Özlem Katısöz graduated from Middle East Technical University Department of Urban and Regional Planning in 2003. In 2008, she received her master’s degree from the Department of Urban and Regional Studies at the University of Birmingham.

Since 2011, she has been working on environmental legislation, advocacy, climate, land and energy policy issues in non-profit organizations. She is currently working as Climate and Energy Policy Coordinator for Türkiye at CAN Europe (Climate Action Network Europe), a CSO coalition with 200 organizations from 38 countries fighting against climate change.