Turkey plans new steps against greenhouse gases


Turkey is accelerating its efforts to fight greenhouse gases with plans to wrap up infrastructural developments before the 2020 implementation of the Paris Agreement as part of efforts to curb global warming.

A more efficient tracking system which monitors the impact of gases on the environment and methods to expand green, eco-friendly spaces in urban areas are among the measures Turkey is taking.

Vehicle gas emissions have a major impact on the increasing greenhouse effect. To curb pollution caused by vehicles, Ankara plans to make a roadmap which is based on a database which tracks pollution levels. The establishment of electric-powered mass transit will also receive incentives in the near future, and networks of eco-friendly electrically powered trains will be expanded, especially in Turkey's larger cities.

Another measure to be taken will be the expansion of designated green spaces in urban neighborhoods. Under the current regulations, residential areas in cities are mandated to have a green space of 10 square meters for each person who lives in the area. That number will increase to 15 square meters, a necessary measure as Turkey's construction boom threatens to reduce the amount of green areas preserved in big cities. Turkey is one of 195 countries which signed the Paris Agreement back in April. The ultimate goal is to see a 20 percent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions between 2020 and 2030.