Türkiye in the Fight against Climate Change: Economic and Political Impacts of the European Green Deal

Climate change refers to long-term changes in temperature and weather patterns. These changes may be caused by natural events or human activities. Unfortunately, human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels, have been the main cause of climate change since the 1800s. To create a more livable and sustainable world, society has recognized the importance of addressing climate change and is attempting to prevent irreversible damage through various agreements. Our country's first step in the international fight against climate change was joining the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2004. Later, in 2016, the Paris Agreement was signed, and Turkey's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2053 was established. When the European Green Deal took effect in 2019, aiming to reduce Europe's greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, the serious economic and political effects of climate change began to emerge. In our study, we will evaluate the production-based CO₂ emission values of our country and EU countries within the framework of the following criteria, in parallel with the "Fit for 55" criteria adopted by European Union countries in 2021 as a continuation of the European Green Deal: the proportion of renewable energy resources in total energy resources; the amount of CO₂ emissions caused by agricultural, forestry, and fishing activities; and the amount of CO₂ emissions caused by transportation and storage activities.