Digital and green transformation have become important issues for both the world and Turkey. While policies to combat climate change are developing rapidly in the world, the connection between climate change and trade policies continues to increase.
Recently, the goal of sustainable economic growth has been adopted by almost every country especially by Europe and the United States. With the ratification of the Paris Agreement by Turkey, which aims to prevent dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C and limiting it to 1.5°C, and to strengthen the ability of countries to cope with the impacts of climate change and to support them in their efforts, climate change has become one of the main issues on Turkey’s national political agenda. Following the Paris Agreement, the European Union published the European Green Deal in 2019 and announced its goal of being the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. In this context, the European Green Deal has been organized as an economic transition program as well as a climate policy. Since the EU is Turkey’s most important trade and investment partner, it is important for Turkey to adopt the developments in the EU and the European Green Deal policy. In this regard, Turkey has started to take important steps and actions within the scope of the European Green Agreement targets, and the developments in this area are also continuing.
Within the framework of national and international regulations on climate change, Turkey announced the Green Deal Action Plan in 2021. The Green Deal Action Plan, in addition to being compatible with the transition policies emerging in the EU and the world economy, encourages green investments and is a roadmap that supports the transformation of global value chains.
In addition, the Climate Council, which was established under the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, started to operate. It is envisaged that the Climate Council will work on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, draft Climate Law and other legislative proposals in line with Turkey’s 2053 net zero emissions and green development revolution targets. In this context, 217 decisions taken by the Climate Council as a result of the negotiations held after the first meeting held in Konya between 21-25 February were shared with the public. The regulation on the activities to be carried out by the climate change presidency within the scope of combating climate change has also entered into force. On the other hand, with its publication on June 4, 2022, the “Law on the Amendment of the Law on the Foundation and Duties of the Turkish Exporters Assembly and Exporters’ Associations and Some Laws” entered into force. Pursuant to Article 9 of the Amendment, a paragraph has been inserted into Article 88 of the Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102 dated 13/1/2011. In this regard, it is stated that the Public Oversight Accounting and Auditing Standards Authority is authorized to determine and publish Turkey’s Sustainability Reporting Standards to ensure unity in practice and to ensure that sustainability reports complies with international standards.
However, the Regulation on Climate Change Experts (“Regulation”) stands out. This Regulation has entered into force by being published in the Official Gazette numbered 31936 and dated 27 August 2022. The regulations aims to determine the duties, authorities, rights and responsibilities of climate change experts and assistant experts, as well as the working procedures and principles, by recruiting climate change assistant experts, their training, proficiency exams, their appointment as climate change experts. In addition, the duties and authorities of climate change experts and assistant experts to be hired in the Climate Change Presidency are also included.
The requirements for being an assistant expert are specified in the regulation. First of all, it is necessary to apply for the assistant specialist exam, the applicants are obliged to fulfill some conditions such as being a Turkish citizen, being 18 years old, not to being deprived of public rights, In addition, being graduated from one of the faculties of law, political science, economics and administrative sciences, economics and business administration, which provides at least four years of undergraduate education or being graduated from architecture and engineering faculties that provide at least four years of undergraduate education.
Among the candidates who are successful in the exam and those who are entitled to be appointed, those who submit their documents within the period given by the Presidency are appointed as assistant experts.
The duration of assistant specialist is at least three years. Assistant experts are accompanied and under the supervision of experts determined by their unit chiefs; they are responsible of contributing to the daily, short and long-term work of the unit they are assigned to, they are in charge of carrying out the necessary preliminary preparations for the research, examination and other studies of the experts, conducting research, examination and other studies, following the publications that will be useful in the development of their professional knowledge, holding internal and external meetings with experts. They are responsible and responsible for participating in inspection and auditing programs and performing similar duties assigned by their superiors or experts.
Climate Change Specialists, depending on the unit supervisor; must carry out the duties assigned to the Presidency by the law and perform the expert services required by the works carried out by the Presidency, carry out research and examinations within the scope of the duties of the Presidency, produce and develop projects, follow the changes in professional legislation, work on the development of the legislation, provide opinions and views on the deficient aspects of the legislation in practice. Following the developments and publications on professional issues, they are responsible of collecting the necessary documents, They are in charge and responsible for carrying out the necessary studies and examinations on these issues, helping the assistant experts to develop their knowledge and experience, and performing similar tasks to be assigned.
It is expected that the Regulation on Climate Change Expertise will lead to new regulations. In this context, since changes and new regulations will affect companies, it is important for companies to follow these developments closely.
