Government to support municipalities’ eco-friendly projects: Minister

ANTALYA

The government will provide financial support to the tune of 37 billion Turkish Liras ($2.7 billion) to municipalities’ climate-friendly projects, Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum has announced.

As part of those supports, electric and hybrid vehicles will be donated to municipalities, said Kurum in concluding remarks at a three-day event, “Turkey: On Path to Green Development,” held in the southern province of Antalya.

A 10-article communique was released at the end of the gathering where officials from the ministry’s 27 departments made presentations.

At the consultation meeting, short, medium and long-term goals were set, and strategic decisions, which concern all industries, were taken, the minister said, noting that preparations for the Climate Law will be finalized in six months.

More green financing will be made available for the projects to be implemented in the country’s provinces and people will be encouraged to use eco-friendly vehicles and dwellings, he noted.

The construction of climate-friendly buildings will be encouraged, and new structures will be equipped with such technologies, according to the minister.

Waste heat from industrial plants will be recovered to be used for heating in homes and businesses and under this project, peoples’ heating costs will decline as much as 30 percent, Kurum added, noting that the Strategy Paper for Green Transformation in Heating will be unveiled.

Climate warning systems will be installed in all 81 provinces of the country in city centers through the National Climate Portal, he also said.

According to the communique, the Housing Development Administration (TOKİ) will complete the construction of 150,000 climate-friendly dwellings, compatible with zero-waste policies.

“By 2023, 3,000 kilometers of bicycle tracks, 3,000 kilometers of green walking trails, 60 kilometers of eco-friendly streets will be built, and 60,000 square meters of sound barriers will be installed,” he said.

Kurum recalled that authorities are monitoring the emissions from 20,000 chimneys of 8,000 industrial establishments, and fines collected from polluters will be extended to industrial plants, which employ clean technologies, as incentives.

As part of efforts to fight climate change, the government will prioritize work on reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, he noted.

Under the Zero Waste Program, the recovery rate reached 22.4 percent, but it will climb up to 30 percent in 2023 and when the target of 60 percent recovery rate is met in 2035, its contribution to the economy will be 90 billion liras and 200,000 jobs will be created, Kurum said.