ÇEVKO Foundation Interview Held

ÇEVKO Foundation Dialogue Held ÇEVKO Foundation Dialogues continue in 2023. In cooperation with the Global Warming Congress Committee, the first of this year's dialogues prepared by ÇEVKO Foundation's Climate Change and Sustainability Working Group was held under the title "Recent Developments in Climate Change, Green Deal and Sustainability." The speakers at the meeting were academics and a young climate activist who is a university student. The dialogue, moderated by Global Warming Congress Committee Chair Celal Toprak and attended by ÇEVKO Foundation General Secretary Mete İmer, included speakers Paris Bosphorus Institute Chair Bahadır Kaleağası, Kadir Has University Faculty Member Dr. Aslıhan Erbaş Açıkel and Kadir Has University Climate Ambassador Ayça Sezer. Through ÇEVKO Foundation Dialogues, ÇEVKO Foundation addresses the climate crisis in all its aspects. In cooperation with the Global Warming Congress Committee, the first of this year's dialogues prepared by ÇEVKO Foundation's Climate Change and Sustainability Working Group was held under the title "Recent Developments in Climate Change, Green Deal and Sustainability." Held on the Zoom platform, the dialogue was moderated by Global Warming Congress Committee Chair Celal Toprak, while ÇEVKO Foundation General Secretary Mete İmer hosted the event. The speakers at the first of the 2023 "ÇEVKO Foundation Dialogues" were Paris Bosphorus Institute Chair Bahadır Kaleağası, Kadir Has University Faculty Member Dr. Aslıhan Erbaş Açıkel and Kadir Has University Climate Ambassador, student and climate activist Ayça Sezer.  

ÇEVKO Foundation General Secretary Mete İmer: "Climate Regulations Will Be the Determinant of New Economic Rules in the World"

  Moderator Celal Toprak emphasized the importance of ÇEVKO Foundation Dialogues and gave the floor to ÇEVKO Foundation General Secretary Mete İmer. Mete İmer, noting that the dialogues launched in the framework of ÇEVKO Foundation's 30th founding anniversary in 2021 and now in their third year have contributed to raising awareness in society, continued his remarks as follows: "Today I want to provide information on recent developments. Climate regulations in the world appear to be on the way to becoming the determinant of new economic rules as well. Policies implemented in the context of combating the climate crisis are being designed to produce positive economic results. This manifests itself in the form of incentives, protectionism or establishing secure supply chains. The European Commission's Green Deal Industrial Plan announced in January includes predictable and simplified legislation, accelerating access to financing, providing necessary skills in the labor market and being open to trade to build resilient supply chains. In the plan, it is important to note the reference to the establishment of a 'Critical Raw Materials Club' to ensure supply security in the green transition, meaning that countries with critical raw materials come together with countries using them to work on supply security. The key principles of the Climate Club, whose establishment was decided globally in June 2022, were published in recent months; the club will be established and presented at the UN 28th Conference of the Parties. On the other hand, 50 countries, including the EU and the UK, established the Trade Coalition through their Trade Ministers; it is stated that this coalition could contribute to fair transition of international trade to emission reduction, resilient, climate-neutral and sustainable structures. Meanwhile, the number of emission trading systems (ETS) established globally increased from 13 to 28, and the share of emissions under ETS in total global emissions rose from 8 percent to 17 percent. A prepared report notes that revenues from ETS are used by governments to strengthen climate action, promote new technologies and support low-income households." he said.  

Turkey Faces Desertification Risk as Well as Earthquake Threat

ÇEVKO Foundation General Secretary Mete İmer, emphasizing that they continue to tend to Turkey's wounds following the earthquake disaster, also highlighted two important international warnings regarding Turkey: "The UN Climate Change Panel warned that 60 percent of Turkey's land is susceptible to desertification and 50 percent is at risk of earthquakes. The European Environment Agency also issued a warning that Turkey needs to reconsider its 'full-speed growth' strategy, otherwise large parts of its territory could soon become unsuitable for habitation. In the geography where we are located, we must urgently implement serious, science-based measures against both earthquake risk and desertification risk stemming from the climate crisis, and we must redesign our growth strategy according to sustainability principles. On this issue, as you know, Turkey has set targets, but to achieve these targets, a climate law, legal regulations and other work must be implemented urgently." he said.