“Our key priorities for reaching our 2053 net zero emission targets are renewable energy and energy efficiency.”
12 November 2024
In his address to the High-Level Segment for Heads of State and Government at the UN COP29 Conference, President Erdoğan announced, “We have officially launched our climate change mitigation and adaptation strategy action plans covering the period from 2024 to 2030. We have increased the share of renewables in total installed capacity to 59 percent. This achievement ranks us fifth in Europe and eleventh globally. Our key priorities for reaching our 2053 net zero emission targets are renewable energy, energy efficiency, and nuclear power.”
President Erdoğan began his speech by congratulating Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on hosting the summit and pointed out that Türkiye is among the nations most severely impacted by the adverse effects of the climate crisis. “We are transforming our key sectors in line with our green development vision and our goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2053,” the President stated.
“Our efforts to implement a green finance strategy and establish a national green taxonomy are currently ongoing.”
President Erdoğan noted that the Climate Law, which includes the framework for an emission trading system, will be submitted to Parliament in the very near future, before continuing his remarks: “Ahead of COP29, we submitted our biennial transparency report and our long-term climate strategy to the Secretariat. We have launched climate change mitigation and adaptation action plans covering the period 2024–2030. We have increased the share of renewables in total installed capacity to 59 percent. This achievement ranks us fifth in Europe and eleventh globally. Our key priorities for reaching our 2053 net zero emission targets are renewable energy, energy efficiency, and nuclear power.”
“THE ZERO WASTE PROJECT STRENGTHENS OUR FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE”
President Erdoğan detailed Türkiye’s energy goals, explaining that the nation aims to increase its installed wind and solar capacity from 31,000 megawatts to 120,000 megawatts by 2035, and that Türkiye targets a nuclear energy capacity of 20,000 megawatts by 2050. “Through our National Energy Efficiency Action Plan for 2024–2030, we anticipate a reduction of 100 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. We continue to expand the use of TOGG, our national electric vehicle. The Zero Waste Project, initiated under the auspices of my wife, Emine Erdoğan, and now elevated to a global level, provides additional strength to our climate struggle. Since the project's inception, we have successfully prevented 5.9 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions,” the President noted. He also highlighted the declaration of a "water efficiency mobilization" to ensure the effective use of water resources and stressed that millions of saplings are planted every November 11, designated as National Afforestation Day. “The economic cost of these efforts is undoubtedly high,” the President acknowledged. “To make our global struggle more powerful and effective, I believe this summit will establish a climate finance goal that meets the specific needs of developing countries.”