Greenhouse gas emissions by Turkey

Coal-fired power stations, such as the ZETES power stations, are the largest source of greenhouse gas.[1]: 459 

Coal, cars and lorries vent more than a third of Turkey's five hundred million tonnes[2]: iii [a] of annual greenhouse gas emissions. They are mostly carbon dioxide and part of the cause of climate change in Turkey. A quarter of the emissions are from electricity generation.[3]: section 4.2.1 

The energy sector, including transport, emitted four hundred million tonnes in 2022.[2]: iv  The nation's coal-fired power stations emit the most carbon dioxide, and other significant sources are road vehicles running on petrol or diesel. After coal[4] and oil the third most polluting fuel is fossil gas; which is burnt in Turkey's gas-fired power stations, homes and workplaces. Much methane is belched by livestock; cows alone produce half of the greenhouse gas from agriculture in Turkey.

Economists say that major reasons for Turkey's greenhouse gas emissions are subsidies for coal-fired power stations,[5]: 18  and the lack of a price on carbon pollution.[6]: 1  The 2022 National Energy Plan forecast that 1.7 GW more local coal power would be connected to the grid by 2030.[7]: 15  Even without a carbon price renewable electricity in Turkey is cheaper than electricity generated by coal and gas,[8] so the Chamber of Engineers says that without subsidies coal-fired power stations would be gradually shutdown. The Right to Clean Air Platform argues that there should be a legal limit on fine airborne dust, much of which comes from car and lorry exhaust. Low-emission zones in cities would both reduce local air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions.

Turkey's share of current global greenhouse gas emissions is 1.3%.[9] Annual per person emissions since the late-2010s have varied around six and a half tonnes,[10] which is about the global average.[11] Although greenhouse gas totals are reported some details, such as the split between cars and lorries, are not published.

The government supports reforestation, electric vehicle manufacturing and low-carbon electricity generation; and is aiming for net zero carbon emissions by 2053. But the long-term plan omits coal phase-out,[3][12] and its nationally determined contribution to the Paris Agreement on limiting climate change is not to reduce emissions but instead an increase of over 30% by 2030.[13] However emissions may have peaked in 2021.[14] Unless Turkey's climate and energy policies are changed the 2053 net zero target will be missed[15] and exporters of high carbon products, such as cement and electricity, will have to pay carbon tariffs.[16] In 2023 there was misinformation about a draft climate law which aims to keep the tariff money within the country by starting carbon emission trading.[17]

  1. ^ Turkish Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990 - 2021 [TurkStat report]. Turkish Statistical Institute (Technical report). 14 April 2023.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :48 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b 2053 long term climate strategy (PDF) (Report). Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change. November 2024.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :49 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Still Not Getting Energy Prices Right: A Global and Country Update of Fossil Fuel Subsidies". IMF. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  6. ^ Steckel, Jan C.; Dorband, Ira I.; Montrone, Lorenzo; Ward, Hauke; Missbach, Leonard; Hafner, Fabian; Jakob, Michael; Renner, Sebastian (23 September 2021). "Distributional impacts of carbon pricing in developing Asia". Nature Sustainability. 4 (11): 1005–1014. Bibcode:2021NatSu...4.1005S. doi:10.1038/s41893-021-00758-8. hdl:1887/3238835. ISSN 2398-9629. S2CID 237611447.
  7. ^ National energy plan (PDF) (Report) (in Turkish). Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. 2022. Mevcut planlanan sahaların rezerv geliştirme sürecinde karşılaşılan sorunlar ve güçlükler dikkate alındığında, 2030 yılına kadar 1,7 GW yerli kömür santralinin sisteme dahil olacağı öngörülmüştür.
  8. ^ "Türkiye Electricity Review 2023". Ember. 13 March 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  9. ^ "EDGAR - The Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research". edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  10. ^ "Greenhouse Gas Emissions Statistics, 1990-2021". Turkish Statistical Institute. 29 March 2023.
  11. ^ "Per capita greenhouse gas emissions". Our World in Data. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  12. ^ "Türkiye iklim yol haritasını paylaştı, 2053'e kadar 'net sıfır' gerçekçi mi?". BBC News Türkçe (in Turkish). 11 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  13. ^ "'The beginning of the end for fossil fuels; Turkey should seize this transformation'". Bianet. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  14. ^ "Electric Insights" (PDF). p. 5.
  15. ^ "Global climate policy forecast predicts 'well below 2°C' Paris Agreement climate goals will be met".
  16. ^ "The Challenge of Decarbonisation and EU-Turkey Trade Relations". German Institute for International and Security Affairs. Retrieved 15 November 2022. The EU's planned carbon border tax .... will affect Turkey's trade relations with the EU if Turkey fails to decarbonise its economy ... Turkish cement and electricity sectors are expected to be the worst affect
  17. ^ "The Climate Question - Why are climate scientists receiving abuse?" (Podcast). BBC Sounds. Event occurs at 2:30. Retrieved 14 November 2023.


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