Türkiye had long been a party to international climate commitments, yet it remained behind in translating these obligations into a comprehensive domestic legal framework. Following the ratification of the Paris Agreement in 2021, the country announced its goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2053, marking a critical shift in its climate policy trajectory. The enactment of the Climate Law in July 2025 represents a milestone in Türkiye’s climate governance, offering a new legal and institutional foundation to address climate change across all policy domains.
Legislative Process and the Dynamics Behind the Law
The need for a Climate Law in Türkiye stems not only from environmental concerns but also from the demands of economic transformation, international obligations, and sustainable development goals. The ratification of the Paris Agreement by the Grand National Assembly in 2021 laid the groundwork for Türkiye’s formal legal alignment with global climate goals, particularly the commitment to limit global warming to 1.5°C
The legislative process began with technical studies led by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change. The draft law was made publicly available, inviting input from civil society, the private sector, and academia. The feedback focused heavily on institutional design, emissions trading, and green finance.
The draft bill was submitted to Parliament in early 2025 and subsequently reviewed in detail by relevant specialized committees. Parliamentary discussions centered on the infrastructure for carbon markets, the delineation of responsibilities for local governments, and the operationalization of climate adaptation strategies. With its eventual adoption in the General Assembly, the Climate Law became the first comprehensive legal framework in Türkiye to directly address climate change.
One of the most striking aspects of the law is its multi-sectoral reach: it encompasses not only environmental regulation, but also spans energy, transport, industry, finance, and urban planning. This breadth signifies a paradigm shift in how climate-related policies are to be developed and coordinated across various sectors, pointing toward a new model of integrated climate governance in Türkiye.
Structure and Scope of the Climate Law
Türkiye’s Climate Law, composed of more than 30 articles, is a foundational legislative framework designed to address climate change mitigation and adaptation through institutional, technical, and legal mechanisms. While it functions primarily as a “framework law,” it also contains regulatory provisions with direct legal effect, underscoring its hybrid nature.
The text begins with articles on the “purpose and scope” of the law, followed by definitions and guiding principles. Its stated aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, develop climate adaptation strategies, and clearly assign responsibilities to public institutions, the private sector, and individuals. In this respect, the law is not limited to environmental protection—it also seeks to guide economic transformation.
The definitions section introduces key terminology into the Turkish legal lexicon, including “climate neutrality,” “carbon budget,” “emissions trading,” and “climate adaptation.” These terms aim to create a standardized vocabulary for both public administration and private sector actors. Concepts such as “nationally determined contribution,” “climate risk,” and “climate-friendly technology” are also clarified, reducing potential ambiguities in future implementation.
The law’s scope is notably broad. It does not only govern environmental management, but also impacts areas such as energy production, transportation planning, urban development, industrial operations, agricultural policy, and even public procurement processes. This illustrates that climate action is not solely an ecological imperative but part of a wider economic and social restructuring process.
The Climate Law also provides ample space for secondary legislation and implementing regulations. Critical mechanisms such as the emissions trading system, carbon pricing, reporting standards, and green finance instruments will be operationalized through subsequent regulations. This signals the beginning of an extended legislative and institutional development process following the law’s enactment.
Key Components and Innovations Introduced by the Law
Key Components and Innovations Introduced by the LawTürkiye’s Climate Law establishes a multidimensional framework that not only sets overarching goals but also outlines the mechanisms by which these goals are to be achieved. Several key pillars stand out, each representing a significant step toward institutionalizing climate policy.
- National Climate Strategy and Adaptation Policies
The law formalizes Türkiye’s long-term climate ambitions by making the “2053 net-zero emissions” target legally binding. The National Climate Change Strategy and Adaptation Action Plan is designated as the primary policy document for implementing this goal. Prepared under the coordination of the Ministry, this strategy will be updated every five years and will cover both greenhouse gas mitigation and climate adaptation priorities.
Climate adaptation is regulated as a distinct policy area within the law. It assigns broad responsibilities to public institutions—ranging from water resource management to the planning of coastal cities. In this sense, the law goes beyond emission reduction and emphasizes building a resilient society capable of withstanding both current and future impacts of climate change.
- Institutional Structure and Governance Model
The Climate Law establishes the “Climate Change Coordination Board” as the central body responsible for planning, monitoring, and implementing climate policies. This board is designed as a multi-stakeholder platform, comprising representatives from ministries, local governments, the private sector, academia, and civil society organizations.
In addition, every public institution is mandated to develop and implement its own climate action plan within its jurisdiction. Local governments are also legally required to prepare climate adaptation action plans. This new governance model adopts a multi-level and multi-actor approach to climate management, aiming to balance centralized oversight with local responsibility.
- Emissions Trading System (ETS) and Carbon Market
One of the most notable innovations introduced by the law is the establishment of an Emissions Trading System (ETS) in Türkiye. Under this system, major polluters in specific sectors will be subject to greenhouse gas emission limits. Entities exceeding their emission caps will be required to purchase “emission allowances” from the market. In this way, carbon will carry a financial cost, and emission reductions will be incentivized through market mechanisms.
The specific sectors covered, emission thresholds, and market rules will be determined through secondary legislation to be issued at a later stage. Nevertheless, the legal provision of this framework is seen as a significant step toward aligning Türkiye with global mechanisms such as the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
- Green Finance and Investment Incentives
The Climate Law establishes a legal foundation for green finance instruments to support environmentally sustainable investments. It explicitly adopts the principle of “promoting climate-friendly investments” and mandates that all public investments be evaluated in terms of their alignment with national climate targets.
Moreover, incentives for the private sector will be structured around green criteria. The law provides for the creation of a legal framework for financial tools such as green bonds and sustainable investment certificates. It also introduces obligations for the banking and insurance sectors to assess environmental risks in their operations and portfolios.
Implementation Tools and Enforcement Mechanisms
The effectiveness of the Climate Law depends not only on the establishment of long-term goals but also on the practical implementation and enforcement of these goals. For this reason, the law introduces a range of instruments and obligations designed to operationalize its provisions.
At the same time, it outlines enforcement mechanisms that will be triggered in cases of non-compliance—an essential element to ensure the system functions as intended and to uphold legal accountability.
- Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) System
The law provides for the establishment of a technical infrastructure to enable the monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions, their regular reporting, and independent verification. This MRV system serves as a critical foundation for transparency, accountability, and data-driven decision-making.
The MRV framework is particularly vital for the proper functioning of the emissions trading regime. At the same time, it ensures that Türkiye can fulfill its international reporting obligations in line with global climate agreements.
- Administrative Obligations and Responsibilities of Public Institutions
The law assigns climate-related planning, implementation, and oversight responsibilities to a wide range of public institutions—from central government bodies to local authorities. Ministries are required to prepare climate strategy documents specific to their areas of competence, while municipalities must develop local climate adaptation plans.
Furthermore, climate risk analysis is now mandatory in the environmental assessment of all public projects. This requirement ensures that the climate impact of infrastructure, transportation, and energy projects is considered at an earlier stage of planning and decision-making.
- Private Sector Obligations
The law imposes reporting requirements on private sector entities subject to emission limits, aiming to ensure traceability through the creation of greenhouse gas inventories. Major polluting companies are obligated to declare their annual emissions and undergo independent audits.
In addition, investments seeking access to green finance must align with national climate objectives. This indirect obligation acts as a regulatory incentive, encouraging the private sector to transition toward climate-friendly business models and practices.
Enforcement Mechanisms
In cases of non-compliance, the law establishes enforcement measures that may include administrative fines, suspension of operations, and revocation of permits. Sanctions are particularly stringent for entities that exceed emission limits or provide false declarations.
Furthermore, penalties are also foreseen for actors who, while participating in the carbon trading system, violate market rules. In this respect, the law incorporates not only incentive-based instruments but also deterrent mechanisms to ensure compliance.
Dispute Resolution and Oversight Mechanisms
The law provides access to judicial review in response to administrative sanctions, allowing decisions to be challenged before administrative courts. In addition to audits conducted by the Ministry, oversight authority is also granted to the Court of Accounts and other regulatory bodies.
The results of these audits are intended to be made public, reinforcing the principle of transparency and strengthening accountability in the implementation of climate policies.
Societal and Economic Implications of the Law
The Climate Law is not limited to environmental policy—it has the potential to generate wide-ranging effects at both economic and societal levels by aiming to transform patterns of production, consumption, and governance. This transformation must be evaluated not only from a technical perspective but also through the lens of social justice, equity, and inclusivity.
- Impacts on Industry and Production
Given the industrial and export-driven structure of Türkiye’s economy, businesses operating in carbon-intensive sectors are directly affected by the new obligations introduced by the Climate Law. Industries such as energy, cement, steel, automotive, chemicals, and textiles will face the need to restructure in terms of both emission limits and green transition criteria.
The decarbonization targets will require the modernization of production processes, adoption of low-emission technologies, and the establishment of digital monitoring infrastructures—each of which will demand significant investment. In this context, public support, technology transfer, and incentive policies will play a critical role in enhancing the industrial sector’s capacity to adapt.
- SMEs, Supply Chains, and Competitiveness
Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) are generally more vulnerable than large corporations due to limited financial and technical capacity. While the law does not directly target SMEs, those integrated into the supply chains of larger companies are expected to face indirect obligations such as emissions reporting and carbon footprint accounting.
This dynamic will make sustainable supply chain management a necessity, with environmental performance becoming a key factor in market access—particularly in export-oriented industries. For companies engaged in trade with the European Union, maintaining competitiveness under the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will require rapid compliance with new environmental standards.
- Employment and Just Transition
One of the most debated aspects of climate policy is the future of workers employed in carbon-intensive sectors. By incorporating the principle of “just transition,” the Climate Law provides a legal basis for the transformation of the labor market. However, how this transition will materialize in practice—particularly the pace and quality of new employment opportunities—remains uncertain.
Supporting policies such as workforce retraining, social protection mechanisms, and regional development strategies will need to be implemented in line with the spirit of the law to ensure that the shift toward a low-carbon economy is both inclusive and equitable.
- Local Governments, Urbanization, and Vulnerable Groups
The impacts of climate change are most acutely felt by urban populations and socially vulnerable groups. The Climate Law assigns significant responsibilities to local governments in terms of climate adaptation, requiring that urban planning processes account for factors such as disaster risk, heatwaves, air pollution, and water scarcity.
However, the law does not yet provide sufficiently detailed mechanisms for addressing the needs of vulnerable groups such as rural communities, migrant populations, the elderly, and low-income households. This gap will need to be addressed through secondary legislation and the implementation of inclusive, community-based projects.
Criticisms and Weaknesses
While the adoption of the Climate Law marks a major milestone in Türkiye’s environmental legal framework, it has faced various criticisms since the draft was first released for public consultation. These critiques focus on both the normative structure and the country’s capacity to implement the law, highlighting several structural risks.
- Institutional Capacity and Implementation Challenges
The obligations imposed by the law assign significant responsibilities to numerous public institutions, particularly local governments. However, many of these institutions currently lack sufficient human resources, data infrastructure, and budgetary capacity to implement climate policies effectively. Municipalities in rural areas, in particular, are likely to face major challenges in preparing and executing climate adaptation plans.
Additionally, ambiguities in the distribution of authority between central and local governments may lead to bureaucratic bottlenecks during implementation.
- Transparency, Participation, and Accountability Issues
Although the law emphasizes multi-stakeholder governance, it lacks clear mechanisms to ensure the effective participation of civil society and professional organizations in decision-making processes. Critics have noted that the structure and functioning of the Climate Change Coordination Board may limit public oversight and restrict access to information.
Furthermore, the absence of strong legal provisions requiring the publication of monitoring and evaluation data is seen as a shortcoming in terms of accountability.
- Overreliance on Secondary Legislation
The law defers many critical provisions—such as the structure of the emissions trading system, carbon pricing mechanisms, and investment criteria—to future regulations and communiqués. The absence of clearly defined technical details has raised concerns about potential uncertainty in implementation and excessive discretionary power granted to the executive.
For the legal framework to become functional, ministries must swiftly issue sectoral and thematic regulations. Otherwise, the practical effectiveness of the law may fall short of its intended potential.
- Insufficient Just Transition Mechanisms
Although the principle of “just transition” is mentioned in the law, there is a lack of concrete policy instruments or social protection measures to support its implementation. Key questions remain unanswered, such as how thousands of workers in fossil fuel sectors will be supported during the transition, or how potential job losses will be addressed.
This gap may increase the risks of social resistance and inequality, ultimately undermining the social legitimacy of climate policies.
- Scientific Rigor and Technological Governance
The limited involvement of scientific advisory processes in the preparation of the law has drawn criticism from various expert communities. In particular, concerns have been raised that key components—such as climate modeling, carbon budget calculations, and technology roadmaps—were not sufficiently grounded in robust technical analysis.
Additionally, the lack of integration of digital infrastructure—such as data collection systems, sensor networks, and AI-assisted modeling—into the legislative framework may constrain the law’s compatibility with emerging technologies and modern governance tools.
International Comparative Assessment
By its very nature, combating climate change is a transboundary challenge, and regulatory alignment among countries is a fundamental condition for achieving global climate targets. Türkiye’s Climate Law can be compared in various respects to the climate legislation of both developed economies and emerging nations.
- Alignment with the European Union Climate Law
The European Union’s Climate Law, adopted in 2021, made the goal of climate neutrality by 2050 legally binding. It features a detailed implementation system that includes an intermediate target for 2030 (a 55% reduction in emissions), annual carbon budgets, and mandatory climate adaptation plans.
Türkiye’s Climate Law similarly enshrines a net-zero emissions target for 2053; however, it does not define intermediate milestones such as a 2030 target at the legislative level. Nonetheless, Türkiye’s decision to establish an Emissions Trading System (ETS) is viewed as a strategic step toward alignment with EU trade-linked mechanisms like the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
In addition, while the EU Climate Law emphasizes transparency through scientific advisory boards and independent review bodies, Türkiye’s law currently presents a more limited structure in this regard. Despite this, there is a visible convergence between the two frameworks in terms of integrating green finance instruments and assigning obligations to the private sector.
- Türkiye’s Position Among G20 Countries
Among the G20 nations, only a limited number currently have standalone climate laws in force. Countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and France have long-standing environmental or climate-related framework laws. Other members like Brazil, South Korea, and South Africa implement climate legislation in varying formats and scopes.
In terms of both content and timing, Türkiye’s Climate Law positions the country at a mid-range level among its G20 peers. The law demonstrates strengths in defining technical concepts, initiating a transition to a carbon market, and offering multi-sectoral coverage. However, it still has room for improvement regarding oversight mechanisms, data infrastructure, and clarity of implementation.
Türkiye stands out in the G20 as one of the countries that ratified the Paris Agreement relatively late and introduced climate-specific legislation for the first time. In that sense, its legal approach can be described as “late but comprehensive.”
- Comparison with Emerging Economies
In emerging economies with structural and economic similarities to Türkiye—such as Mexico, Indonesia, and Colombia—climate legislation is often integrated with national development plans. In these countries, the level of implementation largely depends on access to international finance, technical support, and the strength of local political will.
Likewise, Türkiye’s Climate Law aims to strike a balance between environmental protection and economic growth without disregarding the development perspective. In this regard, it presents a hybrid model that could serve as a reference point for other emerging economies seeking to align climate action with broader development goals.
Conclusion and Roadmap
Türkiye’s Climate Law is not merely a new environmental regulation; it establishes the legal foundation for a multi-sectoral, long-term, and multi-stakeholder transformation process. Through this legislation, Türkiye has adopted an institutional and strategic framework to guide its path toward the 2053 net-zero emissions target—redefining the relationships between environment and economy, central and local authorities, as well as public and private sectors.
The law contains several strengths in terms of its substance:
- Anchoring national climate goals in a legal framework
- Defining institutional coordination structures
- Adopting modern instruments such as emissions trading and green finance
- Outlining sector-specific adaptation and mitigation policies
However, the success of its implementation will depend largely on progress in three critical areas:
- Rapid and Transparent Development of Secondary Legislation
Timely preparation of regulations, technical guidelines, and implementation manuals is essential to translate the law into practice.
- Strengthening Institutional Capacity
Public institutions must be supported in terms of personnel, budgets, and technical infrastructure. Local governments, in particular, need easier access to funding to carry out climate adaptation plans effectively.
- Ensuring Public Participation and Oversight
Involving civil society, professional organizations, and academia in both planning and monitoring processes will enhance the law’s social legitimacy and enforceability.
This law represents a structural turning point in Türkiye’s climate policy. If implemented effectively, it could significantly contribute to reducing environmental risks, steering economic transformation, and advancing global climate goals.
Nevertheless, success will not rest solely on legal provisions—it will depend equally on political will, the quality of governance, and broad societal ownership.
The law’s effectiveness hinges on a balanced and transparent implementation process that brings together all three pillars.
TURKISH CLIMATE LAW – KEY COMPONENTS
National Climate Target | 2053 net-zero emissions goal made legally binding
National Strategy | Mandatory climate strategy and adaptation plan to be updated every 5 years
Institutional Coordination | Climate Change Coordination Board and multi-stakeholder structure
Emissions Trading System (ETS) | Cap-and-trade system for businesses emitting greenhouse gases
Green Finance | Incentives and regulatory framework for climate-friendly investments
MRV System | Mechanism for Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification of emissions
Local Governments | Obligation for municipalities to prepare climate adaptation plans
Private Sector Obligations | Emission reporting and environmental performance standards
Enforcement Measures | Sanctions such as fines, permit cancellations, and operational restrictions
Just Transition | Employment support and reskilling to address socio-economic impacts
CLIMATE LAW – POTENTIAL DISPUTE AREAS AND ISSUE HEADINGS
Emission Rights Allocation | Commercial disputes that may arise from the distribution of “carbon quotas” among companies under the ETS
Reporting and Data Accuracy | Legal conflicts and administrative penalties due to incomplete, incorrect, or intentionally falsified emission data
Access to Investment and Incentives | Disputes between public institutions and excluded projects or companies regarding eligibility for green finance
Municipal Obligations | Conflicts between central and local governments over implementation capacity of climate adaptation plans
Public Infrastructure Projects | Lawsuits and objections concerning the cancellation or suspension of new infrastructure investments due to climate impact
Competitive Tensions in the Private Sector | Market exits or allegations of unfair competition by companies unable to bear carbon-related costs
Contractual Compliance Disputes | Conflicts arising from efforts to adapt existing contracts to climate targets
Layoffs and Transition Process | Individual or collective labor disputes stemming from employment reductions in carbon-intensive sectors
Regulatory Uncertainty | Disputes caused by uncertainty in fulfilling obligations due to undefined secondary legislation
Public Oversight and Sanctions | Administrative lawsuits and legal challenges against penalties imposed by public authorities
