Green Buildings and Resilient Cities Discussed in Ankara Ahead of COP31

At the COP31 Buildings and Cities Workshop organized by the Turkish Green Building Council (ÇEDBİK) in Ankara, sustainable construction and the resilience of cities against climate change were discussed. At the workshop, attended by representatives from the public sector, private sector and academia, issues ranging from the energy and carbon performance of buildings to the transformation of cities were evaluated along with proposed solutions. The results of the workshop are planned to be presented to the public through a comprehensive report to be prepared by ÇEDBİK.

COP31 Offers an Opportunity for Sustainable Buildings

The fact that Türkiye will host the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is significant in terms of accelerating climate targets in buildings and cities.

In this context, at the COP31 Buildings and Cities Workshop held at İLBANK Social Facilities, practices aimed at increasing sustainable construction and the resilience of cities against climate change were discussed.

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, ÇEDBİK Board of Directors Chairman Dr. Emre Ilıcalı stated that COP31 is an important opportunity for Türkiye, beyond hosting an international organization, to accelerate climate targets in the field of buildings and cities. Ilıcalı pointed out that the energy and carbon performance of buildings plays a decisive role in creating sustainable and resilient cities.

Stating that they aim to bring together the knowledge and experience of different sectors on a common ground, Ilıcalı emphasized the importance of participants' contributions to the applicability of the proposals to be developed within the scope of the workshop.

Over 1,000 Applications to the YES-TR Competition

At the opening panel of the workshop, topics concerning the COP31 process, ranging from sustainable buildings to city-scale transformation, were evaluated. The panel, moderated by Dr. Emre Ilıcalı, featured GYODER Board of Directors Chairman Neşecan Çekici, H. Namık Sandıkçı, Head of the Energy Efficiency and Installations Department at the General Directorate of Professional Services of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, and Erkan Kaçar, Chairman of the Board of the Turkish Chamber of Independent Architects.

At the panel, the dissemination of green building practices and the role the construction sector can play in combating climate change came to the fore.

H. Namık Sandıkçı provided information about the competition conducted within the scope of COP31, announcing that more than 1,000 applications had been made to the competition, which aims to promote green building practices, particularly through YES-TR and YES-INT.

Neşecan Çekici touched on the role of the real estate sector in combating climate change and GYODER's work in this field, while Erkan Kaçar evaluated the COP31 process and green building practices from the perspective of a professional architecture organization.

Industry Representatives Evaluated Problems and Proposed Solutions

In the main part of the workshop, participants came together at working tables in two sessions. In the first session, the current situation and problems encountered were addressed, while the second session focused on proposed solutions and steps that could be implemented.

At the end of the work carried out with the contributions of representatives from the public sector, private sector and academia, the moderator of each table shared the key findings and proposals. The assessments that emerged at the workshop are aimed to be announced to the public through a comprehensive report to be prepared by ÇEDBİK.

Speaking at the opening program, Murat Bayram, Deputy General Director of Professional Services at the Ministry, touched on the opportunities YES-TR offers for Türkiye and the Ministry's work in this field. Mehrali Ecer, Deputy Head of Climate Change, also pointed out the importance of COP31 for Türkiye's fight against climate change.

ÇEDBİK thanked the public institutions that contributed to the workshop, the participants, and the event sponsor Saint-Gobain, stating that it aims to continue its work in the field of sustainable buildings and resilient cities during the COP31 process as well.

About ÇEDBİK

Founded in 2007 under the leadership of Ali Nihat Gökyiğit, the Turkish Green Building Council (ÇEDBİK) aims to lead the construction sector's development in line with sustainable principles and the transformation of the market. The association is supported by more than 100 corporate members.