Türkiye's Ministry of National Education has launched a nationwide series of Youth Climate Workshops in cooperation with the Local Conference of Youth (LCOY), the official youth constituency of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) through YOUNGO, as the country prepares to host COP31 in Antalya.

The workshops, organized by the ministry's General Directorate of Secondary Education, will be held from Oct. 6 to 8 in 30 provinces, bringing students together to examine climate and environmental challenges in their communities and develop practical solutions and policy recommendations.

The initiative forms part of Türkiye's preparations for the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), which will be hosted in Antalya from Nov. 9 to 20, 2026. The workshops are designed to give young people a direct role in discussions on climate policy and sustainable development.

Students will assess local climate and environmental problems using scientific data, analyze their causes and work in interdisciplinary groups to develop concrete proposals.

The workshops will address 10 thematic areas, including climate change and global climate policies, energy transition and renewable energy, climate finance and the green economy, climate adaptation and resilient communities, nature-based solutions and biodiversity, sustainable cities, circular economy and waste management, agriculture and food systems, water ecosystems and climate risks, and tourism, cultural heritage and climate change.

At least one expert speaker will participate in each province, while thematic presentations on COP31 will provide students with information about international climate negotiations and Türkiye's preparations for the conference.

The outcomes of the workshops will be compiled into draft Youth Climate Declarations, which will be submitted to the General Directorate of Secondary Education. The proposals from different provinces will subsequently be brought together into a National Youth Climate Declaration, allowing young people's recommendations to be presented at national and international platforms.

The workshops follow the LCOY Türkiye 2026, held in Ankara from Aug. 21 to 23, where young people discussed climate policy, education, climate action and their role in international climate processes. The event brought together government institutions, experts, young climate advocates and international organizations.

Türkiye is also expanding youth participation through a newly announced “81 Provinces, 81 Young Delegates” initiative. Under the program, one primary and two alternate student delegates will be selected from each of the country's 81 provinces. They will prepare statements addressing climate change and sustainability from the perspective of their respective provinces, with the results intended to feed into national and international discussions.

The Youth Climate Workshops are part of a broader effort by the Ministry of National Education to strengthen climate awareness and sustainability education in schools.

In June, the ministry published its 2026–2030 Climate Change Action Plan, which aims to make climate-awareness activities in schools more effective, sustainable and measurable while equipping students with sustainable-living skills and a greater sense of environmental responsibility.

The ministry has also expanded climate and environmental education through its nationwide “Green Homeland: My School is a Solution for the Future” program. More than 100,000 activities were carried out in schools during the 2025–26 academic year under themes including climate change, sustainability, water efficiency, zero waste, ecological agriculture and biodiversity.

The new workshops therefore represent another step in Türkiye's effort to place young people at the center of its climate and sustainability agenda ahead of COP31, while giving students an opportunity to turn local environmental concerns into concrete policy proposals. (ILKHA)