Environmental Policies
#41Key Findings
With relatively underdeveloped conservation regimes, Turkey falls into the SGI 2022’s lowest position (rank 41) with regard to environmental policies. Its score on this measure has declined by 0.5 points relative to 2014.
Turkey has established ambitious goals in areas including pollution control, waste management and combating climate change. However, enforcement remains weak. Management of the ongoing economic crises has taken precedence over efforts to achieve a sustainable economy.
Energy consumption produces 72% of the country’s emissions, with industrial enterprises and product use contributing another 13.4%. Turkey is building its first nuclear power plant. The government tends to disregard judicial decisions on environmental impact when pursuing controversial projects, such as the construction of the Canal Istanbul connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara.
Turkey ratified the Paris Agreement in 2021. Although the country struggles to manage its own waste, it has become a collector of waste from industrial countries, including some Southeast Asian countries.
Turkey has established ambitious goals in areas including pollution control, waste management and combating climate change. However, enforcement remains weak. Management of the ongoing economic crises has taken precedence over efforts to achieve a sustainable economy.
Energy consumption produces 72% of the country’s emissions, with industrial enterprises and product use contributing another 13.4%. Turkey is building its first nuclear power plant. The government tends to disregard judicial decisions on environmental impact when pursuing controversial projects, such as the construction of the Canal Istanbul connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara.
Turkey ratified the Paris Agreement in 2021. Although the country struggles to manage its own waste, it has become a collector of waste from industrial countries, including some Southeast Asian countries.
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How effectively does environmental policy in your country protect and preserve the sustainability of natural resources and environmental quality?
10
9
9
Environmental policy goals are ambitious and effectively implemented as well as monitored within and across most relevant policy sectors that account for the largest share of resource use and emissions.
8
7
6
7
6
Environmental policy goals are mainly ambitious and effectively implemented and are monitored within and across some of the relevant policy sectors that account for the largest share of resource use and emissions.
5
4
3
4
3
Environmental policy goals are neither particularly ambitious nor are they effectively implemented and coordinated across relevant policy sectors.
2
1
1
Environmental concerns have been largely abandoned.
The Turkish government does not generally follow eco-friendly policies. The ongoing economic crises in Turkey make a sustainable economy secondary. Although some positive steps have been taken, such as the ratification of the Paris Agreement on climate change in November 2021, enforcement remains weak, especially in the areas of waste management and industrial pollution. According to TURKSTAT (2021) data, greenhouse gas emissions totaled 506.1 million metric tons in 2019. The largest contributor to emissions is energy consumption, with a 72.0% share, followed by industrial enterprises and product use at 13.4%, agricultural activities at 11.2%, and waste at 3.4%.
Some of Turkey’s strategic goals appear very ambitious. Under Goal 1.1, “Protecting the environment and nature, preventing pollution, combating climate change,” the ministry aims to achieve several far-reaching targets by 2023. These include plans to expand its zero-waste policy, separate waste at the source, provide recycling services to businesses, and provide solid waste and wastewater treatment services to all citizens.
The Ministry of the Environment and Urban Planning outlined several aims in its strategic plan for 2018 – 2022. These aims focus on protecting the environment and nature, preventing pollution and combating climate change; monitoring and controlling environments to improve environmental quality; accelerating environmental impact assessment processes for investments; and spatial planning and urban transformation for disaster resilient, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly construction projects. While these aims can be related to certain sectors theoretically, it is not obvious from the ministry’s annual activity report how the ministry has connected these aims with the relevant sectors, including in its policymaking, policy implementation and the assessment of outcomes
Turkey is currently building its first nuclear power plant, in Akkuyu. What is worrisome about environmental policy is the government’s disregard of judicial decisions relating to controversial projects with high levels of impact. The Canal Istanbul project, which will connect the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, is one of these projects. The government is seeking to build the canal despite its immense costs and its very serious impact on the environment.
Citations:
OECD. “OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: TURKEY.” 2019. http://www.oecd.org/env/country-reviews/Highlights-Turkey-2019-ENGLISH-WEB.pdf.
Voice of America. “Paris Anlaşması 10 Kasım’da yürürlüğe giriyor,” November 4, 2021. https://www.amerikaninsesi.com/a/paris-anlasmasi-10-kasim-da-yururluge-giriyor/6299485.html
TURKSTAT. “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Statistics, 1990-2019,” March 30, 2021.
https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Greenhouse-Gas-Emissions-Statistics-1990-2019-37196
Some of Turkey’s strategic goals appear very ambitious. Under Goal 1.1, “Protecting the environment and nature, preventing pollution, combating climate change,” the ministry aims to achieve several far-reaching targets by 2023. These include plans to expand its zero-waste policy, separate waste at the source, provide recycling services to businesses, and provide solid waste and wastewater treatment services to all citizens.
The Ministry of the Environment and Urban Planning outlined several aims in its strategic plan for 2018 – 2022. These aims focus on protecting the environment and nature, preventing pollution and combating climate change; monitoring and controlling environments to improve environmental quality; accelerating environmental impact assessment processes for investments; and spatial planning and urban transformation for disaster resilient, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly construction projects. While these aims can be related to certain sectors theoretically, it is not obvious from the ministry’s annual activity report how the ministry has connected these aims with the relevant sectors, including in its policymaking, policy implementation and the assessment of outcomes
Turkey is currently building its first nuclear power plant, in Akkuyu. What is worrisome about environmental policy is the government’s disregard of judicial decisions relating to controversial projects with high levels of impact. The Canal Istanbul project, which will connect the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, is one of these projects. The government is seeking to build the canal despite its immense costs and its very serious impact on the environment.
Citations:
OECD. “OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: TURKEY.” 2019. http://www.oecd.org/env/country-reviews/Highlights-Turkey-2019-ENGLISH-WEB.pdf.
Voice of America. “Paris Anlaşması 10 Kasım’da yürürlüğe giriyor,” November 4, 2021. https://www.amerikaninsesi.com/a/paris-anlasmasi-10-kasim-da-yururluge-giriyor/6299485.html
TURKSTAT. “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Statistics, 1990-2019,” March 30, 2021.
https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Greenhouse-Gas-Emissions-Statistics-1990-2019-37196
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To what extent does the government actively contribute to the design and advancement of global environmental protection regimes?
10
9
9
The government actively contributes to international efforts to design and advance global environmental protection regimes. In most cases, it demonstrates commitment to existing regimes, contributes to their being advanced and has introduced appropriate reforms.
8
7
6
7
6
The government contributes to international efforts to strengthen global environmental protection regimes. It demonstrates commitment to existing regimes and occasionally contributes to their being advanced and/or has introduced some appropriate reforms.
5
4
3
4
3
The government demonstrates commitment to existing regimes, but does not contribute to their being advanced and has not introduced appropriate reforms.
2
1
1
The government does not contribute to international efforts to strengthen global environmental protection regimes.
Turkey’s Climate Change Action Plan 2011 – 2023 stresses its adherence to international commitments, standards, and measures and foresees increasing cooperation with international actors, especially in the fields of combating climate change and improving energy efficiency, along with an active role in international activities more generally.
Reservations based on national concerns complicated negotiations over the Paris Agreement on climate change. Although Turkey struggles to manage its waste, it has become a collector of waste from industrial countries, including some southeast Asian countries.
Due to public pressure, Turkey banned the import of mixed plastics in 2021. In December 2020, Turkey introduced a ban on the import of mixed plastics as of 2021, but it has not ratified the Basel Convention 2019 Amendment. Similarly, the National Biodiversity strategy had not yet been legislatively implemented, although wastewater treatment capacity has been greatly expanded. In the 2022 Climate Change Performance Index, Turkey was ranked at 42nd place out of 60 countries. Turkey is not part of the Aarhus or Espoo conventions, but is part of the EU sea basin strategy, the Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea (CMA). This was endorsed by a ministerial declaration in May 2019, and seeks to improve marine health and coastal ecosystems in the Black Sea.
Citations:
Climate Change Performance Index. 2021. https://ccpi.org/country/tur/
European Commission. “Turkey Report 2021. Commission Staff Working Document.” October 19, 2021. https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/turkey-report-2021_en
Reservations based on national concerns complicated negotiations over the Paris Agreement on climate change. Although Turkey struggles to manage its waste, it has become a collector of waste from industrial countries, including some southeast Asian countries.
Due to public pressure, Turkey banned the import of mixed plastics in 2021. In December 2020, Turkey introduced a ban on the import of mixed plastics as of 2021, but it has not ratified the Basel Convention 2019 Amendment. Similarly, the National Biodiversity strategy had not yet been legislatively implemented, although wastewater treatment capacity has been greatly expanded. In the 2022 Climate Change Performance Index, Turkey was ranked at 42nd place out of 60 countries. Turkey is not part of the Aarhus or Espoo conventions, but is part of the EU sea basin strategy, the Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea (CMA). This was endorsed by a ministerial declaration in May 2019, and seeks to improve marine health and coastal ecosystems in the Black Sea.
Citations:
Climate Change Performance Index. 2021. https://ccpi.org/country/tur/
European Commission. “Turkey Report 2021. Commission Staff Working Document.” October 19, 2021. https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/turkey-report-2021_en