Environmental Policies of Turkey

  Turkey’s government began stepping up its environmental actions in the early 1980s and has only accelerated its embrace of laws and regulations designed to protect the environment. The country’s environmental stance received a major boost when it began signing onto environmental agreements as part of the European Union.

  A major Turkish policy that includes elements of environmental protection is the country’s Tenth Development Plan (2014-2018). At the core of the plan is sustainable development and the increasing development of Turkey’s renewable energy sector.

  Turkey has also created and put in place several environmental strategy documents for sectors such as prevention and adaptation to climate change, conservation of biodiversity, soil erosion control, reforestation and fighting desertification.

  With respect to reviving degraded landscapes, Turkey is making extensive investments and pushing reforestation programs. A few years back, the International Soil Reference and Information Center mapped Turkish land degradation as a way to facilitate watershed rehabilitation investments.

Clean Technology in Turkey

  Over the past decade or so, changing factors within the international energy markets have compelled Turkey to reexamine how it generates and consumes electricity. The result was the creation of a national development plan that supports investment in the country’s renewable energy sector.

  Turkey's push to embrace renewable energy has been backed by the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), a billion-dollar program designed to give middle-income countries the resources to innovate and develop clean technology. Turkey was the first country to benefit from the fund.

A Clean Future?

  With the help of the CTF, Turkey appears to be leveraging investments as a springboard towards a clean future.

  Data shows Turkey has sufficient wind, water, and sun to research the potential of renewable energy, which is still in its infancy. As of 2012, wind power provides just 2 percent of Turkey’s energy, while geothermal makes up about 0.3 percent.

  However, maps made by the Turkish government show vast possibility for wind, geothermal, and solar energy. For instance, the wind map shows a power generating capacity of 48 GW. Turkey plans to scale up all of its renewable energy production to meet 30 percent of its energy needs by 2023.

  Furthermore, Turkey's Electricity Market and Security of Supply Strategy sets up an overall target of renewable energy supplying a minimum of 30 percent of overall energy produced by 2023. Of this renewable energy mix, wind power is projected to climb up to 20 GW.

  With all of this potential and the funds flowing in, Turkey appears to be poised for a clean technology revolution; maybe not tomorrow or within the next couple of years, but definitely in the coming decades.

By erdinc Can