Climate Law Proposal

On 20.02.2025, the Climate Law Proposal (Law Proposal) was submitted to the Presidency of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. The Law Proposal envisages various regulations in terms of combating climate change. The main ones are summarized below:

• In the Law Proposal, the procedures and principles of greenhouse gas emission reduction and climate change adaptation activities, which are essential in combating climate change, as well as planning and implementation tools, revenues, permits and supervision, and the legal and institutional framework related to them were regulated.
• The main principles and guidelines for combating climate change were announced.
• Greenhouse gas emission mitigation activities and climate change adaptation activities were envisaged, and in this context planning and implementation tools were defined.
• Provisions on carbon pricing and the establishment of an Emissions Trading System (ETS) were introduced.
• Special revenue and revolving fund regulations were announced to combat climate change. Within the scope of the Law Proposal, revenues such as certain rates of administrative fines and contributions from international carbon markets will be recorded as special revenues to the general budget.
• Sanctions such as monitoring greenhouse gas emissions, imposing various administrative fines depending on the type and scope of the act, and in some cases imposing activity restrictions on those violating prohibitions or limitations on ozone-depleting substances and fluorinated greenhouse gases.
• Additionally, provisions have been introduced for imposing allocation delivery restrictions, permit revocations, and additional penalties on businesses that fail to comply with ETS obligations, with escalating penalties for repeated violations.
• It was regulated that the authority to inspect the acts subject to administrative sanctions belongs to the Presidency of Climate Change, and on-site inspections and inspections are carried out by the provincial organization of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change when necessary.

The Law Proposal is expected to be discussed in the commissions, submitted to the general assembly and enacted into law.