RES Foundation is sending its youth delegates to this international conference for the fourth year in a row, continuing to open space for active participation of young people in conversations and processes that shape the climate and energy future.
The participation of the young is not only an opportunity to learn about international negotiations and policies, but also to gain knowledge, exchange experiences, connect with peers from different countries and contribute to the fact that the perspective of the young is heard where important decisions are made.
Four years of continuity represent an investment in a new generation of experts and active participants in shaping a more just, more sustainable and more responsible energy transition, and after Filip Blagojević and Zvezdana Božović on several occasions, Marko Macura and Perun Prodanović are going to the COP this year, and this text is an opportunity for us to get to know them!
Marko Macura is a fourth-year student at the Faculty of Geography at the University of Belgrade. His academic interests include urban and historical geography, the relationship between society and the environment, as well as the application of geographic information systems (GIS) in the study of spatial processes and climate challenges. He participated in international summer schools in Šibenik, where he dealt with sustainable urban mobility, and at the University of Ljubljana, where he studied karst landscapes and tourism. As a researcher-volunteer of RES Foundation, he participates in the “Agents of Good Energy” program, dealing with the analysis of energy data and spatial differences at the local level. He is particularly interested in how geographical research can contribute to the development of cities that are more resistant to climate change.
Regarding participation in COP 31, Macura says: “Participation in this event represents for me a unique opportunity to be more closely present at a conference dedicated to a topic that is extremely close to me. Having the opportunity to follow first-hand the conversations and negotiations that shape decisions of importance not only for the whole world, but also for Serbia. I believe that I will gain new knowledge and experience at the conference, but I also hope that with my participation I will contribute to the work of RES Foundation. I would like to bring these topics closer to young people like me and show how important they really are for our future.”
Perun Prodanovic is an undergraduate student of the World Politics major at Leiden University College The Hague in the Netherlands. His interests include international regime theory, state compliance frameworks, and how structural power dynamics in treaty-making shape local implementations of energy, finance, and youth climate policies. He is representing RES Foundation at COP31 in Antalya, Turkey.
For him, participating in this summit represents a vital opportunity to bridge macro-level world politics theory with the realities of real-world policy practice. By observing the high-stakes multilateral negotiations firsthand, he aims to analyze the friction that occurs when abstract global mandates and complex international financial architectures are translated into localized, actionable policies on the ground. He is particularly focused on how these global mechanisms can be leveraged to drive a just energy transition in the Western Balkans. Ultimately, his goal at the summit is to evaluate institutional frameworks that ensure top-down decarbonization targets and green development initiatives actively protect and support the socio-economic stability of vulnerable households and coal-dependent frontline communities, rather than exacerbating existing regional inequalities.
Follow us in the coming days – Marko and Perun will bring their stories, impressions and perspectives from Antalya for RES Foundation!