Üsküdar University translated a United Nations document addressing the relationship between environment, religion, and culture into Turkish ahead of COP31. The document, made available to the public by the Environmental Ethics Forum, highlights the importance of religious and cultural values in combating climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution.
Forum President Prof. İbrahim Özdemir said, “We wanted to emphasize that the climate crisis is fundamentally a moral crisis. COP31 negotiations should not only be conducted through emission targets and financing; but also through justice, responsibility, and the duty of care towards future generations.”
Strategic contribution from Üsküdar University to the global climate struggle: UN document translated into Turkish
Üsküdar University presented an important work in the field of environmental ethics to the public within the scope of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) hosted by Türkiye.
Üsküdar University Environmental Ethics Forum published the full Turkish translation of the document titled 'Environment, Religion and Culture in the Context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development', prepared for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UNESCO.
The work, whose translation was prepared by Prof. İbrahim Özdemir, President of Üsküdar University Environmental Ethics Forum, reveals that the climate crisis should be addressed not only through its scientific, technical, and economic dimensions, but also through its moral and cultural aspects.
The role of religion and culture in solving environmental problems is discussed
The document is based on a discussion note prepared for the Second International Seminar on Environment, Culture, and Religion, held in Tehran in April 2016, of which Prof. İbrahim Özdemir was also one of the authors.
The text, prepared within the scope of the seminar organized in cooperation with UNEP, UNESCO, and the Iranian Department of Environment, examines the role that faith communities, religious leaders, and cultural values can play in solving global environmental problems.
The document, which points out that over 80 percent of the world's population identifies with a faith community, emphasizes the importance of social behavior change in combating environmental problems.
What does the document say?
The main thesis of the document is as follows: Climate change, biodiversity loss, desertification, and pollution cannot be solved solely with technical and economic tools. Given that over 80 percent of the world's population identifies with a faith community, religious and cultural leaders are indispensable actors in behavior change.
The text follows the five key areas of the 2030 Agenda: people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership. In each area, it illustrates with examples the teachings of religious and cultural traditions and the on-the-ground work of faith-based organizations. A common ground emerges where different faiths converge in environmental ethics: an understanding that nature has intrinsic value, waste and greed are condemned, and moderation and conservation are praised.
The Turkish edition fully includes all sections, boxes, 64 footnotes, and photos of the original document. The Tehran Findings Summary, COP21 declarations of religions and indigenous peoples, and appendices on the urgency of the climate agenda are also included in the translation.
Prof. İbrahim Özdemir: "Climate crisis is a moral crisis"
Forum President Prof. İbrahim Özdemir evaluated the translation with these words:
"When writing this text ten years ago for the seminar in Tehran, we wanted to emphasize that the climate crisis is fundamentally a moral crisis. In the intervening period, our warnings have become even more urgent. COP31 negotiations should not only be conducted through emission targets and financing; but also through justice, responsibility, and the duty of care towards future generations. Türkiye's rich religious and cultural heritage can offer a unique contribution to this discussion. With this translation, we aim for academics, students, religious officials, civil society, and policymakers to participate in this discussion in their own language."
