Türkiye has ratified the Paris climate agreement and is focusing on conforming to the European Union Green Deal as it plans to implement a number of projects across an array of fields from transportation to industry, agriculture and trade as of 2023.
The Ministry of Industry and Technology will carry out projects and create "Green Organized Industrial Zones (OIZs)" where electric vehicles will be produced in a bid to lower the country's carbon emission rates and encourage a transition to a cleaner way of travel. The ministry will also prepare a noise map for areas where 3 million vehicles pass annually after determining noise levels on main roads.
The Ministry of Commerce is engaging in "climate diplomacy" with the EU while the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry develops an "Action Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change in the Agricultural Sector" in order to get ready for the implementation of an ecosystem-oriented food production model. The relevant ministries will also increase their efforts within the framework of the climate change policy, according to a source.
In this regard, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure's General Directorate of Highways (KGM) will keep bringing infrastructure projects to life while adopting a sustainable approach by building ecological bridges that make it easy for animals to cross from one side of the road to the other, as KGM hopes to have a positive impact on biodiversity.
Research on marine life during the construction of the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge and Motorway revealed that the piling work to build its foundations would have a negative impact on some dolphin species that migrate through the Dardanelles. In this regard, work is ongoing on the 535-kilometer (332-mile) portion of the road while the noise map for the 1,092-kilometer road section, including the previous years, is being developed.
Approximately 2,258 million liters (596 million gallons) of fuel have been saved by drivers on the 28,771-kilometer total length of split roads, which also lessened the environmental impact of fossil fuel consumption.
The amount of exhaust emission that motor vehicles operating in traffic discharged to the environment decreased by 4.7 million tons annually as a result of the reduction in travel time.
Carbon-free airport project
Within the scope of the Airport Carbon Accreditation Program (ACA), 18 airports in Türkiye are certified at different levels while studies are carried out to include 32 airports in the program. Currently, a total of 420 airports in 86 countries around the world have been certified under the ACA Program. If Türkiye's 50 airports are certified, the General Directorate of State Airports Authority will have the highest number of certificates on a global scale.
Green transformation of railways
Turkish State Railways, meanwhile, launched project studies to install solar and wind power panels on stations, administrative buildings and logistics centers.
Once the installation of the plants is finished, a sizable portion of the electrical energy requirements of electric train lines and buildings will be satisfied by renewable energy sources. Additionally, it is anticipated that until 2025, 35% of the energy needed to power electric railway vehicles running on the lines will come from renewable energy sources.
Climate-friendly agriculture
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry engages in climate-compatible agricultural activities such as rain harvesting, reduced soil cultivation, implementing the direct sowing method, combating agricultural drought, land consolidation, organic agriculture, pasture improvement and more.
The "Agricultural Drought Fighting Strategy Action Plan" includes monitoring and evaluating the occupancy rates of dams, meteorological data and grain phenological observation findings as a whole. Farmers are also given access to essential tools.
The Agricultural Insurance Law protects farmers from the damage brought on by dangers associated with climate change including frost, hail, heavy precipitation and drought.
With the Agricultural Information System, activities are carried out to protect water resources, transfer or transmit water efficiently to consumption points, modernize irrigation systems and determine crop patterns in plant production according to the water resources in the region.
The ministry plans to create an "Action Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change in the Agricultural Sector" and implement an ecosystem-oriented food production model.
Research on energy production from secondary products that do not pose a threat to food safety is also carried out within the ministry within the scope of R&D activities on genes, and the effects on yield, quality and agricultural activities in plants are investigated in different climate change scenarios.
The determination of plant irrigation programs through research projects for the efficient and sustainable use of soil and water resources, the development of appropriate technology and irrigation programs for the best use of irrigation water in water-scarce situations during dry seasons, the widespread use of microbial fertilizers, the measurement and monitoring of soil moisture, the monitoring of carbon sequestration in the soil, the avoidance of tillage and water harvesting (rainwater management) studies are carried out.
Financing opportunities
In contrast, the Ministry of Commerce is assessing the processes that need to be put in place and the credit opportunities within the framework of the "climate diplomacy" it conducts with the EU.
In order to ensure that the EU's proposed legislation does not impair Türkiye's rights resulting from the customs union, the ministry is in high-level contact with the EU. In this light, a meeting is scheduled to examine some concerns pertaining to the steel industry and lessen the uncertainty that the Border Carbon Regulation Mechanism (SKDM) presents to exporters.
There are efforts underway to open up Türkiye to the EU, its funding resources and initiatives, and to use SKDM funds derived from trade with Türkiye in Türkiye's green transformation.
Within the scope of the memorandum of understanding on climate finance, financing opportunities are developed to support projects that will contribute to Türkiye's fight against climate change and reach its 2053 net zero emission target.
With the Türkiye Investment Platform between the EU and Türkiye, a mechanism is being established to provide guarantees for the loans to be extended to the private sector through international financial institutions by the EU. Although its volume has not yet been determined, the guarantee is expected to contribute to Türkiye's green transformation and lead the development of other financing instruments with the EU.
Work on establishing bilateral cooperation in areas such as renewable energy, carbon technologies and circular economy will continue in 2023.
Green OIZ
The Ministry of Industry and Technology also implements various mechanisms to reduce carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in industrial production.
The Supreme Organization of Organized Industrial Zones (OSBÜK) built an "Energy Monitoring System" that allows for real-time monitoring of electricity output and consumption across all OIZs. In a short while, the ministry will put the Green OIZ Certificate System into place. With the help of the Türkiye OIZ Project, the World Bank provided credit support in the amount of 250 million euros ($257 million) for the basic and green infrastructure requirements of OIZs.
The investments that will be undertaken as part of the Türkiye OIZ Project are intended to guarantee that OIZs are integrated into the green economy and, over time, serve as a hub for new investment.
Among the green infrastructure investment projects, there are projects that focus on advanced wastewater treatment and zero waste projects, the establishment of biogas plants and SPP investments.
Electric vehicles, on the other hand, are of great importance in combating climate change due to their contribution to reducing carbon emissions.
It shows a committed stance in the fight against climate change that the production campus of Türkiye's Automobile Enterprise Group Industry and Trade Inc., whose construction began on July 18, 2020, was completed on Oct. 29 in Türkiye.
The Ministry's Call for Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles was put into action in order to ensure that the infrastructure for electric vehicle charging is at a sufficient level throughout Türkiye.
It intends to finish installing 1,572 fast chargers with a total of 3,144 outlets in 81 provinces by the end of the first quarter of 2023.