The "National Climate Vision Summit," funded by the European Union and supported by the Turkish National Agency under the Erasmus+ Youth Participation Activity (KA154-YOU), was held on May 27, 2025, in the Sezai Karakoç Hall of the Central Library at Kastamonu University. The event was organized in collaboration with our University, Kastamonu Technopark, the Kastamonu Provincial Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD), and the Cide Local Action Group. 

The opening speech of the summit was delivered by the project coordinator, Lecturer Dr. Berkan Güngör. Güngör emphasized that the climate crisis is no longer just a topic for environmental sciences or political institutions, but a reality embedded in life. Emphasizing that young people should not only be victims in the face of this crisis but also active subjects of the solution, Güngör stated that within the scope of the project, young people developed solution proposals in five thematic groups: climate education, disaster management, climate-friendly technologies, sustainable urbanism, and local participation. 

Following  Dr. Güngör, our Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Ömer Küçük took the podium and pointed out that the impacts of climate change are deepening not only environmentally but also socially and economically. Prof. Dr. Küçük said, "With this project, we are once again asserting our claim to be a university that not only produces knowledge but also responsibility for a sustainable future by supporting the active participation of young people in climate policies." 

Participating in the summit, Kastamonu Member of Parliament Fatma Serap Ekmekci stated in her welcoming speech that environment and climate-based initiatives should be supported not only at the scientific level but also in terms of social awareness. Emphasizing that climate change is no longer a future problem but a present one, Ekmekci stated that Kastamonu needs comprehensive planning in this regard. Stating that the concept of the Green Deal will be more prominent in the upcoming period, Ekmekci emphasized the need for steps to be taken in harmony with both local and national policies, together with all stakeholders, for a sustainable Kastamonu. 

After the opening speeches, Prof. Dr. Tevfik Erdem from Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University presented his talk titled "Climate Crisis and Social Movements" to the audience. After Erdem, Associate Professor Dr. Emre Birinci, the Specialization Coordinator at Kastamonu University, delivered a speech titled "Nature-Based Approaches in the Context of Climate Change." 

After the lunch break, Research Assistant Baturalp Ali Yavuz from Istanbul Yeni Yüzyıl University and Assistant Expert Yaprak Serenay Taşkın from the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Turkey took the stage. In her presentation titled "Turkey's Energy Transformation," Taşkın provided information about the transformation process in the country's energy policies. 

In the final session of the summit, thematic presentations involving the participating youth were held. Successively, the proposals developed under the headings "Disaster Management and Climate Resilience," "Climate Education and Awareness," "Climate-Friendly Innovation and Entrepreneurship," "Local Climate Action and Civil Society," and "Sustainable Environment, Urban Planning, and Agriculture Management" were shared with the participants. The event, which lasted all day, concluded with closing speeches