THE CLIMATE FUTURE OF ESKİŞEHİR SHAPED WITH COLLECTIVE WISDOM

The workshop, organized in cooperation with Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality and TEMA Foundation, addressed a roadmap to strengthen the city's resilience against climate change. During the workshop, survey results reflecting public perceptions of climate change were evaluated, while new local governance models under the Climate Action Center were discussed to more strongly incorporate citizens' voices into decision-making processes.

The Metropolitan Municipality and TEMA Foundation continue their efforts in enhancing the city's resilience against climate change and enhance civic participation. Within the scope of the "Strong Eskişehir Against Climate Change Project," the "Workshop on Evaluating the Results of the Public Awareness Survey" was held in the Grand Hall of the Vecihi Hürkuş Aviation and Technology Park.The workshop, which brought together various units of local government, press representatives, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), professional chambers, and universities, provided a multi-voiced platform to strengthen local climate governance.

Within the scope of the Civil Participation Project--financed by the European Union, implemented in partnership with the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye, the Directorate for EU Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and completed in 2025--a comprehensive workshop was held for the Climate Action Center established in Eskişehir.The workshop examined models for ensuring that citizens' opinions, suggestions, and demands are more strongly reflected in the city's climate-related decision-making processes, with the aim of enabling the center to operate more effectively. The sessions also addressed participatory governance methods, potential cooperation channels with the press and citizens, and detailed examples of programs to be implemented by the center.

At the opening of the workshop, Head of the Climate Change and Zero Waste Department Dr. Aytaç Ünverdi highlighted the importance of the project and the cooperation, and conveyed the municipality's vision stating:

"We, as the Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality, see the fight against climate change not only as an environmental issue but also as a matter of social justice, public health, urban planning, and quality of life. We do not ignore the reality of the climate crisis; instead, we take decisive steps to protect our future. Therefore, within the scope of the project, we aim to strengthen data-driven decision-making processes through 1x1 kilometre resolution risk maps, 2030 projections, and adaptation and mitigation strategies. Together, we will carry Eskişehir towards a climate-friendly future."

Chair of the Board of TEMA Foundation, Deniz Ataç, emphasized the necessity of developing technical, scientific, and data-driven strategies in building climate-resilient cities. She also underlined the importance of active public participation in the process at later stages:

"Eskişehir's citizens should not only be informed, but also become actors who have their say in the decision-making processes of local governments. In line with this approach, the Climate Action Center was established not only for the purpose of information sharing and education, but also as a mechanism that enables the people of Eskişehir to have a voice and influence in climate policy-related processes. "

Ataç then noted that the planned Group 4 mining activities in the city would deepen Eskişehir's ecological problems, adding that forest and water resources as well as agricultural production would be negatively affected by this process. She also stressed that these threats must be taken into account when assessing the impacts of the climate crisis.

The suggestions developed in this meeting, designed as a search for collective social wisdom, offer a new roadmap for Eskişehir's fight against the climate crisis. The outcomes of the workshop are intended to directly contribute to the sustainability of the Climate Action Center's activities and make Eskişehir's efforts to combat climate change much more inclusive.