In the next 20 or 30 years, Turkey will be a greener country that has largely completed its ecological transformation, Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum said Saturday.
Kurum was speaking at an event on the impact of climate change, held at the Dolmabahçe Presidential Office in Istanbul.
The program, Circular Economy and Zero Waste Blue on the Axis of Sustainable Development, was organized by Turkey's Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry, with the support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
Speaking on the decisions taken at Turkey's first climate council in February, the minister said that Turkey is situated in the Mediterranean basin, one of the regions most affected by the impact of climate change.
"We will see a Turkey that would develop its capacity for the green economy in all sectors, and where hundreds of thousands of people would be employed in green sectors."
Kurum said temperature maps show warming across the Mediterranean is about 20% higher than global average, which is why Turkey often experiences the consequences such as wildfires, floods and drought along with global warming.
The fight against climate is not just an environmental issue, but a development issue that deeply affects many sectors, he added.
Touching on the country's road map to reach the 2053 net-zero emissions target, he said all buildings will be energy efficient by 2030 and 100% decarbonization will be achieved in heating and cooling.
