Türkiye's First Climate Law Published in the Official Gazette: Law No. 7552 Comes into Effect
Turkey has taken a historic step in its fight against climate change. Law No. 7552 on Climate Change , the country's first comprehensive climate law, has been published in the Official Gazette . This law imposes significant responsibilities on both the public and private sectors in Turkey's journey towards achieving its 2053 net-zero emissions target.
What does the Climate Law bring?
The law was primarily designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create carbon markets, and provide a legal framework for adaptation policies. One of the most notable innovations is the establishment of the Climate Change Presidency. This institution will be responsible for coordinating climate policies.
In addition, climate policies are being integrated into the market through the establishment of systems such as ETS (Emissions Trading System) and SKDM (Border Carbon Adjustment Mechanism).
Main Objectives:
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions,
Determining adaptation strategies,
Establishment of carbon markets,
Authorization of the Climate Change Presidency.
3. Market-Based Regulation through Emission Trading Systems (ETS)
Law No. 7552 mandates that businesses emitting greenhouse gases operate within the limits of their annually allocated emission amounts.
Emission allowances are determined annually.
Businesses are required to submit these allocations with verified reports.
In case of non-compliance, sanctions such as fines and suspension of operations may be imposed.
With the ETS, Türkiye has embarked on a path to establishing a system in line with the European Union regarding carbon emissions.
4. SKDM: Export Carbon Impact Reduction Mechanism
Thanks to the Border Carbon Adjustment Mechanism (BCDM), the carbon footprint of imported products will be taken into account, and additional financial obligations will be imposed on products that do not meet certain criteria.
This is of strategic importance for Türkiye's trade alignment with the EU and its export competitiveness.
5. ETS Revenues, Incentives, and Penalties
With the new law:
ETS revenues will be defined as a special item and can only be spent on green projects.
Fines for violations can range from 120,000 TL to as much as 50 million TL.
In addition to fines, late fees and restrictions on operations may also be applied.
Points to Consider During Implementation
For Public Institutions:
They must create greenhouse gas inventories by the end of 2025.
All public administrations and local governments are obligated to prepare climate adaptation plans by the end of 2027.
These plans should include topics such as water resource management, biodiversity conservation, disaster risk analysis, and local adaptation measures.
Administrative capacity should be developed and budget allocated for compliance with ETS and SKDM systems.
For the Private Sector:
Businesses participating in the ETS program must determine their emission permits and allocations.
Exporters operating in sectors that may be affected by SKDM should develop strategies to reduce their carbon footprint.
Reporting Process in Compliance with ISO 14064 Standard
The effective functioning of the ETS and SKDM systems, implemented in line with Türkiye's 2053 Net Zero target, is possible not only through legal obligations but also through reporting and verification processes that comply with international standards. In this context, businesses should refer to the ISO 14064-1 standard for measuring, monitoring, and reporting greenhouse gas emissions, and ISO 14064-3 for verification processes. This ensures transparency and reliability in both internal audits and international export processes.
Why is it important? Here are 5 key reasons.
Climate policies have been given a legal basis for the first time: Law No. 7552 makes environmental policies mandatory by securing Türkiye's climate goals through legislation.
Market-based regulatory mechanisms have been established: Greenhouse gas reduction will be encouraged through economic tools with applications such as the Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the Self-Defense Mechanism (SDM).
A shared responsibility approach has been adopted for both the public and private sectors: Green transformation is no longer just an environmental task; it has become a corporate and economic responsibility.
Alignment with the EU has been achieved in export-oriented sectors: Compliance with SKDM is a critical step in maintaining the competitiveness of Turkish products in the European market.
The state's oversight and incentive tools have been strengthened: Penalties and the allocation of ETS revenues solely to green projects support the sustainability of the process.
Climate Law No. 7552 is key to not only environmental but also economic and strategic transformation.
Both the public and private sectors will seize the opportunity to increase their competitiveness and reduce adaptation costs the sooner they adapt to this transformation .
What does the Climate Law bring?
The law was primarily designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create carbon markets, and provide a legal framework for adaptation policies. One of the most notable innovations is the establishment of the Climate Change Presidency. This institution will be responsible for coordinating climate policies.
In addition, climate policies are being integrated into the market through the establishment of systems such as ETS (Emissions Trading System) and SKDM (Border Carbon Adjustment Mechanism).
Main Objectives:
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions,
Determining adaptation strategies,
Establishment of carbon markets,
Authorization of the Climate Change Presidency.
3. Market-Based Regulation through Emission Trading Systems (ETS)
Law No. 7552 mandates that businesses emitting greenhouse gases operate within the limits of their annually allocated emission amounts.
Emission allowances are determined annually.
Businesses are required to submit these allocations with verified reports.
In case of non-compliance, sanctions such as fines and suspension of operations may be imposed.
With the ETS, Türkiye has embarked on a path to establishing a system in line with the European Union regarding carbon emissions.
4. SKDM: Export Carbon Impact Reduction Mechanism
Thanks to the Border Carbon Adjustment Mechanism (BCDM), the carbon footprint of imported products will be taken into account, and additional financial obligations will be imposed on products that do not meet certain criteria.
This is of strategic importance for Türkiye's trade alignment with the EU and its export competitiveness.
5. ETS Revenues, Incentives, and Penalties
With the new law:
ETS revenues will be defined as a special item and can only be spent on green projects.
Fines for violations can range from 120,000 TL to as much as 50 million TL.
In addition to fines, late fees and restrictions on operations may also be applied.
Points to Consider During Implementation
For Public Institutions:
They must create greenhouse gas inventories by the end of 2025.
All public administrations and local governments are obligated to prepare climate adaptation plans by the end of 2027.
These plans should include topics such as water resource management, biodiversity conservation, disaster risk analysis, and local adaptation measures.
Administrative capacity should be developed and budget allocated for compliance with ETS and SKDM systems.
For the Private Sector:
Businesses participating in the ETS program must determine their emission permits and allocations.
Exporters operating in sectors that may be affected by SKDM should develop strategies to reduce their carbon footprint.
Reporting Process in Compliance with ISO 14064 Standard
The effective functioning of the ETS and SKDM systems, implemented in line with Türkiye's 2053 Net Zero target, is possible not only through legal obligations but also through reporting and verification processes that comply with international standards. In this context, businesses should refer to the ISO 14064-1 standard for measuring, monitoring, and reporting greenhouse gas emissions, and ISO 14064-3 for verification processes. This ensures transparency and reliability in both internal audits and international export processes.
Why is it important? Here are 5 key reasons.
Climate policies have been given a legal basis for the first time: Law No. 7552 makes environmental policies mandatory by securing Türkiye's climate goals through legislation.
Market-based regulatory mechanisms have been established: Greenhouse gas reduction will be encouraged through economic tools with applications such as the Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the Self-Defense Mechanism (SDM).
A shared responsibility approach has been adopted for both the public and private sectors: Green transformation is no longer just an environmental task; it has become a corporate and economic responsibility.
Alignment with the EU has been achieved in export-oriented sectors: Compliance with SKDM is a critical step in maintaining the competitiveness of Turkish products in the European market.
The state's oversight and incentive tools have been strengthened: Penalties and the allocation of ETS revenues solely to green projects support the sustainability of the process.
Climate Law No. 7552 is key to not only environmental but also economic and strategic transformation.
Both the public and private sectors will seize the opportunity to increase their competitiveness and reduce adaptation costs the sooner they adapt to this transformation .