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20 October 2025

The Directorate of Climate Change briefed industrial stakeholders on the Climate Law and its implementation at the panel session entitled “What the Climate Law Brings to Our Industry and Green Finance Instruments,” organized by the Aegean Region Chamber of Industry.

At the panel session held in İzmir, key topics including the Climate Law now in force, the Emissions Trading System, climate finance, and the Türkiye Green Taxonomy were addressed under dedicated headings.

Delivering the opening remarks, Deputy Director of Climate Change Mehrali Ecer emphasized the importance of addressing climate action, green transformation, and sustainable development together, noting that these areas will have a direct and lasting impact on Türkiye’s industrial sector. “Today, we will discuss the progress we have made in tackling climate change, the initiatives launched within the framework of the Climate Law, and the strategic role our industry will assume in this transformation process,” he said.

Deputy Director Ecer underlined that climate change is no longer confined to scientific reports, but has become a reality felt across all aspects of daily life, stating: “Events such as droughts, forest fires, extreme heatwaves, floods, and inundations directly affect not only ecological balances but also economic activity. This reality makes it imperative to address climate change not merely as an environmental policy issue, but in conjunction with economic planning, energy supply security, and foreign trade policies. Due to its geographical location, our country lies within the Mediterranean Basin, where these impacts are felt most acutely. This is why, every step taken to address climate change also serves as a safeguard for our development goals.”

Deputy Director Ecer continued: “Acting with this awareness, Türkiye, under the leadership of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has announced its ‘Net Zero Emissions’ target for 2053.  This target is not just an environmental commitment; it also forms the backbone of our country’s economic transformation, technological vision, and understanding of social welfare.”

“Türkiye addresses climate change not only as an environmental issue, but as an integral component of its development strategy. And the Climate Law constitutes the key legal foundation of this vision. The Climate Law aims to place this transformation process on a planned, predictable, and sustainable footing.

As Türkiye’s first comprehensive legal framework on climate change, the Climate Law adopts a multidimensional structure encompassing the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation to climate change, the Emissions Trading System, the development of green finance mechanisms, and the institutionalization of local-level climate action.

Renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean production technologies, the circular economy, the protection of carbon sinks, the strengthening of biodiversity, and the zero waste approach are among the core principles of this framework.

This approach is what makes Türkiye one of the few countries that address climate change not only as an environmental issue, but as a central pillar of a holistic development strategy.

“With its integrated approach, Türkiye not merely fulfills its climate obligations, but positions itself among the countries shaping the global green transformation”

“With its integrated approach, Türkiye not merely fulfills its climate obligations, but positions itself among the countries shaping the global green transformation. We are firmly confident that industrialists operating across the Aegean Region, which is one of Türkiye’s key production and export hubs, will assume a leading role in this transformation. Ensuring that our industry moves forward in alignment with net zero emission targets while safeguarding its competitiveness will be key to promoting Türkiye’s sustainable economic growth. As the Directorate of Climate Change, our objective is to manage this transformation through close cooperation with governmental agencies, the private sector, local administrations, universities, and civil society organizations, and to steer Türkiye toward a resilient and competitive economic structure in line with its net zero emission target and green growth vision.

At the panel session, participants were briefed by Emel Ünal, First Legal Counsel of the Directorate of Climate Change, on the Climate Law. Climate Change Expert Okan Uğurlu from the Department of Carbon Pricing delivered a presentation on the Emissions Trading System. Expert Hakan Acar from the Department of Climate Finance and Incentives provided an overview of climate finance and the Green Taxonomy of Türkiye.