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Türkiye became Party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2004 and to the Kyoto Protocol in 2009. The Paris Agreement, prepared to accelerate efforts to combat climate change and to set more ambitious targets, was adopted by 196 Parties during the UN Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP21) held in Paris, France on December 12, 2015. The agreement entered into force on November 4, 2016. The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international agreement on climate change with the ultimate objective of keeping the global average temperature rise below 2°C compared to the pre-industrial period and, and if possible, limiting it to 1.5°C.
Adopting a principle based on common yet distinct responsibilities and relative capabilities, it was stipulated that the Parties would contribute to global climate action to the maximum extent possible through their individual efforts, and countries were requested to submit their “Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)” to the UNFCCC Secretariat once every 5 years detailing the activities they carried out to realize the main objective of the Agreement in terms of reduction, compliance, finance, technology transfer and capacity building.
The Republic of Türkiye submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in September 2015, in accordance with decisions 1/CP.19 and 1/CP.20, and in line with the ultimate objective of the Convention set out in Article 2. Within the framework of the Paris Agreement, Türkiye has set a greenhouse gas reduction target of up to 21% by 2030 compared to the baseline scenario. Subsequently, Türkiye signed the Paris Agreement on April 22, 2016 and ratified it in Parliament on October 7, 2021 (published in the Official Gazette dated 07/11/2021 and numbered 31621). After Türkiye ratified the Paris Agreement, the intended nationally determined contribution (NDC) ceased to be a Declaration of Intent and became Türkiye’s commitment. Like all parties to the UNFCCC, Türkiye is required to submit a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the UNFCCC Secretariat every 5 years henceforth, each time pledging more ambitious reduction targets (and optionally climate change adaptation targets).
Important dates for Türkiye:
Upon becoming a party to the Paris Agreement, President Erdoğan announced the “2053 Zero Emission” target for our country. Following Türkiye’s announcement of its 2053 net zero emission target, the Climate Change Directorate of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of the Republic of Türkiye and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Türkiye initiated preparations for the Update of the Nationally Determined Contribution, the Long-Term Climate Change Strategy and the Action Plan.
At the 26th Conference of the Parties held in November 2022, Turkey announced in its updated Nationally Determined Contribution that it updated its greenhouse gas reduction target, which had been announced as 21 percent in 2015, to 41 percent for 2030. In line with Article 4 of the Paris Agreement, the Parties are invited to submit their long-term low-emission climate change strategies. Long-Term Climate Change strategies have been submitted by 62 countries to date, and countries are now preparing their reduction actions and strategies and net zero emission targets for 2050 in line with their own capabilities.
Continuing its efforts to combat climate change at full speed, Türkiye carries out its works in this field in a participatory, data-based and inclusive manner with the contributions of all relevant public, private sector, NGO and academia representatives within the scope of Türkiye’s Long-Term Climate Change Strategy and Mitigation Action Plan Component of the Project.
Türkiye’s Nationally Determined Contribution, Long-Term Climate Change Strategy and Mitigation Action Plan are being prepared to cover seven main sectors, namely energy, industry, buildings, transportation, agriculture, waste and LULUCF, and the sub-sectors that influence these sectors. Based on the same baseline scenario, reduction policies have been assessed using the TIMES Macro model. This integrated model is being applied all over the world, in the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union, as well as in Türkiye. The model, as adopted in Türkiye, evaluates the interactions, synergies and overlaps of all sectors with each other, and determines a roadmap for Türkiye’s 2053 net zero emission target.
The Long-Term Climate Change Strategy provides a long-term roadmap for both the public and private sectors, and boosts private sector investments by providing predictability in the investment climate. The strategy will encourage investments into energy transition and efficiency based on coal phase-out options, the circular economy, clean transport, green technologies and the bio-economy, thus providing new, local, high-quality employment opportunities, and mobilizing industry as a key driver of employment and economic growth in the transition to a climate-neutral and circular economy. Türkiye will realize an inclusive, innovative and equitable transition in line with its 2053 net zero target.
