Kocaeli Bahçeşehir College Sustainability Summit’24 

“Empowering Youth for a Sustainable Future!”

20 November 2024, Istanbul, Turkiye- Kocaeli Bahcesehir Collage, as part of the Global Schools Program, organized the ‘Sustainability Summit’24, bringing together dedicated students, educators, and experts to discuss the future of sustainability. During the event, CIFAL Istanbul emphasized the importance of sustainability, showcasing their initiatives and exploring potential projects within the context of the SDGs.

The summit was honored to host Dr. Yasemin Ülker, Deputy Director of CIFAL Istanbul and Ms. Aslıcan Açık, Member of CIFAL Istanbul Team, who shared their invaluable insights through a detailed presentation on what is the concept of sustainability and its crucial importance in today’s world, before discussing CIFAL Istanbul’s role in promoting sustainability and its efforts in empowering youth to take action on global challenges. 

Additionally, Ms. Aslıcan Açık highlighted their experiences with the CIFAL Istanbul Youth Platform, showcasing how it fosters active youth participation in tackling global issues.

Their presentation highlighted key projects, such as their work on promoting sustainability in urban spaces and youth engagement.

Their speeches touched on critical themes, including CIFAL Istanbul’s impactful projects, UNITAR’s unwavering commitment to youth empowerment, and the role of the CIFAL Istanbul Youth Platform in fostering active youth participation. Through their words, they inspired students to envision a sustainable future and encouraged them to be changemakers in their communities.

Following the speeches, CIFAL Istanbul team had the privilege of visiting the impressive exhibition of sustainability projects created by the students and listening to their presentations, which showcased the students’ dedication and creativity in addressing global challenges.

The students’ enthusiasm for sustainability and the SDGs shows through their innovative work and determination to make a difference. CIFAL Istanbul and UNITAR remain dedicated to empowering the youth and ensuring they play an essential role in building a better world.

Prof. Çisil Sohodol, CIFAL Istanbul Director, has shared her remarks on the panel titled “Trust and Impact: Good communication Guide for Sustainable Brands” on 17 September, 2024 at The Sustainable Brands Türkiye 2024.

The Sustainable Brands Türkiye 2024 conference is part of the global Sustainable Brands network, aiming to advance sustainable business models and practices. The conference emerged as one of the most significant events in the sustainability field in Türkiye. The conference addressed many key topics shaping the future of business, offering participants an inspiring experience.

The event featured more than 20 international speakers, including notable figures like Thomas Kolster and Karen Silverman, who discussed topics related to sustainable growth, innovation, and corporate transformation. At the event, discussions focused on how brands could reduce their environmental impact, shift consumer behaviors toward sustainable lifestyles, and utilize innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence in the process. Additionally, topics like waste management, supply chain optimization, and corporate governance were addressed, aiming to broaden the adoption of sustainability practices across the business landscape.

The purpose of this event is to enable participants to gain insights from expert speakers and innovative panels; to assist them in learning new sustainability strategies and developing creative solutions that can be integrated into their business models. This approach aims to help brands contribute to long-term value creation and to have a positive impact on society and the environment.

The conference also offered interactive workshops and panel discussions aimed at helping brands craft sustainable strategies.

Remarks by CIFAL Istanbul Director, Prof.Dr. Çisil Sohodol

In a compelling panel titled “Trust and Impact: Good communication Guide for Sustainable Brands”, Prof. Sohodol began her speech by emphasizing that sustainability is not only an environmental concern but also an economic and social necessity, highlighting the importance of the relationship between these two concepts. She emphasized the critical role of accountability and honesty in brand communication and remarked, “It is impossible to achieve sustainable success without building this trust.” Sohodol highlighted that to build trust in sustainability, brands must find a balance between conveying information and evoking emotions. She also stated that sustainability is not just a trend but an indispensable element for the future of business. Additionally, she emphasized the importance of the art of storytelling, illustrating how brands can effectively communicate their sustainability efforts within the company, which is key to crafting a genuine and impactful narrative.

Prof. Sohodol, Director of CIFAL Istanbul, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) International Training Center for Authorities and Leaders, also explained that to truly understand sustainable communication, it is essential to grasp the intersection between sustainability and communication itself. She highlighted that the issues embedded in sustainability and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent chronic global challenges urgently requiring solutions to create a better world. The first step in addressing these issues in improving our behaviour patterns. She emphasized that without cultivating an ecosystem of behavioral change, it would be impossible to achieve success in sustainability or any of the SDGs.