İPEK TAŞGIN

SUSTAINABLE ENERGY AND CLIMATE ACTION PLAN (SECAP) PERSPECTIVE AND CONTENT FOR TURKISH MUNICIPALITIES

Abstract

Cities contain more than half of the world’s population and they consume more than two thirds of the world’s energy. Local leaders around the world are pursuing ambitious climate initiatives in their communities. Cities are key to deliver on the Paris Agreement, Green Deal Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda. Municipalities in Türkiye are in the position to play an essential role in establishing climate actions. Moreover, given the major challenge of urban growth in the coming decades, local governments’ planning capacities on urban design, climate resilience and disaster preparedness, mobility and energy (power and heating/cooling systems) have to increase. These are key drivers for a successful climate action, both in mitigation and in adaptation, and lay at the core of the EU Covenant of Mayors (CoM) and Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM) initiative.

Local authorities joining the Covenant initiative commit to submit a Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) within two years following the formal signing, indicating a minimum 40% GHG emission reduction by 2030. The SECAP is based on a Baseline Emission Inventory (BEI) and a Climate Risk & Vulnerability Assessment(s) (RVAs) which provide an analysis of the current situation. These elements serve as a basis for defining a comprehensive set of actions that local authorities plan to undertake in order to reach their climate mitigation and adaptation goals. Signatories commit to report progress every two years. With respect to climate mitigation, local authorities are guided to address sectors ‘Residential’, ‘Tertiary’, ‘Municipal’ and ‘Transport’, which are the key mitigation sectors.

This presentation provides Covenant signatories with step-by-step guidelines throughout the SECAP preparation process in addition to some tips for Turkish municipalities.

Biography

İpek Taşgın has 25 years of consultancy and managerial experience in environment and social management. After earning her B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from Middle East Technical University, Environmental Engineering Department, she worked in energy, oil and gas private sector, and consultancy companies. Her skills involve environmental and social management, regulatory compliance, and site implementation activities based on World Bank Guidelines, IFC Performance Standards, Equator Principles, and Turkish regulations. She is currently working as long-term energy and climate expert in the EU4 Energy Transition project, run by Central Project Management Agency of Lithuania. Previously, she worked in the internationally recognized Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan BTC crude oil pipeline operation; in TANAP, the cross-country natural gas pipeline construction; and in a number of hydroelectric power plants in Turkey.