President Erdoğan: “Our main priorities for the 2053 net zero emission targets are renewable energy, energy efficiency, and nuclear energy.”

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated at the UN Climate Change Framework Convention 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) World Leaders Climate Action Summit (WLCAS), “We have increased the share of renewable energy in total installed capacity to 59%. With this rate, we are 5th in Europe and 11th in the world. Our key priorities for achieving net zero emissions by 2053 are renewable energy, energy efficiency, and nuclear energy.”

President Erdoğan spoke at the COP29 World Leaders Climate Action Summit (WLCAS) of the UN Climate Change Framework Convention. He said, “I would like to especially congratulate my brother President Ilham Aliyev for this successful organization and sincere hospitality, and we are indeed among the countries most affected by the negative impacts of the climate crisis in such a meaningful meeting. We are transforming our key sectors in line with our vision for net zero emissions by 2053 and Green Development. Our efforts to implement the green finance strategy and establish a national green taxonomy are ongoing. We will soon submit our climate law, which includes an emissions trading system, to our Parliament.”

“Our key priorities for achieving net zero emissions by 2053 are renewable energy, energy efficiency, and nuclear energy”

President Erdoğan stated that they submitted a two-year transparency report and long-term climate strategies to the secretariat before COP29, saying, “We have initiated our Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategy Action Plans, covering the years 2024-2030. We have increased the share of renewable energy in total installed capacity to 59%. With this rate, we are 5th in Europe and 11th in the world. Our key priorities for achieving net zero emissions by 2053 are renewable energy, energy efficiency, and nuclear energy. We aim to increase our installed capacity of wind and solar energy, currently at 31 thousand megawatts, to 120 thousand megawatts by 2035. In nuclear energy, we aim to reach a capacity of 20 thousand megawatts by 2050.”

“We have prevented 5.9 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions”

Erdoğan expressed that they foresee a reduction of 100 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions with Turkey’s National Energy Efficiency Action Plan covering the years 2024-2030, stating, “We continue to promote our electric national car Togg. The ‘Zero Waste’ project initiated under the patronage of my wife Emine Erdoğan and taken to a global level adds strength to our fight against climate change. Thus, we have prevented 5.9 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions since the start of the project. We declare a water efficiency mobilization for the effective use of our water resources. Every November 11, designated as National Afforestation Day, we bring millions of saplings together with the soil. Of course, all these efforts come at a very high economic cost. I believe that a climate financing target that will respond to the needs of especially developing countries will be determined at this summit to make our global struggle stronger and more effective,” he said.

“Israel’s unlawful, immoral, and inhumane attacks targeting Palestine and Lebanon continue”

Recalling that they accepted the Future Pact at the 79th United Nations General Assembly to build a fair, sustainable, and nature-respecting world for future generations, Erdoğan said, “While we talk about leaving a more just world for future generations here today, Israel’s unlawful, immoral, and inhumane attacks targeting Palestine and Lebanon continue. The current government, unfortunately, continues to massacre people without distinction between children, women, and the elderly, leading to a great environmental disaster. The chemicals that have seeped into the soil and underground waters due to Israeli attacks have already darkened the future of Gazan children. We believe that those responsible for this severe humanitarian and environmental catastrophe should be held accountable in international courts.”
Erdoğan stated, “We have announced our candidacy to host the 2026 United Nations Climate Change 31st Conference of the Parties. I thank the countries that support our candidacy and look forward to the support of those currently evaluating it.”