Director of Climate Change Prof. Halil Hasar attended the SDSN Türkiye 10th Anniversary Event and Members’ Meeting.

27 December 2024

Director of Climate Change Prof. Halil Hasar attended the SDSN Türkiye 10th Anniversary Event and Members’ Meeting.

Speaking at the program organized to mark the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), Director Hasar stressed that the world is going through a period in which environmental threats and the impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly pronounced with each passing day.

Delivering the opening address at the event hosted by Boğaziçi University, Hasar underlined that climate change is not merely an environmental issue but a multidimensional crisis whose effects extend from the economy to the social order, and from global stability to human security.

Noting that COP29 has injected new momentum into global climate action, Hasar highlighted the following points in his remarks:

“Decisions adopted at COP29 present important opportunities for Türkiye”

The conference led to the adoption of new decisions across a range of critical areas, including climate finance, mitigation, adaptation, and carbon markets. At COP29, Türkiye took part not only as a participating country but also as an actor that contributes to solutions. The decisions adopted at COP29 present important opportunities for Türkiye. At the forefront of these decisions is the new climate finance target of USD 1.3 trillion. This target aims to provide two-tiered financing for developing countries through both public and private sector sources. As Türkiye, we can make effective use of these funds, particularly in areas such as renewable energy, electric vehicle infrastructure, and new technologies.

“The decisions on carbon markets adopted at COP29 will enable countries to engage in carbon trading with one another”

The decisions on carbon markets adopted at COP29 will enable countries to engage in carbon trading with one another, while also allowing these markets to support economic transition.

The National ETS aims to support Türkiye’s 2053 Net Zero Emissions Target and to safeguard the country’s economic and industrial competitiveness against the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.

“As the Directorate of Climate Change, we have prepared our action plans”

Working in coordination with a wide range of implementing public institutions and organizations, the Directorate of Climate Change has prepared both the Climate Change Mitigation Strategy and Action Plan and the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan covering the 2024–2030 period. These plans are aligned with the global mitigation and adaptation targets set at COP29 and offer a major opportunity for Türkiye to achieve its commitments under the Paris Agreement. At COP29, Türkiye submitted two major national documents to the United Nations. The first one would be the “Biennial Transparency Report”, prepared in line with the transparency principle of the Paris Agreement.

By fulfilling its responsibilities, Türkiye became one of the first countries to submit a Biennial Transparency Report, setting an example for others. The second document was Türkiye’s 2053 Long-Term Climate Change Strategy, which sets out the country’s vision for tackling climate change.

“As Türkiye, our resolve to achieve our green transition goals is unwavering”

The green transition entails substantial costs. Likewise, in critical areas such as industry and transport, the need for investment amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars is becoming increasingly evident. It is not difficult to foresee that the financing target announced at COP29 will fall short of meeting all the financial and technological support needs of developing countries in their fight against global climate change. In this process, it is crucial to use national resources effectively and to maximize benefits from international financing mechanisms.
As Türkiye, our resolve to achieve our green transition goals is unwavering.

Through transformation projects to be implemented in critical areas such as energy, transport, agriculture, and industry, we will both support economic growth and continue to combat climate change. At the same time, I would like to stress the importance of global solidarity and cooperation in reaching these goals. Each of us, as part of this effort, must fulfill our responsibilities.
Taking action with a view to leaving a more livable world for future generations is not only a necessity but also a shared ideal.

The SDSN Türkiye Network Members’ Studies Program, which addressed “COP29 and the Sustainability Agenda: Opportunities and Challenges for the World and Türkiye” and “Sustainability and Green Transition Practices of SDSN Türkiye Members” in dedicated sessions, was attended by Boğaziçi University President and UN SDSN Türkiye Chair Prof. M. Naci İnci, UN SDSN President and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University Prof. Jeffrey D. Sachs, and many invited guests.