Towards COP31: Climate Talks on Climate Agenda, Sustainability, Resilience and Green Growth

Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal, Rector of Istanbul Technical University,
Distinguished Professors and Academics,
Dear Students and Climate Ambassadors,
Colleagues from the United Nations system,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to join you today at Istanbul Technical University for this important dialogue on climate action, sustainability, resilience and green growth as we advance towards COP31, grounded firmly in the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals and the imperative to leave no one behind.

I would like to sincerely thank the Rectorate of Istanbul Technical University, the Environment and Urbanism Application and Research Center (UYGAR), the Climate Ambassadors, the Urban and Urbanization Club, and ITU Collective Resilience Alliance for bringing together academia, youth and the United Nations around one of the most defining challenges of our time.

As the Secretary-General recently reminded us, the world is facing what he calls a “Tale of Two Crises”: a rapidly escalating climate crisis and an energy crisis that has once again exposed the vulnerability of a world dependent on fossil fuels. Yet these crises also point us towards the same solution: a fast, fair and just transition to clean energy, fully aligned with the SDGs, accompanied by greater investments in adaptation, resilience, and climate justice, with a strong commitment to LNOB.

The science is unequivocal.

Climate change is no longer a future threat. It is a present reality. We are witnesses to rising temperatures, more frequent and intense disasters, disruptions to food and water systems, biodiversity loss, and growing socio-economic vulnerabilities across the globe. These impacts disproportionately affect the poorest and most vulnerable, women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, rural communities, and informal urban settlements; underscoring why LNOB must be at the heart of all climate action. 

Dear leaders of the future;

Türkiye, too, is experiencing these impacts firsthand, from prolonged droughts and water stress to devastating wildfires, floods and other climate-related hazards. These challenges are not only environmental but also deeply social and economic, affecting livelihoods, public health, food security, urban systems and social cohesion. Addressing them effectively requires integrated action across the SDGs, particularly SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

At the same time, as the Secretary-General has emphasized, this is also a moment of unprecedented opportunity.

The clean energy revolution is well underway. Renewable energy technologies are becoming more affordable and accessible. Innovation is opening new pathways for sustainable growth. Green industries are creating jobs and enhancing competitiveness. Science and technology are expanding our capacity to understand risks and design solutions that are both climate-smart and socially inclusive.

But technology alone will not deliver the transformation we need.

The transition to a sustainable future must be inclusive and equitable. It must advance the SDGs in an integrated manner and ensure that no one is left behind. It must create opportunities for women and men, for rural and urban communities, and especially for young people—who are not only future leaders but present-day change agents.

This is why today’s dialogue is so important.

Universities are not merely institutions of higher learning. They are laboratories of ideas, innovation and social transformation. They generate evidence, shape public discourse, develop future leaders and foster solutions that advance sustainable development in line with the SDGs and the LNOB principle.

And young people are not simply beneficiaries of climate action; they are leaders, innovators and agents of change.

Indeed, one of the strongest messages emerging globally is that climate action cannot succeed without meaningful youth participation. Young people are already driving innovation, advocating for ambition, changing behaviours and mobilizing communities, often with a strong focus on equity, justice and inclusion.

As Türkiye prepares to host COP31, there is a unique opportunity to demonstrate how a whole-of-society approach, anchored in the SDGs and LNOB, can strengthen climate ambition and accelerate implementation.

COP31 should not be viewed only as an international conference. It should be seen as a national and global platform to deepen partnerships, showcase innovation, strengthen climate solutions and mobilize collective action that is both ambitious and inclusive.

The United Nations Country Team in Türkiye stands ready to support these efforts.

Together with government institutions, academia, local authorities, civil society, youth organizations and the private sector, we are committed to advancing integrated approaches that connect climate action with sustainable development, resilience, gender equality, food security, green growth and social inclusion, ensuring that the benefits of this transition reach those who are often left behind.

Allow me to conclude with another important message from the Secretary-General: science matters, facts matter, and information integrity matters.

At a time when misinformation and disinformation continue to undermine climate action, universities have a particularly critical responsibility to defend evidence-based policymaking, foster scientific inquiry and ensure that public debate remains anchored in facts and aligned with the SDGs.

Dear students and colleagues,

The road to COP31 offers us a unique opportunity to shape a more resilient, sustainable and just future.

Let us seize this opportunity together.

Let us strengthen partnerships between the United Nations, academia and youth.

Let us turn knowledge into action, ambition into implementation, and hope into lasting change—for everyone, everywhere, leaving no one behind.

I wish you fruitful discussions and look forward to hearing your perspectives.

Thank you very much.