Energy Cafe: Turkey’s Climate Dilemma

Speakers

Dr. Umit Sahin, IPC Climate Change Cluster Coordinator

Dr. Eda Acara, IPC Climate Change Cluster Researcher

Abstract:

Turkey’s climate policy reveals a complex mix of low targets and contradictory promises. Despite being one of the world’s top 20 greenhouse gas emitters, home to significant biodiversity hotspots, and highly vulnerable to climate extremes, Turkey continues to delay serious climate commitments. This talk critically examines Turkey’s climate policy trajectory, from its early international pledges to its current, often inadequate, strategies for addressing climate change. A strong focus on development driven by a carbon-heavy economy, a lack of political will for economic transformation, and deepening social and economic inequalities have resulted in a fragmented and contradictory approach to climate action. Finally, we will introduce the work of the Climate Change Cluster at the Istanbul Policy Center (Sabancı University) and discuss how evidence-based policy initiatives, such as those of the IPC Climate Change Cluster, are working to bridge these gaps.