Turkey to gather a climate change council at the start of next year

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Turkey plans to organize a council at the beginning of next year to combat climate change, Minister of Environment and Urbanization Murat Kurum said yesterday (October 4).

Attending a series of meetings in Milan, Italy being held in preparation for the COP26UN climate conference to be held in Glasgow in November, Kurum said climate change is not just an environmental issue, but also a development issue, with deep impacts on many sectors, as well as a national security issue.

Warning that climate migration could be triggered because of disasters such as global warming, floods, forest fires, drought, and desertification, Kurum said these would occur with an increase in average global temperatures of just 1.1 Celsius degrees.

"If we cannot stop this increase and its negative effects, it will massively affect the future of our world," he cautioned.

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Noting Turkey's net zero carbon emissions target for 2053, Kurum said reaching this goal would require sequestering greenhouse gases, especially those originating from fossil fuels from the atmosphere.

Kurum emphasized they would maximize active participation of not only the government but also non-state actors, civil society and the private sector in the fight against climate change, aiming for net zero emissions.

He also said work in Turkey continues for a climate law and the establishment of an emissions trading system.

"We have prepared our action plan for the European Green Deal, which we believe will lead to radical changes in the investment, production, and employment policies of our country, which are moving towards its 2023 targets," he said. (TP/VK)