Turkey calls on equal share of burden on climate change

ANKARA

The burden of the global fight against climate change should be shared equally in a bid to strengthen humanity’s struggle, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, vowing that Turkey will decisively endure its efforts towards a full green transformation.

“Climate change is a global phenomenon, but unfortunately countries are not acting on an equal footing. We see developing and developed countries and I do believe the sharing of the burden among these countries should be created on an equal manner. And this is going to strengthen our fight against climate change,” Erdoğan told the Leaders’ Summit on Climate Change held by U.S. President Joe Biden on April 22.

Turkey has signed but not ratified the 2015 Paris Climate Convention and is the only member of the G20 that has not ratified it yet.

Having not ratified it, Erdoğan explained that Turkey is decisively continuing its efforts to reduce carbon emissions and boost renewable energies in line with its national plans. He explained that a recent massive economic reform plan launched by his government has prioritized green transformation.

“No government or no sector can realize such a large transformation on their own and we know this very clearly. Starting from green transformation and in other areas, we do believe that strategic cooperation has to be established at the global level,” he said.

Turkey does not have much responsibility in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and wants to be “evaluated at an equal footing in relation to the global climate change regime,” Erdoğan said.

“We will be continuing to participate in the global climate efforts on the equal footing with other countries at the same economic level,” he added.

Erdoğan also stressed that Biden’s efforts to this end will be appreciated globally.