Awareness and Sustainability Training for a Green Future Held

Organized by our University's Teaching and Learning Center, the "Awareness and Sustainability Training for a Green Future" was conducted online via Microsoft Teams on Tuesday, June 30th, between 11:00 and 12:00 by Prof. Dr. Sevgi Demirel, Director of the Environmental Problems Application and Research Center and Chair of the Sustainable Campus Commission. The training comprehensively covered current developments in sustainability, climate change, green transformation policies, and the role of universities in sustainable development.

The first part of the training provided information on the historical development of the concept of sustainability, the scientific foundations of climate change, and global climate policies. In this context, current policy tools such as the Paris Agreement, Türkiye's National Contribution Declarations (NDCs), the European Union Green Deal, the Border Carbon Adjustment Mechanism (BCDM), carbon markets, and emission trading systems were evaluated, and the reflections of the green transformation process on higher education institutions were discussed. The program continued with a holistic approach to the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability, emphasizing the importance of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in higher education. The contributions of different disciplines to sustainability were explained with examples, and the necessity of integrating a sustainability approach into educational processes was highlighted.

The training also included a presentation of the university's sustainability efforts. Information was provided on the GreenMetric process, sustainability reports, water, waste, and climate policies, as well as the activities carried out by the Environmental Problems Application and Research Center and the Sustainable Campus Commission, along with examples of best institutional practices. Furthermore, the importance of accessing accurate information in sustainability communication was emphasized, and the concept of "greenwashing" and the critical literacy approach were discussed.

The training concluded with a question-and-answer session where participants exchanged views on how sustainability practices could be integrated into educational processes and different academic disciplines. The program made a significant contribution to spreading a culture of sustainability throughout the university, increasing environmental awareness, and strengthening institutional capacity towards the Sustainable Development Goals.