Konya Hosts Fourth Edition of One and a Half Degrees Climate Initiative

The fourth edition of the “One and a Half Degrees” program was held through a collaboration between the Directorate of Communications of the Presidency, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), Konya Metropolitan Municipality, and Selçuk University.

Hosted by the Konya Metropolitan Municipality Social Innovation Agency (SİA), the three-day “One and a Half Degrees” Climate Literacy and Journalism Program for Youth concluded with the “Climate Diplomacy Forum” held on the final day.

Speaking at the program, Konya Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Mustafa Uzbaş emphasized that climate change is among the world’s most critical issues. He noted that within the Mediterranean Basin, Türkiye—and within Türkiye, Konya—is one of the regions most affected by climate change. Uzbaş also outlined the efforts carried out by the Konya Metropolitan Municipality to combat climate change.

Meteorologist Bünyamin Sürmeli stressed the importance of media language in the climate crisis, saying, “The information presented must be realistic and understandable to everyone. When you push things to the extreme, people start to see it as the responsibility of those at the extremes. Then everyone thinks, ‘This is for the big players, not for me.’ But climate change is happening globally. All 8 billion of us live on the planet together. It is something we all must understand, perceive, and take responsibility for. Government policies will, of course, guide the process, but everyone needs to do their part. I believe the media should communicate in a way that addresses everyone and stays within the audience’s line of sight.”

The fourth edition of the “One and a Half Degrees” program, organized by the Konya Metropolitan Municipality Social Innovation Agency, was designed as a scientific training and skill-building platform for young communicators on ecology, climate, and sustainability.