IN-Habitat, GEF Black Sea Environmental Program, UNDP, REC Central and Eastern Europe are international organizations I worked for over the last 20 years. I have been lecturing on sustainable development and environmental policy since the early 2000s. I offered Graduate and undergraduate courses at Middle East Technical University, Okan University, Kadir Has University and MEF University.  Under my leadership the national offices of the UNDP National Program on Environment and Development and REC Country Offices were set up and expanded. As the Director of the UNDP Program, I coordinated the national preparations of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD, 2002), a process which received national acclaim as being highly innovative at the time.

 

In my capacity as Regional Director, I represented the REC within the international development community; engaged with different bilateral and multilateral institutions to strengthen partnerships; negotiated funding agreements with potential donor countries. I was actively involved in the OECD DAC Working Group on the Environment in Paris, global environment conventions (CBD, CCD, UNFCCC), the World Summit on Sustainable Development, among others. I have been actively participating in the Climate Change COPS for 20 consecutive years.

 

I am a strong believer that countries, societies, and individuals who understand the changing nature of challenges and opportunities will be capable in making the necessary transformation to a sustainable world.  At this juncture of my professional journey, the Istanbul Climate Academy is how I would like to channel my experience towards increasing capacity and awareness on the climate crisis.