“The document, which was presented under the slogan ‘Turkey becomes a partner to the solution' has elements which could block a mutual agreement in Copenhagen, rather than helping it,” said a statement from Greenpeace Mediterranean, based in İstanbul. Greenpeace officials further stated that Turkey's strategy document “is weak, shies from the seriousness of the fact of climate change and undermines Turkey's capacity to combat it.” Hilal Atıcı, from Greenpeace Mediterranean, said that they were disappointed that Turkey's proposed emission reduction target is just 7 percent by 2020, and said the country's energy sector targets are behind those of China and the European Union.
According to the national strategy document, Turkey’s emission reduction target is 7 percent total by 2020 if current reduction efforts continue. Several environmental organizations, including Greenpeace Mediterranean and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Turkey), have repeatedly called for Turkey’s emission reduction target to be at least 30 percent by 2020.
Atıcı said that without a target Turkey, a G-20 country, is declaring that it is a “dwarf.” Turkey’s emissions have risen quickly, from 170 million tons in 1990 to 372 million tons in 2007 as its annual per capita income rose from $3,000 in 1990 to $10,000 in 2007. And Turkish officials say the country and its emissions will continue to grow.
The national strategy document also declares that Turkey will also encourage “renewable sources and nuclear energy.”
The document states that Turkey’s short-term target is to focus on “clean” sources of energy in all new buildings and prevent energy waste by using energy more efficiently. “The share of renewables in electrical energy production will be increased to 25 percent by 2020,” the document stated.
Greenpeace Mediterranean stated that in the field of electricity production renewable sources currently comprise 18-19 percent of the total produced energy, a figure that they believe should be increased to at least 30 percent. The NGO also called for Turkey to aim for a target of 20 percent renewable energy usage in both heating and transportation, in parallel with EU targets.
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