İmamoğlu Introduced the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan

IMM President Ekrem İmamoğlu, spoke at the launch meeting of the ‘Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan’. Emphasizing that the global climate crisis is one of the biggest threats facing humanity, İmamoğlu underlined that the whole world should work together in this context. İmamoğlu said, “I think that if we devote intense time to these studies, we will together provide humanity with an effective period in creating a world based on peace and tranquility, in which the world will not have time to fight.”

In May 2021, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) applied for the “European Union (EU) for Energy Transformation: Mayors Agreement Project in the Western Balkans and Turkey” within the scope of the “EUforEnergy” program. The project prepared by IMM received a positive response. Within the scope of the project, technical consultancy services were provided to IMM by the EU on the preparation and implementation of the “Sustainable Energy and Climate Plan” (SECAP). A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Central Project Management Agency (CPMA), the project’s executive in Turkey, and IMM. The action plan prepared within the scope of the agreement was prepared by IMM teams with CPMA technical support. In order to introduce and celebrate the actions to be implemented for the sustainable future of Istanbul, IMM held a SECAP introductory meeting at the Haliç Congress Center.

STAKEHOLDERS OF THE ISSUE SPOKE

Introductory meeting where SECAP was shared with the public, IMM President Ekrem İmamoğluIt was held with the participation of CHP MPs Ali Gökçek, Zeynel Emre, Sarıyer Mayor Şükrü Genç and Izmit Mayor Fatma Kaplan Hürriyet. At the meeting, respectively; Head of IMM Environmental Protection and Control Department Prof.Dr. Ayşen Erdinçler, EU for Energy Transition: Covenant of Mayors Project in the Western Balkans and Turkey Turkey team leader Daiva Matoniene, Co-Director of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy Piero Roberto Remitti, Deputy Director of the Central Project Management Agency Rasa Suraucienê, European Commission Christian Ballaro, Energy, Environment and Climate Change program officer, said:

Ambassadors of the Republic of Lithuania to the Republic of Turkey, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Ričardas Degutis and İmamoğlu made speeches.

“WE HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANYTHING YET”

Emphasizing that the global climate crisis is one of the biggest threats facing humanity, İmamoğlu said, “Actually, we have not experienced anything yet. We are seeing some signs of the climate change crisis. “It can suddenly collapse into our lives like chaos, but then we can forget it immediately as it becomes normal,” he said. Underlining that the process should not be forgotten, İmamoğlu said, “We act by considering how important every step we take is in terms of saving the future of the world, which issues we can contribute to the future and life of the world if we pay attention to, and how deep and big a crisis we can actually cause if we do not pay attention to which issues.” “We have to do it,” he warned. Pointing out that the effects of the crisis manifest themselves in almost every part of the world with different natural events, İmamoğlu said, “We must take action together as soon as possible, without wasting time, and take absolute measures with a sense of mobilization.”

“THE WORLD MUST FACE THE CLIMATE CRISIS”

Stating that the whole world must face the climate crisis, İmamoğlu exemplified the work they carried out in this regard in Istanbul. “While we have been strengthening Istanbul with investments since the day we took office, we consider every work we do in this context to protect it against environmental risks, and we carefully examine and analyze the benefits and harms of every step we take and act accordingly,” said İmamoğlu, adding that Istanbul, which was established during his time, He drew attention to the importance of the Planning Agency (IPA) in this sense. Noting that IPA has become the center of holistic thinking, İmamoğlu said, “And from here we prepared the ‘Vision 2050 Strategy Document’. This has actually been a sustainable but also innovative manual of our journey. At every step of that journey, looking back at it, changing if there are points that need to be changed; “If there are concepts that need to be developed, we are proud to have established an effective and constantly moving mechanism to move them higher,” he said.

TARGET FOR ISTANBUL: A CARBON NEUTRAL CITY BY 2050

Emphasizing that their goal as Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality is to ensure that Istanbul gradually becomes a ‘carbon neutral city’ by 2050, İmamoğlu said, “We, at a certain period of this process, did the right things and eliminated the mistakes, and when we look back, the people who govern this city in 2050 We strive to be the manager or managers they admire. “Today, I am proud and happy to introduce the Istanbul Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan,” he said. Expressing his gratitude to the people, institutions and organizations that contributed to this process, İmamoğlu said, “We act with a concept that extends this and similar studies not only on the scale of Istanbul, but also to Turkey. Today, our Mayor of Izmit is among us in this context. We continue our work in this context with all districts of Istanbul. We are not satisfied; We continue our work in the same way as all Marmaray. We are not satisfied; We are taking steps at the highest level to work in coordination with all of Turkey and all institutions and organizations of our country. We are not satisfied with this; In order to improve cooperation in the nearby geography, we continue our efforts to expand our effective work to the Balkan cities by establishing the ‘B40 Balkan Cities Network’, which brings together the Balkan cities. “Therefore, next week, we will share our views at COP28 in Dubai, to which we are invited, in order to take these efforts even further,” he said.
“WE AIM TO RAISE ISTANBUL TO THE TOP OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL CITIES”

“In this sense, I would like to announce to the whole world that we aim to take Istanbul to the top of the most influential cities in the world, both in the megacities, in Europe and in the Balkans,” said İmamoğlu and continued his speech by saying, “Our cooperation and issues are in the fight against climate change and similar nature and environmental problems.” I want us to be countries, cities and administrators who strive to act effectively and contribute to the solution of the immigration issue, which I see as a huge problem to the world. If we devote intense time to these studies, the world will not have time to fight. “I think that together we will enable humanity to experience an effective period in creating a world based on peace and tranquility,” he concluded.

WHAT IS SECAP?

SECAP includes strategic documents prepared by local governments, containing targets set on sustainable energy use and climate action. Through these plans, local governments direct urban sustainability efforts by focusing on targets such as increasing energy efficiency, encouraging the use of renewable energy, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan includes;

• Increasing sustainable energy use in the city
• Reducing carbon footprint and controlling greenhouse gas emissions
• Strategic goals and action steps to combat climate change
• Education and awareness projects to increase community participation
• Concrete emission reduction and adaptation actions

Source: Railly News