Climate Network: We Demand a Law That Protects Nature, People and the Climate

The Climate Network, formed by 15 civil society organizations working in the field of climate in Türkiye, stated that the first draft Climate Law submitted to the Turkish Grand National Assembly was inadequate and emphasized that the law should be amended in a way that protects nature, people and the climate.

The Climate Network demands a Climate Law that is transparent, engages civil society in the process, rapidly reduces greenhouse gas emissions starting today, phases out fossil fuels, protects biodiversity and creates a just transition mechanism.

The important shortcomings of the proposed law are as follows:

• No civil society, no supervision: While developing the draft law, opinions of scientists and civil society organizations were not taken, civil society was not engaged in the process and there was no participation in decision-making mechanisms.
• No greenhouse gas emission reduction target: Emissions need to be reduced immediately to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C, but the bill does not set a concrete target.
• A plan to phase out fossil fuels is missing: No plan to phase out coal, oil and gas is presented, while solutions based on unproven carbon capture and storage technologies are proposed.
• Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is not clear: The bill focuses primarily on regulating the ETS. However, if it is introduced without a clear target to reduce emissions, it could end up being a dysfunctional system with low carbon prices. Furthermore, companies could avoid paying the price through offset mechanisms instead of reducing their emissions.
• No concrete mechanism for just transition: Just transition is a mechanism that should be established to ensure that workers and households whose livelihoods depend on fossil fuel-based sectors such as coal-fired power plants do not suffer due to the gradual elimination of these sectors. However, there is no regulation that will secure this process for workers and their families in fossil fuel-dependent sectors.
• The use of revenues is unfair: While the revenues from the ETS are allocated solely to the green transformation of the private sector, no mechanism is defined to provide support to communities affected by the climate crisis.

The Climate Network demands that the law be reconsidered to take these shortcomings into account and that regulations that will protect society be incorporated into the law for an effective climate response.

 About Climate Network

The Climate Network has been established with the participation of organizations such as the European Climate Action Network (CAN Europe), Buğday Association for Supporting Ecological Life, ClientEarth, Nature Association, Greenpeace Türkiye, Law, Nature and Society Foundation (HUDOTO), Climate Change Policy and Research Association (İDPAD), 350 for Climate Association (350 Türkiye), Spatial Justice Association (MAD), Sustainable Economy and Finance Research Association (SEFİA), Clean Air Right Association (THHD), Prosumer Economy Association, TEMA, Turkish Foundation for Combating Erosion, Afforestation and Protection of Natural Habitats (TEMA Foundation), WWF-Turkey (Wildlife Protection Foundation) and Green Thought Association (YDD).