Turkey boosts fight against climate change by ratifying Paris agreement
Turkish lawmakers unanimously approve the Paris Climate Agreement to join the global fight against climate change.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament as he attends the reopening of the Turkish parliament after the summer recess in Ankara, Turkey, on October 1, 2021.
Turkey ratified the Paris climate accord, joining the global fight against climate change weeks before the start of a key summit in Glasgow, Scotland.
The agreement was ratified unanimously by 353 members of Parliament present who voted on Wednesday
The approval comes ahead the climate summit, known as Cop26, which begins on October 31 and aims to encourage nations to take stronger action to curb climate change.
It also comes on the heels of a series of natural disasters and extreme weather events that have hit the country and have been largely blamed on climate change, including drought, the worst wildfires in its history and deadly floods.
Climate experts have warned that the Mediterranean basin, that includes Turkey, faces the risk of severe drought and desertification.
The Paris Agreement’s stated goal is to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. The world has already warmed 1.2 degrees Celsius since that time.
Curbing emissions
Under the agreement, nations are expected to set greenhouse gas emission-reducing actions, depending on their economic status.
Turkey’s intended nationally determined contribution was a reduction of 21 percent by 2030 from a projected emission of 1,175 million tons to 929 million tons.
In 2012, total CO2 emissions in Turkey were around 440 million tons with the energy sector releasing 70.2 percent of those emissions.
Ankara has said Turkey’s greenhouse gas emissions are lower than European Union and OECD averages and is responsible for 0.7 percent of global emissions.
It has also said the country has financial and technological constraints in combating climate change, and wants access to funds and technology to reach targets.
Turkey relies on imported fuel and natural gas along with coal-burning and hydroelectric power plants for its energy needs.
However, it has ample opportunities to tap renewable energy resources, environmental groups say.
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