Climate change is an issue that goes beyond politics and affects every part of society with its environmental, economic and social impacts. Hence, Türkiye this year rolled up its sleeves for urgent and efficient measures to fight climate change. Located in the Mediterranean basin, one of the most sensitive regions in terms of climate change impact, the country has witnessed disasters, air pollution, heat waves, wildfires, droughts and low precipitation.
The year 2022 has been a year when Türkiye, with the world, started to battle climate change by introducing new policies, awareness campaigns and resolutions.
The country has reaped the benefits of sincere efforts in promoting renewable energy, waste management, forest expansion and numerous other measures. In terms of renewable energy, Türkiye recently rose to the fifth position in Europe and 12th in the world.
The important environmental developments related to Türkiye's fight against climate change in 2022 are as follows:
Türkiye's central city of Konya welcomed the country's first climate council on Feb. 25 with locals soliciting to increase the number of such events to establish a road map in line with the Paris Agreement to reach net-zero emissions by 2053. The five-day event was attended by more than 1,000 representatives, scientists, businesspersons, farmers and activists from public institutions and universities. The conference is believed to have been an important and useful step toward tackling the negative effects of climate change on human lives.
The world's first Economy and Climate Change Summit kicked off on March 30 in the Turkish capital Ankara where climate change and green transformation issues topped the agenda. Fixing the target for 2023, Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum in a video message to the Economy and Climate Change Summit (EKO IKLIM) said that Türkiye was set to complete the "National Green Finance Strategy," which “we need for the 2053 net-zero emission goal,” by the end of 2023.
The first edition of the Environment Forum, an event organized by Anadolu Agency (AA), got underway in Istanbul on Oct. 20. The forum discussed the drawbacks of industrialization and technological developments, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stressing timely and adequate action to prevent environmental problems.
The Environment Forum, held under the theme of "Reshaping the Narrative of Environmental and Climate Crises," sought to raise awareness related to the climate crisis and other environmental issues.
The event also addressed the media and discussed issues related to the environment and climate, how international news agencies were raising global awareness, the duties of traditional and new media outlets, and the pursuit of environmental awareness in new news areas.
The year 2022 achieved a remarkable feat when "Environment Week" was announced for June 1-7 for the first time in Türkiye. Declared after a presidential decree in May, the week aimed to raise awareness for environmental protection. The theme of the first edition was “zero waste,” a concept championed by first lady Emine Erdoğan. Throughout the week, several activities were held nationwide to highlight the theme. In 81 provinces of the country, simultaneous “81 Billion Steps” marches were held, along with mass plantings of saplings, clean-up campaigns and bicycle tours. The events aimed to instill awareness, especially among children, for the importance of a sustainable environment coordinated by the Ministry of Environment, Urban Planning and Climate Change.
Meanwhile, Türkiye felt the fallout of climate change in the form of natural disasters. A string of forest fires was the most visible form of climate change taking its toll on the environment. This year, the country battled over 2,000 forest fires that damaged over 12,000 hectares of land.
After losing some 140,000 hectares to forest fires in 2021, the country was more vigilant in 2022. It reinforced its firefighting fleet, with 17 new airplanes, 16 helicopters and four more unmanned aerial vehicles. It also recruited thousands of volunteers trained by firefighters to help prevent the blazes.
Togg Gemlik Campus
One of Türkiye's 2023 vision projects, the zero-emission, electric Togg car was greeted with great enthusiasm in the country. Advertisements with the headline "For sale to buy a Togg" began appearing on secondhand sales platforms. Citizens had already put their vehicles up for sale to buy a Togg, scheduled to hit the road in March 2023.
Treasury and Finance Minister Nureddin Nebati said he gave instructions to ensure the accessibility of Togg for the wider population. "Our ministry has already started its work. We spoke to public banks, Ziraat Bank, Halk Bank and Vakıfbank along with our participation banks to provide necessary support at points of access to these vehicles," he said.
The COP27 summit in Egypt on Nov. 19-20 was held with a historic deal on funding to help the most climate-vulnerable countries cope with the devastating impacts of global warming. However, the climate damage fund deal at the fraught U.N. climate summit saw its share of anger over a failure to push further on emission cuts. The two-week talks in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, which at times appeared on the brink of collapse, delivered a major breakthrough on a fund for climate "loss and damage."
A final COP27 statement, covering the broad array of global efforts to grapple with a warming planet, held the line on the aspirational goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) from preindustrial levels.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry announced the launch of the “National Water Efficiency Mobilization” campaign on Dec. 5, in a bid to curb future concerns over precious resources in the capital Ankara. Sustainability is essential for Türkiye's water resources as the country is located in the Mediterranean region, which feels the impacts of global climate change more, and is listed among the countries at "high risk" of a potential fallout of the global phenomenon. Projections show water resources will decrease by about 25% until the next century and authorities say planning and efficiently using water in a country with a semi-arid climate are crucial.
Within the scope of the new campaign, the ministry organized workshops, education campaigns and other events to raise awareness about the issue and encourage the public to adopt “a culture of efficient use of water.” It will also provide guidelines for each sector for technical support on the issue.
A resolution on the "zero waste" initiative submitted by Türkiye to combat climate change and accelerate sustainable development plans was accepted at the U.N. General Assembly on Dec. 14.
Gaining international recognition, the "zero waste" initiative was unanimously adopted by the General Assembly. The landmark resolution, which was presented with 105 other countries, addresses efforts for sustainable development through zero waste initiatives. The move required the U.N. chief to establish a three-year advisory board of individuals selected on the basis of their "knowledge, experience and expertise" to promote local and national zero waste practices.
With the decision to include zero waste initiatives in the next Global Waste Management Outlook report by the U.N. Environment Programme, the president of the U.N. General Assembly made a high-level decision on zero waste and a "10-Year Framework Program for Sustainable Production and Consumption Models" in 2023.
With the achievements of the year 2020, Türkiye's zeal to fight the climate crisis is taking advanced steps. The country's upcoming theme for the year 2023 aims to educate the youth by mobilizing them to counter challenges the world is facing due to global warming and climate change. Raising a toast of goodbye to 2022 and welcoming 2023, let us hope our country Türkiye embarks upon more success in every field.
