IKV Chairperson Ayhan Zeytinoğlu assessed the “Türkiye’s Updated Nationally Determined Contribution” announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Climate Summit held on to the sidelines of the 80^th Session of the UN General Assembly. Chairperson Zeytinoğlu said:

“President Erdoğan delivered a speech on Türkiye’s updated climate targets at the Climate Summit held on to the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, on a platform created to enable countries to submit their Nationally Determined Contributions in advance of COP30. Our country published its first National Contribution Statement in 2012; in 2023, it updated its commitment by submitting its “First Updated National Contribution Statement’ with a reduction target of 41% by 2030. This commitment was determined based on the understanding that countries have different responsibilities. In other words, Türkiye is in a special position because it was responsible for only a very small portion of greenhouse gas emissions in the past. In this regard, President Erdoğan stated that the target is to achieve a reduction of 466 million tonnes of emissions by 2035 and to reduce emissions to 643 million tonnes. In this context, Türkiye’s setting of a 2035 emissions target that is ambitious for a developing economy and lower than the previous 2030 target during the climate session held within the framework of the UN General Assembly demonstrates Türkiye’s determination on this issue and strengthens its resolve. Although our country does not present an absolute reduction target, it commits to remaining below the emission projections based on reference scenarios. In this context, the targets announced by President Erdoğan are significant.

Türkiye has been making intensive efforts in the field of climate and environment in recent times. The latest of these is the Climate Law, which is the first of its kind in Türkiye. The regulations prepared within the framework of the Climate Law will play a supporting role in the implementation phase of the law. In this context, regulations such as the draft “Carbon Credit and Offsetting Regulation’, “Türkiye Emissions Trading System Regulation’ and “Türkiye Green Taxonomy Regulation’ will bring the objectives of the Climate Law to life and give concrete form to Türkiye’s efforts to combat climate change. This will facilitate compliance with the responsibilities envisaged by other EU regulations, primarily the “Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)’, which is shaped within the framework of the European Green Deal and concerns traders and industrialists in third countries, including our country, as well as compliance with the “EU Emissions Trading System’.

Meanwhile, a very important vote on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism took place in the European Parliament last week. MEPs voted to exempt 90% of SMEs from the CBAM. The final vote on narrowing the scope of the CBAM, which has been in a transition period since 2023 and will move to the taxation phase in 2026, to exclude 90% of small businesses, within the framework of the simplifications proposed under the Omnibus Package, was positive. Once this simplification is implemented following official approval by member states, it is expected that Turkish exporters will face lighter obligations under the SKDM and that the sector will experience some relief.

Although the EU has softened its climate legislation and targets somewhat in recent years, it is crucial that our country’s climate targets progress with concrete steps and determination. The updated target announced by President Erdoğan is now expected to be officially announced during COP30.”