The climate crisis, coronavirus pandemic and the energy and food crises due to tensions between countries demonstrated once again the grave importance of the balance between humans and nature. It has become inevitable that countries must use their own means to become self-sufficient, reduce pressure on natural resources and adopt new cyclical development strategies.

In this respect, as emphasized by the reports of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Economic Forum (WEF), World Bank (WB), the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the International Energy Agency (IEA), topics such as climate and the environment assume a more prominent place in the world's agenda. It is important to develop climate and environmental plans and put them into practice for the health of our only life source, planet Earth. In other words, the environment has become a positive element for growth rather than an obstacle to development.

Need for transformation

The world's resources are limited. In addition to that, increased consumption exceeds natural resources' capacity for renewal. This can be tracked with a parameter called "Earth Overshoot Day." It shows that we consume the resources our world provides for one year in a short span like eight months. This situation increases the pressure on the environment. In 2009, the Sweden-based Stockholm Resilience Center found that there are certain limits that are vital for our planet to offer a healthy and secure life. It is determined that many of these limits have been exceeded including when it comes to the nitrogen/phosphor flow, the loss of biodiversity, climate change, the increase in atmospheric aerosol loads, stratospheric ozone depletion, the use of fresh water and the acidification of the oceans. Likewise, the IPCC reports show that human-driven greenhouse gas emissions cause an exceedance of a 1.1 degree Celsius rise in the global temperature value and that there is a possibility of exceeding the 1.5-degree limit in the next five years.

The rising temperatures lead to many changes, especially in the water cycle. It is estimated that the damage caused to the world economy by extreme weather events stemming from climate change, such as the flood disasters in China and Europe or hurricanes that hit the U.S., was over $300 billion in the last year alone. According to the World Bank's assessments, the COVID-19 pandemic, which is a result of environmental degradation, has led to a 3.9% contraction in the world economy in 2020. On the other hand, the losses due to climate change, the effects of which grow each passing day, may reach $23 trillion annually in 2050, which is predicted to be seven times more than the size of the damage caused by COVID-19.

Due to its geographical location, Turkey is among the regions that will be the most affected by climate change. Last year, the country went through a rough time. There were many climate-related disasters across the country, one after another. Some catastrophes reveal the danger of climate change, such as the Marmara Sea mucilage, the biggest forest fires in the country’s history swallowing its south shores, deadly floods in the Black Sea and drought in central and east parts of Turkey. It is also forecasted that the economic impacts of these disasters stand at $700 million. However, none of these disasters are purely ecological or environmental issues; on the contrary, they are also developmental problems.

Risks and opportunities

Today, environmental concerns prompt consumers to act more consciously. We are at a time when Blue Flag beaches and air quality indexes are questioned within the scope of tourism activities and products are analyzed in terms of how friendly they are to the environment and to what extent they are made from recycled materials. Based on this, large manufacturing companies highlight topics like environmental issues, their carbon footprint, water use and eco-labeling in advertising. In other words, Turkey is witnessing both manufacturers and consumers experiencing a period of change.

The country is also changing, developing and transforming in the light of these circumstances. The net-zero target of 2053, which President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan shared with the world public opinion at the 76th session of the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) has become a cornerstone in this sense. This decision and the 2053 target mean Turkey will gradually make extensive changes and structural transformations in a wide area from investment to production, export to employment.

Turkey's great potential is demonstrated through the measures it has implemented like cleaner production, the zero-waste movement and one of the best examples of a circular economy, coupled with applications like the eco-label that reduce the environmental footprints of products and services. Turkey’s domestic all-electric car, Togg, which is planned to hit the roads in 2023, is another sign. The compulsory insulation in buildings provides both comfort and energy conservation. Likewise, the renewable energy investments, a surge in cycling and Turkey's first domestic solar panel manufacturing facility became a source of hope. The widespread use of rooftop solar panels and mandatory rainwater harvesting provided new job opportunities while protecting natural resources.

In particular, Turkey is making the biggest transformation in the energy sector. The country, which has grown more than threefold in renewable energy in the last 20 years, ranks fifth in Europe and 12th in the world in this context. The recent report on Turkey by the U.K.-based think tank Ember states that the solar and wind energy investments in Turkey eliminate the need to import $7 billion in fossil fuels annually, which is a testament to its success in this regard.

From transition to employment

Clear energy, one of the prominent examples of green transition, also creates new employment opportunities. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) announced that employment in the sector reached 12 million worldwide at the end of 2020. It is estimated that 43 million of 122 million jobs in the energy sector will be in the renewable energy sector in 2050. The sector enables more opportunities in terms of gender equality. The female employment rate is 21% in the fossil fuel sector, while in the renewable energy sector the rate stands at 32%. In Turkey, the number of people employed in the renewable energy sector has exceeded 110,000.

Due to the pandemic, private transportation has become popular. As a result, there is exponential growth in the number and the number of users of micromobility vehicles. With the legal regulation developed in the country, a foundation was formed for e-scooters to operate safely. In a short time, it also offered employment to thousands of people.

As the quality of life increases due to healthy nature and clean air, the green transition will provide new opportunities for employment. The expansion of charging stations and the development of durable batteries for the transition to electrification in transportation, storing energy, developing carbon capturing and storage, the surge in cycling and the use of e-scooters, addressing the climate problem and the increase in environmentally friendly product markets will all contribute to new potential employment in many fields. It will also make outstanding contributions to the prosperity of the Turkish people. The International Labour Organization (ILO) predicts that green development will create at least 24 million additional employment opportunities by 2030, which is an important evaluation.

Turkey is willing to take its work to the next level with all its might in accordance with the green development movement and the 2053 goal, and it has a lot to offer in this context. Therefore, the country must start planning the future from today. This is because it is Turkey’s joint responsibility to provide more prosperous conditions than that of today to both current and future generations.