A. Introduction
In line with Türkiye's 2053 net zero emission target, and with the aim of combating climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it is envisaged, within the scope of the Climate Law No. 7552, that Local Climate Change Action Plans ("LCCAP") shall be prepared at the provincial level. Within this framework, the Climate Change Presidency ("the Presidency") has prepared the Draft Regulation on Local Climate Change Action Plans ("Draft Regulation"). The Draft Regulation sets out the procedures and principles regarding the preparation, implementation, monitoring, and updating of YİDEP, as well as the working principles of the Provincial Climate Change Coordination Boards ("Provincial CCCB").
The Draft Regulation has been submitted to public consultation on the official website of the Presidency and, in addition, the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye has requested the opinions of all chambers and commodity exchanges.
The Draft Regulation on Local Climate Change Action Plans and the opinion forms can be accessed here.
B. Preparation of Local Climate Change Action Plans
LCCAP, set out actions for climate change adaptation and greenhouse gas emission reduction, and are prepared on the basis of vulnerability and risk analyses related to climate change, as well as hazard maps. The preparation process of LCCAP shall be carried out in each province under the coordination of the governor; in metropolitan municipalities by the metropolitan municipality, and in other provinces by the provincial municipality together with the special provincial administration, with the participation of relevant institutions and organizations, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations. The detailed content of the Plans, their preparation, monitoring, reporting, and principles of use shall be determined by the Presidency.
C. First LCCAP to be Prepared
Pursuant to the Draft Regulation, the first LCCAP to be prepared is envisaged to cover the 2028–2032 period under the Provisional Article, and to be adopted by the Provincial CCCB no later than 31 December 2027. Where deemed necessary, this deadline may be extended by up to one year by the Ministry.
The LCCAP, which shall be updated every five years, shall first be prepared in draft form. This draft shall include:
- an analysis of the province's physical, social, and economic structure together with past climate events and climate-induced disasters,
- climate hazards identified at the provincial level within the framework of climate projections, vulnerability and risk analyses carried out at the sectoral level, and the adaptation targets developed against these, together with the actions aimed at achieving such targets,
- greenhouse gas emission reduction targets determined on the basis of the provincial greenhouse gas inventory and emission projections, and the set of actions designed to achieve these targets,
- the economic analyses of the actions, their implementation priorities and financing opportunities, together with performance criteria and monitoring methods relating to these actions.
The draft plan prepared shall be submitted to the Provincial CCCB by 1 October of the year preceding the implementation period, and shall be adopted within one month at the latest. The adopted LCCAP shall then be uploaded into the E-LCCAP system in line with the technical guidelines prepared by the Presidency, and published on the Climate Portal for public access.
D. Monitoring of Actions within the Scope of LCCAP
The actions under the LCCAP shall be communicated to all responsible institutions and organizations in order to ensure their implementation within the prescribed timelines. In metropolitan municipalities, the metropolitan municipalities, and in other provinces, the provincial municipalities, shall enter into the E-LCCAP system by 30 June of each year during the LCCAP implementation periods the data on vulnerability and risk analysis, the provincial greenhouse gas inventory from two years prior to the year of implementation, and the monitoring results relating to the realization status of LCCAP actions in respect of the previous year. Within the framework of such data, the implementation status of the actions shall be assessed by the Provincial CCCB. The report on the assessment results shall be uploaded to the E-LCCAP system by 1 October.
E. Provincial Climate Change Coordination Board
The Provincial CCCB, to be established under the chairmanship of the governor, shall convene each year by October to evaluate the implementation status of actions under the LCCAP. During the preparation phase of an LCCAP, the council shall convene in October to adopt the plan.
The governor shall be responsible for ensuring that the LCCAP adopted by the Provincial CCCB is entered into the E-LCCAP system in accordance with the technical guidelines and uploaded to the Climate Portal for public disclosure.
F. Conclusion
In the event that the Draft Regulation is approved and enters into force by the Ministry, it shall be of significance in terms of determining the responsibilities of local administrations in Türkiye's fight against climate change and in implementing LCCAP. By setting out provisions on planning, monitoring, and reporting processes, the Draft Regulation aims to ensure that climate policies are effectively implemented at the local level and tracked in harmony with national targets.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
