Statement by the Climate Network on the Climate Law Proposal Submitted to the Grand National Assembly:
We Demand a Law That Protects Nature, People, and the Climate
Bringing together 15 civil society organisations working on climate in Türkiye, the İklim Ağı (Climate Network) issued a statement on the first Climate Law proposal submitted to the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, highlighting its shortcomings and calling for revision.
For an approach that protects nature, people, and the climate, the Climate Network calls for a Climate Law that is:
- Transparent, inclusive of civil society, and accountable;
- Aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions starting today;
- Committed to keeping fossil fuels underground;
- Protective of biodiversity and natural systems;
- Equipped with a just transition mechanism.
The shortcomings of the draft law that the Climate Network calls to be addressed are as follows:
No civil society, no oversight!
The Climate Law is not merely an environmental regulation; it is also a critical step that will shape the country’s economic and social future. However, during the preparation of the draft law, the views of scientists and civil society organisations (CSOs) working in the field of climate were not consulted. Moreover, CSOs were not included in the boards and mechanisms proposed under the bill. In its current form, the proposal falls short of ensuring oversight and transparency in climate policy.
It does not reduce greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change
Scientists state that to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C, emissions must be rapidly reduced starting today. However, the draft law does not include an absolute emissions reduction target committing to reductions from the present onward. It does not clearly set out the level or pace at which Türkiye will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
No target to phase out coal, oil, and gas consumption
The most critical step in combating climate change is the phase-out of fossil fuels. Yet the draft law contains no target for ending the use of coal, oil, and gas. Instead, it emphasises technologies such as carbon capture and storage, of which’s feasibility has not yet been proven, as mitigation tools, effectively postponing climate action by relying on the future development of these technologies.
The ETS will not serve emissions reduction
The proposal primarily focuses on regulating an Emissions Trading System (ETS). However, an ETS introduced without a clear emissions reduction target risks becoming a shallow emissions market characterized by low carbon prices. In addition, under the “offsetting” method proposed in the current draft, facilities may avoid reducing emissions by engaging in practices such as tree planting instead of paying the cost of their emissions.
Just transition exists in name, but not in mechanism
As fossil fuel-based sectors such as coal-fired power plants are gradually phased out, a just transition mechanism is required to ensure that workers and households whose livelihoods depend on these sectors are not adversely affected. Although the concept of just transition is mentioned in the draft law, no concrete mechanism is provided.
Revenues must be used for the public good, not for companies
There is no provision to ensure that revenues generated through the ETS are used for the benefit of workers and households; instead, revenues are allocated solely to the green transition of the private sector. Yet, as a requirement of climate justice, a mechanism must be defined to compensate individuals for loss and damage caused by the impacts of climate change (such as floods, storms, and forest fires), and this mechanism should be financed through ETS revenues.