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Climate Change

Climate targets become real only when they reach space, that is, the plan. On this agenda we follow developments on carbon footprint, the Paris Agreement, zero waste and waste of resources from a planning perspective, and update them regularly.

Last updated: 10 November 2026

01Carbon footprint

The Climate Law (No. 7552) entered into force on publication in the Official Gazette on 9 July 2025.
Türkiye's Emissions Trading System Regulation entered into force on 27 August 2026. The system starts with a pilot phase covering installations emitting more than 50,000 t CO₂e a year.
Covered operators submit their first monitoring plans within two months of entry into force.

For planning: Urban form, transport and the building stock set most of the carbon load. Density, mixed use and public transport are decided at the planning stage.

02Paris Agreement

COP31 takes place in Antalya on 9–20 November 2026, under a partnership presidency of Türkiye and Australia.
Türkiye's second NDC: from a projected 695 million tonnes in 2030 down to 643 million tonnes CO₂e in 2035; net zero by 2053.
The US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement took effect on 27 January 2026.
As of July 2026, about a quarter of Parties (45 countries) had not yet submitted a new NDC.

For planning: National targets stay on paper unless they reach country, basin and city plans. Adaptation and mitigation decisions need a spatial counterpart.

03Zero waste

The Zero Waste movement began in 2017; about 90 million tonnes of waste were recovered by the end of 2025.
The recovery rate reached 37.53% in 2025; the 2035 target is 60%.
30 March is observed by the United Nations as the International Day of Zero Waste.

For planning: Siting collection, sorting and recovery facilities is a planning decision. Circular-economy areas should be defined in zoning plans from the outset.

04Waste of resources

According to UNEP's Food Waste Index 2024, 1.05 billion tonnes of food were wasted in 2022, about one fifth of the food available to consumers.
Households waste an average of 79 kg of food per person a year, while 783 million people face hunger.
Wasting water, soil and energy is the common result of demand that exceeds the limits of the resource; the Aral Sea is one of the clearest examples.

For planning: Demand has no limit; resources do. The plan is the instrument that recognises this limit and brings the measure down to space.

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Sources

T.C. Resmî Gazete / Alo Maliye (2025). 7552 sayılı İklim Kanunu, 9 Temmuz 2025. www.alomaliye.com
Foreks (2026, 27 Ağustos). Türkiye Emisyon Ticaret Sistemi yürürlüğe girdi. www.foreks.com
UNFCCC. The Road to Antalya (COP31). unfccc.int
T.C. İklim Değişikliği Başkanlığı (2025). Minister Kurum announces Türkiye's NDC at COP30. iklim.gov.tr
E&E News (2026). So long, Paris: US officially leaves landmark climate pact. www.eenews.net
Climate Home News (2026, 6 Ağustos). Quarter of countries still missing UN climate plans 18 months after deadline. www.climatechangenews.com
Alo Maliye (2026, 30 Mart). Sıfır Atık hareketinde yeni bilanço: 90 milyon ton atık ekonomiye kazandırıldı. www.alomaliye.com
UNEP (2024). Food Waste Index Report 2024 – key messages. wedocs.unep.org