President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday unveiled an ambitious update to Türkiye’s green climate goals and said the country would “transform” key sectors to hit 2053 targets toward net zero emissions and green development.
“Türkiye will increase its installed wind and solar energy capacity from 31,000 to 120,000 megawatts by 2035,” Erdoğan told the World Leaders Climate Summit at COP29 in the Azerbaijani capital Baku.
“The Zero Waste Project adds strength to our fight against climate change,” Erdoğan continued, referring to the initiative launched in 2017 under first lady Emine Erdoğan’s patronage to raise environmental awareness and manage waste following sustainable development principles.
“We have prevented 5.9 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions since the beginning of the project,” Erdoğan said.
Aiming to create a global model for a circular economy, the project targets recycling 60% of recyclable waste by 2035.
The president also revealed Türkiye announced its candidacy to host the U.N. Climate Change Conference COP31 in 2026 and thanked countries that supported the Turkish bid.
A firm supporter of the Palestinian cause, Erdoğan also broached on Israel’s ongoing bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which has killed at least 42,000 people since last year.
“We believe that those who caused this serious humanitarian and environmental disaster (in Gaza) should be held accountable in international courts,” Erdoğan said.
Israeli attacks have displaced thousands, forcing families to live in tents or converted shelters.
On the 200th day of the attacks, Gaza’s government media office said that Israel had dropped 75,000 tons of bombs on the enclave, nearly six times the amount dropped on Hiroshima during World War II.
According to a study conducted by Queen Mary University in London, between 54% to 66% of the buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed in Israeli attacks.
The attacks also caused between 420,000 to 652,000 tons of CO2 emissions in the first 120 days of 2024 alone – surpassing the annual carbon emissions of 26 countries and regions.
One of the most concerning environmental factors has been Israel's use of white phosphorus bombs, which are prohibited in densely populated civilian areas under international law.
Rights group Amnesty International has documented the use of white phosphorus shells by the Israeli military in Gaza's densely populated areas with substantial evidence, including photographs taken by Anadolu Agency (AA).
White phosphorus can remain in soil and water for years, initially killing any plants it comes into contact with.
COP29 began on Monday, bringing together world leaders, policymakers and activists who stressed the critical stage of global warming and urged global unity on climate action.
More than 75 leaders were expected in Baku over two days but the heads of some of the most powerful and polluting economies did not attend this year's summit.
Just a handful of leaders from the G-20, which accounts for nearly 80% of planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions, are expected in Baku, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi and Emmanuel Macron are among the G-20 leaders missing the event, where uncertainty over future U.S. unity on climate action hung over the opening day.
Also on Monday, Türkiye submitted to the U.N. its 2053 Long-Term Climate Strategy document, which outlines how Türkiye will achieve its goal of becoming “net-zero” by 2053 “without compromising its development priorities.”
As a Mediterranean nation facing worsening climate conditions, Türkiye announced its 2053 net zero emissions target in September 2021 and signed the Paris Agreement in November of the same year.
Net zero, in this context, describes the state in which greenhouse gases emitted primarily from coal-fired electricity generation are equal to the amount of greenhouse gases absorbed by carbon sinks, including the country's natural covers such as the sea and forests.
Türkiye had previously announced a plan to continue increasing emissions for the next 14 years and reduce them no later than 2038.
According to official data, more than 70% of Türkiye's greenhouse gas emissions in 2022 were caused by the energy sector.
The document predicts that in 2053, the country's energy demand will nearly quadruple compared to today, exceeding 1,271 TWh, in parallel with population growth and economic growth.
Türkiye plans to meet 69.1% of this by renewable energy sources.
As of September 2024, the share of renewables in Türkiye's energy production is 57%. Türkiye classifies hydroelectric, geothermal and nuclear as renewable energy sources, along with solar and wind.
The document also notes that the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, set to be commissioned this year, will meet 10% of Türkiye's energy needs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 million tons annually when it operates at full capacity.
Türkiye aims to boost nuclear capacity to 7.2 GW by 2035, according to the document.
To achieve these goals, Türkiye plans to invest $59 billion in renewable energy by 2035, $2.5 billion in energy storage, and $20.2 billion in energy efficiency by 2030.
The top priority at COP29 is landing a hard-fought deal to boost funding for climate action in developing countries.
These nations – from low-lying islands to fractured states at war – are least responsible for climate change but most at risk from rising seas, extreme weather and economic shocks.
Some are pushing for the existing pledge of $100 billion a year to be raised tenfold at COP29 to cover the future cost of their nations shifting to clean energy and adapting to climate shocks.
Babayev, a former oil executive, told negotiators that trillions may be needed, but a figure in the hundreds of billions was more "realistic."
That has angered developing countries and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), who argue rich countries and historical emitters owe a "climate debt."
Nations have haggled over this for years, with disagreements over how much should be paid, and who should pay it, making meaningful progress next to impossible ahead of COP29.
Developing countries warn that without adequate finance, they will struggle to offer ambitious updates to their climate goals, which countries are required to submit by early next year.
The small group of developed countries that currently contributes the money wants the donor pool expanded to include other rich nations and top emitters, including China and the Gulf states, something firmly rejected by Beijing.
Stiell warned rich countries to "dispense with any idea that climate finance is charity."
Around 50,000 people are attending the summit in Azerbaijan, a petrostate wedged between Russia and Iran, including the leaders of many African, Asian and Latin American countries beset by climate disasters.
