TUĞBA DİNÇBAŞ
Long Term Mitigation Policies and Green Transition
Abstract
Climate change is an existential threat and the world is facing multiple and compounding crises due to increasing amounts of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. The amount of GHG emissions has led to global warming of 1.1oC above pre-industrial levels. The magnitude of the climate change effects are aggregating. More frequent and intense extreme weather events cause dangerous impacts on people and nature all over the world. According to the Synthesis Report of the Sixth Assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, if the current trajectory of GHG emissions continue, devastating impacts like frequent and intense droughts, floods, storms and heatwawes will occur.
The response to climate crisis should be transition to low carbon economy. Under the Paris Agreement, Parties are invited to formulate and communicate long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies (LT-LEDS). To date, 58 countries that communicated LT-LEDS together account for almost 68% total global emissions and 83% GDP. The strategies and related targets under LT-LEDS show that the world is on the verge of a serious transformation. The policies needed to realize LT-LEDSs differ from the current ones and require the green transition of many sectors. This process first requires decarbonization of the energy sector. A monumental scaling up of clean energy investment and deployment worldwide is needed to achieve 1.5oC climate target and to enhance energy security, affordability and access. The change in the energy sector is also critical for the transition of sectors such as industry and transportation. Green transition process requires local level action, finance, technology, capacity building, and international cooperation. There has been progress in these areas in recent years, but it is not yet sufficient for a global transformation.
Following the ratification of the Paris Agreement in 2021, 2053 Net Zero Emission Target for Türkiye was announced. Hence, climate change actions have gained a real momentum in the country. Türkiye updated its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and prepares Long Term Climate Strategy for 2053 in line with net zero emission target. These will provide an important complement to Türkiye’s climate policies in terms of setting out an indicative longer-term, detailed vision and important signals for the public and private sectors.
Biography
As an environmental engineer graduated from Middle East Technical University in 2003, Dr. Dinçbaş earned a Master’s Degree in the Department of Business Administration from Hacettepe University in 2007 and a PhD in the Environmental Social Sciences from Ankara University in 2017 with a clean technology adaptation concentration. Dr. Dinçbaş worked as an expert and coordinator in the environmental sector at the National Productivity Centre between 2004-2011, at the Ministry of Industry and Technology between 2011-2019, and at the Presidency of Strategy and Budget between 2019-2021. Currently she serves as the Deputy Director at the Directorate of Climate Change where she coordinates mitigation, adaptation, local policies and technology subjects. She belongs to the national delegation of Türkiye under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations. Her primary focus has been in the area of climate change, mitigation, environmental management and policies, circular economy, cleaner production, sustainability, strategical planning, change management and clean technologies. Dr. Dinçbaş has various publications and also project development/management/assessment, training and consulting experiences in these areas.