Although Smart Grids (electric networks based on renewable energy) are going up in the US and Europe, the World Bank is only now investing in green energy technology with a program in Turkey.
At the end of May, the Bank announced it is investing $600 million in developing renewable sources such as biomass, hydro, wind and geothermal. Funding is being channeled through banks, which will loan cash to private entrepreneurs to give the market a boost.
Banks will also give loans to business that want to become more energy efficient. The Turkish program is the first project of the Bank’s Climate Technology Fund, which is bankrolled by several countries.
Turkey seems ripe for the occasion, with a budding eco-construction sector and recent pledges to save its coast from runaway development.
And it needs it; according to the World Bank, Turkey’s greenhouse gas emissions are growing at some of the highest rates in the world. The energy sector contributes 77 percent of these emissions. For a user-friendly slideshow of Turkey’s energy plans, visit here.
In an interview published at the Earth2Tech blog, World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development Kathy Sierra said that Turkey is “one of the leaders among developing countries creating clean power and energy efficiency projects, and said Turkey is acting aggressively on climate change in order to help it meet requirements to join the European Union.”
(Photos from World Bank)
Author: Daniella Cheslow
Daniella Cheslow grew up in a car-dependent suburb in New Jersey, where she noticed strip malls and Wal-Marts slowly replacing farmland. Her introduction to nature came through hiking trips in Israel. As a counselor for a freshman backpacking program at Northwestern University, Daniella noticed that Americans outdoors seemed to need to arm themselves with performance clothing, specialized water bottles and sophisticated camping silverware. This made her think about how to interact with and enjoy nature simply. This year, Daniella is getting a Master’s in Geography from Ben Gurion University of the Negev. She also freelance writes, photographs and podcasts. In her free time, she takes day trips in the desert, drops off compost and cooks local foods like stuffed zucchini, kubbeh and majadara. Daniella gets her peak oil anxiety from James Howard Kunstler and her organic food dreams from Michael Pollan. Read more at her blog, TheTruthHerzl.com. Daniella can be reached at daniella (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
To say and report that “Turkey is acting aggresively on climate change” is an overrstatement if not a conscious mistake. Turkey, as an Annex-1 country who only ratified Kyoto Protocol in February 2009 and became a party by August 2009, doesn't have any commitments so far. This situation became crystal clear with Turkish government refusing to take even any voluntary pledges in Copenhagen. Turkey has the highest GHG growth rate in the world with a %119 change in its GHG levels by 2009 with respect to 1990 levels. Turkey needs to invest in clean technologies, not promote false solutions like nuclear or the cause of the problem, coal for its development aspiration.
To say and report that “Turkey is acting aggresively on climate change” is an overrstatement if not a conscious mistake. Turkey, as an Annex-1 country who only ratified Kyoto Protocol in February 2009 and became a party by August 2009, doesn't have any commitments so far. This situation became crystal clear with Turkish government refusing to take even any voluntary pledges in Copenhagen. Turkey has the highest GHG growth rate in the world with a %119 change in its GHG levels by 2009 with respect to 1990 levels. Turkey needs to invest in clean technologies, not promote false solutions like nuclear or the cause of the problem, coal for its development aspiration.