Bilkent University will contribute to COP31, the UN Climate Change Conference hosted by Türkiye in Antalya, with 3 panels in the Blue Zone and 17 projects in the Green Zone. The Blue Zone panels will cover topics such as governing the green transition, sustainable finance, the circular economy and zero-carbon buildings. The 17 Green Zone projects will present research and innovative solutions in energy, buildings, cities, the environment and governance.
Blue Zone: 3 Panels (November 12–13, 2026)
November 12, 2026 – The Impact of the Circular Economy on Whole-Life Zero-Carbon Buildings
Moderated by Prof. Yasemin Afacan, Dean of the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, the panel will show that net-zero carbon in buildings cannot come from cutting operational energy alone. It requires a whole-life approach that covers both embodied and operational emissions. Building on the Net Zero Whole Life Carbon perspective of IEA EBC Annex 89, the panel will discuss how circular strategies such as reuse, adaptive transformation and urban mining can be scaled from a single building to the neighborhood and city level.
Speakers: Nuri Cihan Kayaçetin, Umut Berker Sevilmiş, Matti Kuittinen, Helle Redder Momsen
November 13, 2026 – Driving the Green Transition: Lessons from Türkiye on Regulating Corporate Sustainability and Sustainable Finance
Moderated by Prof. Başak Baysal, Dean of the Faculty of Law, this panel will examine Türkiye’s move from voluntary guidelines to binding rules on corporate transparency, green claims, sustainable finance and fiscal measures. It will also weigh alignment with the European Union against national capacity and regulatory autonomy. The panel will look at what regulators, investors and companies in other emerging economies can learn from the host country’s experience.
Speakers: Nilay Dayanç, Seçil Sayın Kutluca, Abdurrahman Kayıklık, Cem Veziroğlu, Antonio Sgura
November 13, 2026 – Governing the Green Transition: Perspectives from the Social Sciences
Assoc. Prof. Seçkin Köstem, Chair of the Department of International Relations, will moderate this interdisciplinary panel. It will discuss green industrial policy and public policy reform, corporate diplomacy, green corporate responsibility, and the role of multilateral development banks in financing the green transition.
Speakers: Dirk Matten, Emel Özdora, Tolga Bölükbaşı
Green Zone: 17 Projects (November 15, 2026)
Bilkent University will welcome COP31 visitors on Sunday, November 15, 2026 (12:00–18:00, Booth 8). Of the 17 projects, 8 will be exhibited at the booth, 8 will be shown on a shared digital screen, and 1 will be introduced in a panel session (14:15–14:50). The projects cover a wide range of topics, including:
- zero-energy and positive-energy buildings
- circular construction
- microclimate in urban parks
- rural electrification
- sustainable soft robotics
- climate literacy and green jobs
Bilkent University works to build climate awareness through academic research and interdisciplinary work, and it will be at COP31 for a sustainable future.
