Skip to main content

Turkey balks at coal phaseout amid growing energy woes

Turkey’s pledge to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2053 has come into question after a major climate meeting ended without a coal phaseout plan.
Employees install new solar panels at the Kalyon Energy's Karapinar Solar Power Plant, Karapinar, Turkey,  Dec. 2, 2021.

Turkey remains without a plan to phase out coal power after its first Climate Council ended in disappointment for clean energy advocates, casting doubts on Ankara's pledge to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2053 amid growing energy woes plaguing the country's economy.

Turkey ratified the Paris climate agreement in October, becoming the last G-20 country to do so after five years of foot-dragging in protest of its classification as a developed country without access to financial support for climate action. The deadlock was resolved after a French-German guarantee of $3.2 billion in loans for Turkey's energy transition.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.