Our university continues to offer climate-related trainings both to our campus community and the local community, and to provide environmental trainings and sustainable development trainings in partnership with non-governmental organizations.
350Türkiye was the guest of the interactive workshop hour on the second day of the “3rd Istanbul Medeniyet University Sustainability Week” events. Held on Tuesday, December 19, 2023 at IMU BİLTAM Meeting Hall, 350Türkiye’s role play “Parata: A Climate Justice Story“, designed by 350Türkiye, was played and led by Efe BAYSAL from 350Türkiye and facilitated by Ayça ÇELİKBİLEK from IMU Sustainability Office. In the workshop, the effects of climate crisis on individuals and societies were discussed in the context of inequalities and climate justice. The workshop, which was open to the participation of our students, staff and the public, was attended by 12 people.
The workshop started with Efe BAYSAL’s briefing on climate change followed by a discussion on the effects of the climate crisis on cities and nature. BAYSAL pointed out that the effects of climate change are often felt today, and that the climate crisis is not a distant abstract concept, but one of today’s main problems in the field of sustainability. He stated that climate change not only has visible direct effects, but also deepens these problems by seeping into many different problems. After the participants mentioned that extreme climate events are among the most important impacts of climate crisis, BAYSAL explained that while Turkey experienced an average of 400 extreme climate events per year between 1970-2010, this number has increased to over 1,300 today. On the other hand, he pointed out that in this process, Island Countries are becoming increasingly flooded, which has negative impacts on food security with a decrease in agricultural production. Moreover, he explained that this process will lead not only to people leaving the lands where they were born with climate migration, but also to the disappearance of cultures in that region, and pointed out that climate change creates a fundamental problem of justice along with the inequalities it creates.
Addressing the impact of fossil fuel demand, especially in sectors such as industry and transportation, on the climate crisis due to carbon emissions, BAYSAL mentioned that the level of development of countries also plays an important role in this problem of justice. He stated that the ecological footprint of developed countries is much higher than that of local communities; however, the most severe effects of the climate crisis can be experienced by those with low carbon emissions. He stated that the number 350 represents an important threshold for a habitable planet at this point. He pointed out that while scientists and climate experts state that the safe upper limit of the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere should be 350 parts per million (ppm), today it is at the level of 415 ppm, so all countries urgently need to take climate action. Considering the current situation, he emphasized the importance of formulating the climate policies of countries with an approach that includes both climate action plans and climate adaptation strategies together.
In the second part of the event; “Parata: A Climate Justice Story” workshop was held. In the workshop, which was based on an imaginary country, the participants were first given basic information about the imaginary country of Parata and its natural resources and population. Then, each participant chose role cards, assumed different socio-economic roles and evaluated the effects of climate crisis on different social groups by questioning the capacity of their roles to cope with the climate crisis. By discussing the effects of the climate crisis on individuals and societies in the context of inequalities, an answer was sought to the question “Are we all really in the same boat?” in the climate crisis, which has become a global problem.
After the workshop, all participants received a digital certificate of participation.
