Türkiye

Last updated: September 2024

The country is one of the priority countries with which the International Climate Initiative (IKI) maintains a particularly close cooperation.

With its 85 million inhabitants, Türkiye has a high potential for economic development and is an important player in the region. The country has many opportunities for generating electricity from renewable energy sources, yet Türkiye is still dependent on fossil fuels.

In addition, the country is particularly vulnerable to the consequences of climate change, which can hamper the country's social and economic development.

Türkiye’s climate and biodiversity policy is gaining importance. International pressure to intensify global climate action, predictable changes in the economic framework conditions as well as the economic and social impacts of forest fires, floods and marine pollution are the reasons for the increased commitment of the Turkish government to climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. Türkiye is currently the 14th largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world.

The war in Ukraine and the associated vulnerability of the (fossil) energy supply also emphasise the urgency of climate change mitigation measures that ensure energy security at stable and affordable prices.

The issue of biodiversity conservation is also gaining political importance in Türkiye.

As a country suffering severely from the impacts of climate change when compared to other OECD countries, Türkiye has entered into ambitious climate action obligations: In October 2021, the country ratified the 2021 Paris Agreement and committed to climate neutrality by 2053. However, if this goal is to be achieved, the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) presented by Türkiye at the COP27 must step-up its already ambitious efforts.

A national climate protection law is to be passed in 2024. The National Energy Plan 2035 envisages a significant expansion of renewable energies; at the same time, Türkiye is increasing investments in domestic lignite and gas production.
The thematic priority in the cooperation with Türkiye is the IKI funding area for the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, especially with regard to monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) systems, in the field of climate finance and in supporting the development of an ETS.

The Turkish Ministry of Environment and Urbanisation is supporting a bilateral project on MRV for greenhouse gas emissions in the implementation of the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP).

The IKI additionally flanks an untied financial credit provided by the German government with investment cost subsidies within the framework of a climate financing project, thus ensuring particularly ambitious and innovative climate action measures in Türkiye. This applies in particular to the areas of energy efficiency and renewable energies.

Furthermore, Türkiye is involved in regional and global projects, especially in the energy sector and in the mobilisation of climate financing.

Interface project

Most priority countries of the IKI also engage in so-called IKI interface projects, which have permanent project offices in the capital city of the respective country. Alongside their own, country-specific project commission, these interface projects are also tasked with maintaining close contact to environment and climate ministries as well as networking with other relevant ministries in the field of climate and biodiversity policy. Beyond this, the interface projects also work to network all of the IKI projects in the country and region together so as to promote synergies.

In Türkiye, the interface function is currently represented by the project Turkish German Cooperation for integrated Climate and Biodiversity Action.

Project priorities

Support in the areas of climate protection and biodiversity policy and climate financing
NDC monitoring and reporting at national and sectoral level
Promotion of biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration initiatives
Function as an IKI interface: Promotion of dialogue on climate and biodiversity between the IKI projects in the country and between other stakeholders (networking opportunities and knowledge management).

Project contact

iki-turkiye(at)giz.de

Insights into the project work

All projects in the country

In a nutshell

Region: Asia/Europe

Population: 85.3 million (World Bank, 2023)

CO₂eq emissions (incl. LUCF): 513.7 million t (ClimateWatch, 2021)

CO₂eq emissions per capita (incl. LUCF): 6.1 t (ClimateWatch, 2021)

Total energy supply (IRENA, 2021):

16 % RE (13 % Bioenergy - 22 % Hydro/marine - 12 % Wind - 9 % Solar - 44 % Geothermal)
27 % Oil
31 % Gas
26 % Coal + others

IKI projects in the country (last updated: April 2024)

bilateral projects: 2 ongoing, 7 completed
regional projects: 2 ongoing, 2 completed
global projects: 2 ongoing, 2 completed

ClimateWatch

NDC partnership: country page

Partner ministry:

Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change (MoEUCC)

The IKI Strategy

The IKI wants to maximise its impact on climate action and biodiversity conservation. To this end, it concentrates its funding activities on prioritised fields of action within the four funding areas. Another key element is the close cooperation with selected partner countries, especially with the IKI’s priority countries.

Click here for the IKI Strategy