Director of Climate Change Prof. Halil Hasar gave an interview to Anadolu News Agency during COP30 in Belém.

15 November 2025

Director of Climate Change Prof. Halil Hasar gave an interview to Anadolu News Agency during COP30 in Belém. As he continued his engagements at COP30 in Belém, Director of Climate Change Hasar answered questions from an Anadolu Agency correspondent.

Addressing several topics, including Türkiye’s 2053 net-zero target, Türkiye’s Second Nationally Determined Contribution, the COP30 negotiations, and Türkiye’s candidacy to host COP31, Director Hasar assessed the steps Türkiye has taken toward the 2053 net-zero target, noting that this goal is grounded in the country’s vision for green transition.

Regarding Türkiye’s Second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), which President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced at the Climate Summit held in New York on September 24 and which was formally submitted just before COP30, the highlights of Director Hasar’s remarks are as follows.

“We modeled how we can achieve the 2053 net-zero emissions target.”

In our Second NDC, we presented greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors across Türkiye, based on a complete inventory. We developed a model for this purpose. Experts from leading universities such as Cambridge and Oxford contributed to the development of the model. We also formed a strong in-house modeling team. This team examined and modeled how Türkiye can achieve the 2053 net-zero emissions target, taking into account the country’s mitigation policies and existing technologies. On the basis of this modeling work, we submitted our second NDC for the year 2035. The details reveal a very substantial decarbonization process, particularly in terms of transitioning to renewable and clean energy sources. A significant increase in the share of renewable energy is foreseen, which is something not every country can achieve. Countries cannot just replace their baseload energy sources overnight. Therefore, the right approach is to diversify renewable and alternative energy sources and reduce the share of fossil fuels in the overall energy mix.

“Türkiye has priority areas in climate negotiations”

Türkiye has clearly defined priority areas in climate negotiations. Climate action should not be a paradigm discussed only at negotiation tables; it should be an outcome-oriented and attainable, yet realistic, approach. Our first priority must be realism. Inclusiveness and leaving no one behind are also essential. We must consider not only the priorities of one country or a specific group of countries but the priorities of all countries. In particular, regarding the “Baku to Belém Roadmap,” we need to clarify how the annual 1.3 trillion-dollar climate finance target will be used, how investments will be directed, and which investments will benefit from climate financing. Under the Global Goal on Adaptation, every country’s vulnerability must be taken into account.

Indicators that reflect country-specific parameters or common challenges should be used, considering it is not feasible to operate with 5,000 indicators; we need to reduce this number to around 100 so that progress can actually be monitored. Otherwise, funds will not function effectively, and access to funding will become problematic. To streamline these processes, we believe that adaptation financing should be at least doubled.  

Türkiye’s COP31 vision

“We want to host an inclusive COP where all countries can get together.”  Türkiye is among the leading candidates to host COP31 next year. Türkiye is one of the foremost countries in peace diplomacy worldwide. Unlike many nations, it does not belong to any negotiation group in climate diplomacy. It is a country that strives independently to contribute to global climate action while also prioritizing and never compromising its national interests.

We aim to carry this competence in peace diplomacy, which is widely recognized here, into climate diplomacy, to build trust among all countries during climate negotiations, and to make this diplomacy a central focus. This is our primary objective.

We want to host a COP where all countries can sit at the same table, get together, and participate inclusively, leaving no one behind. Recalling Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz’s remarks at the COP30 Leaders’ Summit, in which he indicated that Türkiye is ready to play a bridging role between the global north and south in tackling climate change, Director Hasar added, “We do not want to see the developed north and developing south engage in interest-driven discussions without empathy at negotiation tables.

Türkiye is a country capable of understanding both sides, developed and developing alike. I can say that very intensive negotiations are under way regarding our bid to host COP31.”