Research on the psychological effects of climate change is increasing, and studies suggest that climate change anxiety (CCA) can positively contribute to sustainable production and consumption as a constructive concern. Studies conducted in various countries have particularly highlighted higher levels of CCA among young individuals due to concerns about a sustainable future in the face of climate change. This exploratory study aims to examine the relationship between CCA and sustainable consumption (SC) among young individuals in Turkey. Firstly, a conceptual framework is provided for CCA and SC. Based on the assumption that individuals experiencing anxiety or concern due to the visible impacts of climate crisis will engage in climate change mitigation and adopt sustainable consumption behavior (SCB), the study found that participants had a low level of CCA. However, structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed a positive relationship between CCA and SC (β=0.295, p<0.001) among the participants. Considering the urgency of the climate crisis, this study contributes to the literature by providing exploratory insights into the role of CCA as a motivating factor for SC, highlighting the need for further detailed research in this area.

21. yüzyıl, başlangıcından itibaren insanoğlunun geçirdiği üç büyük devrimden sonuncusu olan Bilgi Çağı’nın tüm dünyada etkilerini hissettirmeye başladığı bir dönemi de temsil etmektedir. Bu yeni döneme uyum/geçiş ihtiyacı eğitim politikalarının ve özellikle de eğitimin önemini daha da altını çizmiş; Bilgi Çağı’nın gereklerine göre yeniden dizaynını zorunlu kılmıştır. Okul öncesi dönemin insan gelişiminin ve eğitiminin en önemli yılları olduğu her geçen gün yeni araştırmalarla ortaya çıkmış, ülkelerin okul öncesi eğitim politikalarına verdikleri önem her geçen gün artmıştır. Ancak bu gelişmelere rağmen Türkiye’de okul öncesi eğitimde bütüncül ve etkili politikaların geliştirilmesi mümkün olmamıştır. Bu çalışmada, eğitimin ilk ve en önemli basamağı olan okul öncesi eğitimin Türkiye’deki durumu geçmişten günümüze incelenerek, yeni çağın da gerekleri ışığında politika önerilerine yer verilecektir.

The fundamental elements of the EU Green Deal strategy consist of the transition to a circular economy along with climate action. In accelerating this transition process, corporate sustainability reporting plays a significant role. In this process, in which the EU has made such reporting mandatory for a larger number of companies, this study aims to compare local companies operating in Romania with companies of Turkish origin. This comparison seeks to analyze, through open-access reports of companies, with the support of artificial intelligence, within the framework of Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory. This study presents important outcomes for policymakers, standard setters, companies, sustainability experts, NGOs, and practitioners in the field. The most fundamental contribution of the study is the inclusion into reporting of cultural contexts that are considered to be neglected while reports are prepared in the environmental, social, and governance dimensions. By contributing to the presentation of more consistent, comparable, and transparent sustainability disclosures among different countries, the study supports the achievement of the EU’s sustainability objectives. Through its comparative analysis, the study evaluates sustainability reporting practices of local companies operating in Romania and companies of Turkish origin, both individually and comparatively, highlighting the extent to which cultural differences are reflected in corporate sustainability reporting.

The climate crisis constitutes the first main agenda of the world with two important consequences that have become the 'new normal': extreme weather events that surround the whole world and pandemics. All micro/macro and national/international institutions and organizations have significant duties in preventing and reversing the crisis. However, while these tasks place a heavier burden on individuals and underdeveloped countries with the least share in the crisis, the production sector, which is at the root of the problem and turns the wheels of the linear economy, evades this responsibility. Moreover, companies that are forced to transition to a circular economy within the framework of the 'Green Deal' due to the climate crisis not only evade legal responsibility by resorting to 'greenwashing', but also manage to turn this situation into profit by appearing 'environmentalist' with a counterattack. Hence, the effectiveness of international organizations such as the EU and the UN is becoming more important in preventing the climate crisis. However, considering the half-century-long process of transformation to an environmentally sustainable economy from the 1970s to the present and the progress made, the effectiveness of these most important organizations in preventing the climate crisis in terms of legal coercion and sanctioning power has been questioned; these organizations have even created a feeling in the public that they are distracting the urgent climate agenda by supporting greenwashing under the guidance of multinational companies engaged in green washing.

Eco-labels communicate environmental information to consumers, yet evidence regarding their effectiveness remains mixed. Drawing on the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) framework, this study examines relationships among empathy, environmental behavior, willingness to pay for eco-labeled products, product preferences, and visual attention to environmental cues. Data were collected from 121 participants in Istanbul, Türkiye, using questionnaires and eye-tracking measurements. Participants evaluated six beverage categories presented in neutral, eco-label logo, and environmental-message conditions while fixation and saccade metrics were recorded. Empathy was positively associated with environmental behavior (r = 0.585, p < 0.001) and willingness to pay for eco-labeled products (r = 0.699, p < 0.001), but not with product preferences. Differences in product preferences according to environmental behavior emerged only in the green smoothie and coffee categories, where participants with higher environmental behavior scores were more likely to prefer environmental-message products. Eye-tracking analyses indicated that the relationship between environmental behavior and visual attention varied across product categories and areas of interest. Heatmap analyses showed that eco-label logos and environmental messages redirected visual attention toward sustainability-related information. The findings indicate that consumer responses to eco-labels depend on individual characteristics and product context. The results provide practical implications for firms and policymakers seeking to improve eco-label design and environmental communication strategies.