Higgins also participated in the “COPilot the Future: Youth Summit” at Middle East Technical University, where young people helped shape a draft Youth Communiqué setting out their climate priorities and expectations.

The event opened with a strong call for meaningful youth participation in climate decision-making. In his opening remarks, METU Vice-Rector Prof. Ender Ciğeroğlu emphasised that institutions should not speak on behalf of young people, but should create the platforms through which the youth can speak for themselves and contribute to decision-making.

Betül Bitir Soylu, PhD researcher and Climate Envoy at METU, likewise, emphasized that the discussion around COP31 needs to look beyond technical solutions to encompass the core values of peace, equality, and human rights.

Moderated by Dr. Gülizar Özyurt Tarakçıoğlu, the communiqué session brought together Higgins; METU Climate Envoy Özlem Deniz Peri; and Pacific Islands delegate Antoni Soalablai. Participants joining online and in person contributed through an interactive and collaborative process.

Reflecting young people’s call for a meaningful role in climate decisions and action, the Youth Communiqué will be formally submitted to the COP31 Presidency and UN Climate Change.

Youth dialogues and climate action in Şanlıurfa

In Şanlıurfa, Higgins visited the UNDP-supported Digital Youth Center together with UNDP Türkiye Deputy Resident Representative Tomica Paovic. She explained the purpose of COP31 and discussed with young people how rising temperatures affect people and animals around the world, as well as the action needed to limit further warming.

Participants had an opportunity to put their questions directly to Higgins and thanked her for travelling from Australia to meet them. At the close of the dialogue, Higgins and the young people pledged to take action for the climate, the environment, and their own health and well-being.

At another dialogue organized by UNFPA, Higgins met members of the Şanlıurfa Youth Council. Participants described how climate change is intensifying challenges in the province, including working in agriculture during periods of extreme heat and drought; heightened risks of violence against women and child marriage; and difficulties related to hygiene and sanitation, particularly in remote communities.

Youth Council members also presented their ideas and recommendations for climate action, emphasizing the urgent need to strengthen climate awareness among young people. Higgins committed to bringing their experiences and proposals into COP31 discussions with decision-makers, stressing that young people must be at the heart of climate action.

Climate-smart agriculture in Şanlıurfa

Higgins also met cotton producers participating in the Better Cotton Project, implemented by UNDP in partnership with the GAP Regional Development Administration.

Şanlıurfa is one of Türkiye’s leading agricultural centres, but rising temperatures, drought and water stress are placing growing pressure on production. The project demonstrates how cotton can be grown with less water, fertilizer and pesticides while using natural resources more efficiently.

Climate stations and soil-moisture sensors enable farmers to irrigate and apply fertilizer more accurately. Since 2020, the project has provided training and technical assistance to producers in Şanlıurfa and Diyarbakır, helping climate-friendly agricultural practices spread across the region. Licensed Better Cotton production has now surpassed 446,000 decares.

Children and young people ready to help shape the climate agenda

UNICEF, together with the Ministry of Family and Social Services and the Zero Waste Foundation, brought together children and young people from provincial child rights committees in Istanbul to meet Sally Higgins to share their priorities and ideas ahead of COP31 in Antalya. 

“Children and young people are already living with the impacts of climate change, but they are also bringing forward ideas, energy and solutions. Our responsibility is to create the space for them not only to be heard, but to meaningfully influence the decisions and actions that will shape their future,” said Paolo Marchi, UNICEF Representative in Türkiye.

The discussions showed how important it is to create real opportunities for children and young people to take part in the climate decisions that will affect their lives and future.

From youth dialogues and university campuses to discussions on women’s leadership and practical solutions in cotton fields, the visit underscored a central message: those most affected by the climate crisis must have a meaningful role in shaping the response.

The United Nations in Türkiye will continue working with the COP31 Presidency, public institutions, young people, women, universities, farmers and local partners to connect community-level experience with national and global climate action ahead of COP31.