Ankara is considering implementing a comprehensive law to fight against climate change. Parliament is expected to pass the country's climate law this year, said Murat Kurum, the minister of environment, urbanization and climate change, on Thursday.
The country has accelerated its steps in the fight against climate change with the ratification of the Paris Agreement in October 2021 when its pledge to be net zero by 2053 was confirmed.
"We will also complete our updated nationally determined contributions and the country's long-term climate strategy by the end of 2022," he said during his address at the Environment Forum organized by Anadolu Agency (AA).
The country is expected to submit its updated nationally determined contributions at this year's U.N. Climate Change Conference, also known as COP27, which will take place in November in Egypt. He also said Türkiye has been carrying out its largest environmental mobilization effort through the Zero Waste Project, which has grown into a global initiative, in order to prevent environmental pollution and to spread the culture of saving. Last month, Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres signed a goodwill document to extend Türkiye’s Zero Waste Project globally. "The high environmental sensitivity of our ancient civilization is riveted by the 2053 net zero emission target and green development targets set by our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan," he added.
Earlier, ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) lawmaker Veysel Eroğlu, who heads the Committee for Investigating Global Climate Change in Parliament, told media outlets that the law would likely be put before Parliament in January or February 2023. Eroğlu was quoted by the Milliyet newspaper as saying that the committee and relevant authorities have already made a series of suggestions, regulations and recommendations on tackling climate change. The law, which will concentrate on preventing the challenges posed by climate change while championing green production and a sustainable economy, aims to contribute to the struggle against the global crisis. Last year, the country added the title "climate change" to its environment ministry, to streamline the efforts against climate change, which manifests itself in various forms in Türkiye, particularly through droughts and aggravated fallout from natural disasters.