Yıldız Technical University, ranked 45th globally in sustainability, will participate in COP31, to be held in Antalya, with 26 projects. The university’s work in the areas of combating climate change and sustainability will be showcased through panels, booth presentations, and digital screen displays—3 in the Blue Zone and 23 in the Green Zone.

Yıldız Technical University (YTÜ) will present its research in the fields of clean energy, green industrial transformation, climate policies, and environmental technologies to participants at COP31—one of the world’s most important climate summits, which brings countries together around shared decisions to combat climate change. YTÜ will participate in the Blue Zone with three panels. The Green Zone program, meanwhile, features six panels as well as 17 booth and exhibition projects, including a digital screen presentation.

Technology, Patents, and the Carbon Economy in the Blue Zone

“TECHSIGHT Climate Signal Lab: From Forecasting to Investable Climate Action,” led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Üvet, will be presented in the Blue Zone on November 12. The session focuses on identifying emerging climate risks and technological opportunities and translating them into actionable project and investment decisions. Designed to bring together academia, industry, and policymakers, the session will evaluate decision-making processes in the face of different climate scenarios.

In the panel titled “The Patent Paradox,” to be presented by Prof. Dr. Sema Yılmaz on November 19 at Mavi Bölge, the role of intellectual property systems in the development and widespread adoption of clean technologies will be discussed. Drawing on experiences from Turkey, Portugal, Norway, Canada, and Africa, the session will examine both the ways in which patents support innovation and their impact on access to technology.

The panel “Pay or Abate? — To Pay or to Reduce?” led by Prof. Dr. Tunç Durmaz will focus on the industry’s investment decisions in the face of carbon costs. During the session on November 13, border carbon adjustments, emission reduction technologies, carbon capture and storage investments, and green financing opportunities will be evaluated together.

6 Panels in the Green Zone

The Green Zone panel program will begin on November 9 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. with the SHORE project. Coordinated by Prof. Dr. Afşın Yusuf Çetinkaya, the project will be discussed in terms of its approach to transforming ocean and water literacy into school-based environmental and climate initiatives. With a budget of approximately 3 million euros and 14 European partners, SHORE will share its initiatives, which have reached nearly 100,000 students.

On the same day, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., a panel moderated by Prof. Dr. Şaban Pusat will assess the green transition in industry through the lenses of energy efficiency and new opportunities.

On November 10, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM, a panel led by Dr. Muhammed İberia Aydın will discuss the role of hydrogen technologies in the clean energy transition. From 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., a panel led by Prof. Dr. Osman Sağdıç will address new-generation microbial threats and antimicrobial resistance in food and water safety.

The circular economy panel, moderated by Prof. Dr. Güleda Engin, will take place on the same day from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM. In this session, featuring contributions from researchers in the ECO-SPHERE program, discussions will focus on resource efficiency, sustainable materials, and the transformation of production and consumption processes from a 2035 perspective.

The panel titled “From YTÜ AESK to Clean Technology Startups,” scheduled for November 14 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., will focus on the transformation of student club experiences into entrepreneurship. Moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Yiğit Arabul, the session will examine the relationship between the university, the technology park, and industry through the GESK, ROBEFF, and YEDT startups founded by students who gained experience within AESK.

From Energy Technologies to Climate-Resilient Cities

YTÜ’s booth activities in the Green Zone will be presented at booths 7 and 8 on November 9 and 10. The booths will showcase the ECHO project—which focuses on energy communities and a just energy transition—as well as energy storage initiatives. Algae4Climate, meanwhile, will focus on carbon capture using microalgae and the utilization of waste.

Also featured among the booth presentations is a project aimed at establishing international research partnerships under the Eurostars program for climate-neutral aluminum production through smart electrification and AI-supported digital twins.

In urban-related studies, the topics to be addressed include preparedness for urban heat risks, the integration of climate change into architecture and planning education, and the protection of the historic urban landscape around the Kağıthane Creek against climate risks. The relationship between local knowledge and climate resilience in the Taurus Mountains, as well as the contribution of cultural heritage preservation to climate action, will also be discussed.

Waste Management and Biodiversity

An industrial symbiosis study on the use of grape waste in textiles, the identification and removal of pollutants in aquatic environments, the propagation of plant species through tissue culture, and biodiversity conservation will form other key topics of the program. The integration of life cycle assessments into sustainability and climate reporting, as well as a comparison of Turkey’s and Canada’s emission reduction strategies, will also be addressed at the booths.

A plastic art installation created from waste materials will be on display from November 9–10. At AESK’s alternative-energy vehicle exhibition, Icarus will be on display for visitors from 2:00 p.m. on November 9 until 6:00 p.m. on November 10.

Prof. Dr. Sevil Yücel’s study, which examines Turkey-Azerbaijan scientific cooperation through smart nanotechnologies focused on carbon capture and environmental sensing, will also be presented on November 9 between 3:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.30 on November 9 on digital screen No. 7 in the Green Zone.

YTÜ’s Sustainability Report

YTÜ, which ranked 244th in the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings in 2020, rose to 48th place in 2025 and 45th place in 2026. The university ranks second in Turkey for its sustainable campus initiatives.

As part of the Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings (KABEV) Project launched in 2024, measures implemented in 11 buildings and parking lots resulted in approximately a 50 percent reduction in total energy consumption. While thermal insulation, LED lighting, and efficient heating and cooling systems were installed in the buildings, approximately 7,000 photovoltaic panels were installed on rooftops and in parking lots.

As the first state university to receive the Zero Waste Certificate, YTÜ also achieved tangible results in water efficiency. By 2025, municipal water usage was reduced by 15 percent compared to the previous year, while 31.46 percent of the campus’s water needs were met from off-grid sources. Rainwater harvesting, the reuse of drainage water, and drought-tolerant landscaping practices supported this achievement.

At the heart of the university’s research and educational efforts in the field of clean energy is the Institute of Clean Energy Technologies, established in 2022. The institute, which offers graduate-level education, conducts research on hydrogen and alternative fuels, energy storage, renewable energy, smart grids, and energy production from waste.