The climate law, which had been pending for a long time, has finally been passed by the GNAT. Regarding the Climate Law, which is an important milestone in Türkiye’s green transition and its efforts to align with the European Green Deal, IKV Chairperson Ayhan Zeytinoğlu made evaluations.

Chairperson Zeytinoğlu stated that the passage of the climate law by the GNAT will play a critical role in terms of Türkiye’s targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change under the Paris Agreement. Chairperson Zeytinoğlu also noted that it should be evaluated in the context of the EU Climate Law, which is at the core of the legislation under the European Green Deal introduced by the EU since 2019.

Chairperson Zeytinoğlu stated the following:

The Climate Law Forms the Basis of the European Green Deal Alignment Process
The Climate Law, which had been pending in draft form for a long time and had led to wide public debate, has been passed by the GNAT. The Climate Law provides the general framework for Türkiye’s efforts to align with the European Green Deal. It defines the responsibilities of official authorities, civil society, and the business world. Provincial Climate Change Coordination Boards and local climate change plans will be established. An Emissions Trading System, Türkiye Green Taxonomy, and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism can be implemented. In the implementation of these processes, interaction with civil society and the business world and obtaining their views at every stage are essential for ensuring a healthy green transition.

The EU Has Been Implementing the Emissions Trading System for 20 Years: Industrial Transformation Must Be Supported
The law sets out the fundamental principles and implementation for establishing an ETS compatible with the EU’s Emissions Trading System, which has been in place since 2005. The Climate Law alone will not solve the climate issue but will be decisive in providing a legal framework and certainty for the entire process. We must not forget that the EU ETS has been in effect for 20 years and that a second ETS covering buildings, roads, and some other sectors will begin in 2027. From this perspective, we are already late as a country that is an EU candidate, a customs union partner, and exports 42% of its goods to the EU market. Our Climate Law will enable the transition to a system that imposes obligations on industrial enterprises and aims to reduce emissions by pricing them. According to a study by TEPAV, only 25% of our SMEs are prepared for the green transition. It should be our primary priority to ensure that the remaining SMEs can also prepare for this process under challenging conditions.

The Most Important Issue is Being Prepared for the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, which the EU has started implementing based on carbon footprints for imports in six sectors (steel, aluminum, cement, fertilizer, hydrogen, and electricity), creates additional costs for industrialists in Türkiye, a leading exporter to the EU. To reduce the carbon footprint, it is necessary to switch to green technologies and take serious measures to reduce emissions. By establishing Türkiye’s ETS system, we will create commitments to reduce emissions in the domestic market, and enterprises exceeding their allocations will have to pay the difference. The payments made domestically will be deducted from the EU CBAM price. This is necessary both for compliance with the new green standards of the European Green Deal and as a crucial part of the fight against the climate crisis. It is of great importance that the revenues generated from the sale of allocations and imposed penalties under the ETS are transferred as incentives specifically for industrial facilities to support Türkiye’s green transition.

While Heatwaves are Affecting Daily Life Across the World and Our Forests are Burning, the Climate Crisis Must Be Our Main Priority
We observe that there is a lot of incorrect and incomplete information circulating in the public about the Climate Law. It is enough to take a look at the text of the law to see that these are not accurate. IKV researchers have done so and have written down the commonly misunderstood facts about the Climate Law. It can be accessed from here.