GoodGeist
A podcast on sustainability, hosted by Damla Özlüer and Steve Connor, brought to you by the DNS Network. Looking at sustainability issues, communications, and featuring global guests from a wide variety of sectors such as business, NGOs and government.
GoodGeist
Ecosystem's Dance with Human Prosperity, with Nuri Özbağdatlı
When Nuri Özbağdatlı switched gears from mechanical engineering to the intricate dance of ecosystems and human prosperity, it wasn't just a career change—it was a calling. We sit down with this UNDP Climate Change Specialist, to be reminded that every passion has its purpose, with Nuri's love for birdwatching evolving into a powerful tool for conservation and community mobilisation.
In this episode we talk about environmental stewardship across Europe and Central Asia, and the urgency of the climate crisis as we unpack the Climate Promise 2025, a bold initiative aimed at keeping the global thermostat below the pivotal 1.5 degrees mark. And as we gear up for the forthcoming COP29 we have an eye on Central Asia's pivotal role, with a rally cry for hope, action, and transformational change.
Follow GoodGeist for more episodes on sustainability, communications and how creativity can help make the world a better place.
Good Geist, a podcast series on sustainability hosted by Damla Özler and Steve Connor, brought to you by the DNS Network.
Damla Özlüer:Hello, hello everyone, you are listening to Good Guys, the message on sustainability which is brought to you by the DNS Network, the global network of agencies dedicated to making the world a better place.
Steve Connor:This is Damla from Mira Agency, istanbul, and this is Steve from Creative Concern in Manchester, so this podcast series explores global sustainability issues, how they're communicated and what creativity can do to make positive change happen.
Damla Özlüer:So in this episode we're going to talk to Nuri Özbağdatlı, who is the Climate Change Specialist for Europe and Central Asia region of UNDP. Nuri oversees the climate strategies and policies for Europe and Central Asia in his role.
Steve Connor:So Nuri started his career in BirdLife International, a very good NGO and Nature Association. As a bird watcher, he managed international programs on nature preservation, climate change, sustainable development, water and agriculture, biodiversity the list goes on. Nuri, you've got a mechanical engineering degree and this I was really excited about a forester certificate from Yale University, and I know a lot of foresters, so I'm excited to add another illustrious forester to my list. Nuri, thanks so much for taking the time to talk to us thanks a lot and thanks a lot for having me here.
Nuri Özbağdatlı :I I listen this podcast and whenever I listen to it, it fills me with energy and hope, and thanks a lot for doing this.
Damla Özlüer:Oh, thank you, and it is great to have you with us today, especially thinking that you are also a very good and dear friend of ours. So, nuri, we have been working together nearly a decade now and I personally know your story. But would it? It would be great for our listeners to hear how an engineer falls in love with this planet. So can you share a bit of your personal story that led you into this career?
Nuri Özbağdatlı :I think, yeah, in Kayseri, when I studied engineering, I met with Uyghur Uzesmi, who was in the university, and then he told about the birds and birdwatching and I started to see how it is and it was really great, not only with birds and nature, but people who are birdwatchers are really exciting people and it gave me a lot of opportunity to to visit most of the country and abroad. And then I don't know how I just continue working on as a volunteer during this process. Then my first kind of job was going to biricik ur Urfa to watch the bald ibis it is in Turkish, it's called kelaynak. It's a really bird and endangered, and I had an opportunity to meet with the different cultures and how a bird can be a symbol for a whole city. And then I continued on work on the agriculture sector and it was really nice for me, kind of a, you know, opening eye moment, that the life of a bird in the steppe area agriculture was totally in line with the life of the farmers in terms of the life cycle and in terms of how they share the land. And then, I don't know, it's continued like that Worked in Doha, darnay Nature Association for years one of the founding members of that.
Nuri Özbağdatlı :And then I found myself in UNDP. It was like 2010. And it is really exciting to work in UN system and in UNDP. It was like 2010. And it is really exciting to work in UN system and in UNDP because I learned a lot of things, but always keep the core values and what you believe. And for me, working in UNDP is finding the links between the people and nature and I'm following the birds and it, you know, opens some new roads for me. I don't know how it will evolve, but I continue to watch birds and talk with people oh no, it's wonderful.
Steve Connor:I now have a picture of you, like, wherever you go, whatever the meeting is, or the workshop, or the big conference, you always have a pair of binoculars around your neck. As an interesting case, another bird comes into view the.
Nuri Özbağdatlı :Um, yeah, I would love to, but not the case, because now, uh, I cannot spend too much time, uh, in nature. But, uh, every weekend I can say uh, with burchard, my wife. We go nature and really watch it, and sometimes you know what, you don't need the binoculars. I mean, it is really great to see how a sparrow or another living thing like cats in Istanbul gives you that energy.
Steve Connor:Wonderful. So let's turn to your current role at UNDP, which you've said. You've brought your values to the role and it's an exciting space. So I think it would be really interesting to know from you that you covering sort of climate action for the Balkans and Central Asia, which is a huge region. There must be so many different local circumstances that are playing out in those regions in terms of what climate action means. So would you tell us a little bit about what that region looks like at the moment in terms of climate action and how you handle the sort of nuances and differences in local areas and local communities?
Nuri Özbağdatlı :differences in local areas and local communities. Okay, so in UNDP regional bureau for Europe and Central Asia, we are working with 18 countries and territories and they all have, you know, different pathway for development, for governance, and they all have their own unique profile against risks and opportunities and they have a different population in terms of youth and old. And at one part, we see that this region is a kind of really mosaic, including the culture, language, food, and there are similarities and Turkey is somehow in the middle with like a bridge, bridge of many things, including birds for the migratory birds, but this region is somehow invisible in the climate negotiations. So when we see that our countries in the region, they are high emitters, like turkey, kazakhstan and central asia, are more, uh, you know, countries with the fuel economy but also very vulnerable to the climate adaptation, including water. While western balkans are more focused with the EU in terms of the political movements, the Central Asia is really in another transition period. But if I would like to, you know, name the region with one word, it would be the transition. So this region is somehow transitioning too fast and there are similarities but differences and I think one of the really exciting thing that, working with UNDP, that we have hunter offices in each of the countries and we have direct communication and collaboration with the government, with non-state actors, academia, private sector, and we can, you know, see the pulse in terms of kind of change.
Nuri Özbağdatlı :However, I mean, this climate change issue is really, you know, a systemic one and an existential problem and whatever the countries are taking a decision in terms of the climate action, they are continuously affected adversely from this part. And this change is everywhere and for this region. When we see from the countries, some part of the change is really focusing on the energy transition. Some part is mainly about the governance and inclusion of women and youth. Some part is about finding a way in terms of the new jobs and development and with the Paris Agreement, it was really important that we have these NDCs, national Determined Contributions or kind of national climate action.
Nuri Özbağdatlı :So the trajectory changed from top down to bottom up. So it is national level. Governments are leading the way about their contribution to the global agenda on climate and this region, despite its invisibility, has lots of potentials with the youth population, with the natural resources, with, especially, the you know culture. So I believe that the future role of this region will be different than previous, and this year UNFCCC conference on climate agenda we call COP 29, will be in Azerbaijan, in Baku. So it is an other opportunity for not only Azerbaijan but for whole region to show the you know their needs and increase their voice at the global level thanks, nur.
Steve Connor:I mean I'm jumping back in. I always do this down there and it's really unfair because I want to come and ask you another question, so it was a damnless turn, but I'm coming in. So, and you're absolutely right, I was thinking about cop 29 being in the region that you're most focused on, which we, which bring which me, I think, means we all have to focus more on that region and look at it afresh, and you describe it as a region that's in transition and and also one that's bridging worlds, almost between east and west, and I think all of that is fascinating, and I find, all over the world, when you use that word transition quite quickly, um, people then talk about a just transition, and how do we achieve a global transition to a sustainable future that doesn't leave people behind and leave communities and nations behind? Is that, is that a dialogue that you find in in central asia and the balkans?
Nuri Özbağdatlı :yes, and it is really fascinating now, uh, you know, bringing the notion of leave no one behind and considering the future perspective with the economic, social and environmental patterns is happening in this region, is happening in these countries, and I think one of the most important part that we have within the climate negotiations, where UNDP plays a role through the implementation of NDCs, is about inclusivity.
Nuri Özbağdatlı :And I mean, in UNDP we run a global program called Climate Promise and the second part of the program before the COP26, so it was between the Paris Agreement and the Glasgow COP we provided support to more than 120 countries and 85% of them were developing countries, were developing countries, and we can see how they include the gender equality into their NDCs, how they try to find a way on that or how they can keep the goal for adaptation while they are discussing the climate finance. So we see that the narrative is changing and especially in this region, especially when we are talking about the transition, people are highlighting the need for just timely but also at whole society approach for the transition well, uh, what you said and what steve just put in, uh, I have this frame ringing in my head and that tells me we have this word, just transition.
Damla Özlüer:We also have another world word, uh, which is the sdg. I mean sustainable development goals, and it's I mean it's not only about climate, it's also about equality, reducing hunger, but also peacemaking or making some partnerships. It's a very good frame. But when we look at that, especially when I see your region, nuri, ukraine is a part of that region too. Spain is a part of that region too. So that brings me to a question, to a global civics.
Damla Özlüer:Our beloved Hakan Atunay just came up with this idea of global civics, like 15 years ago, and he said that not only the capital is globalizing, but also everything is. So we now need a global civics to raise our voices against the risks humanity face-to-face to. I mean it can be antibiotic resistance, because anywhere in the world, if you use too much antibiotics anywhere in the world, the virus gets stronger. So it's our mutual problem. And the climate, obviously, is the top of this list. So we have this common threat to our existence climate crisis and to solve it, it is impossible to think that climate diplomacy without the global civics, without the peacemaking efforts, without the peacemaking efforts, without everything together.
Nuri Özbağdatlı :So how do you think we can narrate this big issue that covers everything? Damla, you're asking the $1 million questions and it is the point that how we link the NDCs and climate action with the SDGs. Climate change is an existential problem and a systemic problem. It affects all the system, it affects today and tomorrow and it affects the people differentiately and it is intergenerational. So, at one part, when we talk about sustainability, it should consider about the change, and this change is beyond our capability and the change already starts to adversely affect the people, livelihoods, economies and societies. I mean, just, you saw how Dubai was under flood and you know so, wildfires and everything. We know that.
Nuri Özbağdatlı :And 20 years ago, when we told about that, people were talking maybe about a kind of science fiction. But now we are a generation living this and we are maybe the only generation to find a solution, and that requires collective intelligence, that requires collective language culture, language culture and it means that you know you cannot have everything in your radar, in your picture, you cannot see everything, but you need to open open to hear and open to discuss and follow the science. And we know that, for example, in Ukraine, with the war I mean people in ukraine. We are working about the article six of paris agreement, for example, about the carbon markets, but they are working on that or the you know ongoing crisis or tensions will be exponentially increased with the impact of climate and it means that if we find a way to see the multiple benefits of climate action for peace, for planet, for prosperity and for future, then we can do that. That's why this new cycle of NDCs is critically important.
Nuri Özbağdatlı :Coming two years is maybe the most important years for climate negotiation and actions because countries will submit their third generation of NDCs and in these NDCs we, as UNDP, want to see more ambitious goals, but also making these papers highly technical papers implementable. We want to see acceleration on implementation and finance and we want to see the inclusivity where everyone is engaged, involved and we see how we solve multiple problems within a system change. And these are big words. I'm totally aware and it is the point. I mean. It is the point. If we deal with the climate change, we should be bold and we should invite everyone. We should see the you know linkages between a bird, a farmer, but also the taxpayers and also the international trade, and we also need to see the peacemaking process.
Steve Connor:So, nuri, I want to go back to something you said there which I know, and this touches on a project I know that you and Damla worked on, which is the climatish talks, I think they were called, which is where you were trying to, where you were creating a language based around climate action. Make me wonder about the language that you use in all those different nations, and particularly nations where, if they're in conflict or in strife in some way, they may be not paying full attention to the climate crisis. They may be diverted in another way. So how do you find you use language most effectively in your work in these different areas? And and do we need to be storytelling in a more strong way to to make climate action happen? Yeah, I mean, still, we need to be storytelling in a more strong way to make climate action happen.
Nuri Özbağdatlı :Yeah, I mean, still, we need everything. Everything. Everything with big scales and more intense and more focused. And, yes, we need a common narrative and we need, you know, ways of storytelling. You know ways of storytelling Because this is a story of all of us in different colors, different worlds, different. You know heroes and antiheroes and whatever.
Nuri Özbağdatlı :But I think one part of this is really what we tried with Damla and Mert and many friends in Turkey about seeing the, you know, migration or disaster resurrection or earthquake, or health or digitalization, and everything from the climate perspective, and we try to understand how climate is related to issues we discuss and to see how government and non-state actors and experts and people on the street are seeing this issue and how we can make everyone come together and discuss, talk and discuss, talk. And we saw that the language is, you know, starting with the thinking and then, you know, transformed on different ways sometimes words, sometimes you know letters, but in different ways. And these different ways has some common thing, I see that you know in whenever and whatever position you are, when you talk with sincerity with you know in whenever and whatever position you are. When you talk with sincerity with you know values and when you listen before talk with open mind, then you can see the hope. The hope is there and I can say the most challenging part is really time.
Nuri Özbağdatlı :I mean, we are hopeful and that's why we need everyone in, that's why we need bold actions, thinking and collectively, you know, putting all hands on deck. So I think, yes, you know, if I cannot think, then I cannot, you know, be existing, and if I cannot talk, it means that I am isolated. And we see that the power of agent, the power of everyone is, I mean, incredible. And if we want this change transformationally at system level, then we need to increase the trust between the agent, between the people and the society and organizations. That's why NDCs is one of the tools for that.
Damla Özlüer:Well, you know what, Steve? I just had this idea. It has been a long, a little while since we made the podcast with jonathan and I want to put his hope in hell.
Damla Özlüer:Graphics nearby nuri's hope is here and compare them together absolutely so, nuri, uh, talking about hope, uh, and action and the power. This is also a very important day for you because the Climate Promise 2025 has been just launched. Could you tell us a bit more about this promise? What is it? What is it consisting of? What is the narrative there? Is it going to work? Do you think it can be kept, or will it take its place near the Millennium Development Goals or the Paris Agreement as it is now?
Nuri Özbağdatlı :Okay, cool. So Climate Promise 2025 is about a plan. So we have a plan to make climate action real and meet the Paris Agreement below 1.5 degrees, and this plan needs everyone and it is about breaking the business as usual. It's about breaking the glass in the emergency. It's really about, you know, breaking the glass in the emergency. It's really about breaking the silos.
Nuri Özbağdatlı :And with the Climate Promise 2025, we will again support countries and through our partnerships with UN and NGOs and academia and everyone, to submit the new cycle of the NDCs about more ambitious, more accelerated and more inclusive actions. And this is the new climate promise, and the first one was launched at the end of 2029. And between there, we have the you know, covid, we have this all kind of you know, let's say crisis and climate related disasters, and we are maybe the last generation to make it happen. And when the Paris Agreement is announced, the trajectory was like 3.5 degrees, with the all climate action and in Glasgow, cop, after we worked with some countries, it is a trajectory with 2.5 degrees. So it is a decrease from 2.5 degrees. So it is a decrease from 3.5 to 2.5. And why not? Why not? We work hard, we work bold with everyone and make it 1.5. So next two years will be very important and with Climate Promise 2025, we will work with all organizations, everyone to make it happen. We have a plan and we need you in.
Steve Connor:Amazing, Jamila. I'm overflowing with hope. It's just.
Intro:I need more of Nuri in my life. Yeah, I know, I know.
Steve Connor:Hey, well, listen, nuri. Much as I would like to spend the whole day helping you to make me feel a lot more optimistic about the future, because you've done that loads, we are almost out of time, so we always have one last question. And because you listen to the podcast, you know what this is. So our network is ironically called Do Not Smile, because we need to make sustainability, we believe, a subject that brings happiness into the world. So what object, place or person always makes you smile. I have lots of them.
Nuri Özbağdatlı :I can't say many of them, but just today there was a cat on the street. It made me laugh. So I mean I have many things, but I think one of the most, let's say, thing that gets me in is about thoughtful discussions and ideas and exchange, and it is not only between human to human and with nature.
Damla Özlüer:You can have it and with nature, you can have it.
Steve Connor:That's wonderful, damla. What can we say? Nuri is a perfect guest and, in particular, I think I'm taking away from this Nuri our focus on Central Asia and understanding it as we run up to COP29, it's just so important and, you know, it's so amazing that you have that region in your focus. It's it's really quite important actually.
Nuri Özbağdatlı :Yeah, I feel I feel privileged, but also with responsibility and please help me. You all are in we're all in promise.
Steve Connor:So thanks to everyone who has listened to our good guys podcast, brought to you by the do not smile network of agencies and make sure you listen to future episodes, where we'll be talking to more amazing people about how we can work together to create a more sustainable future. So nuri see you good guys, good Geist.
