The Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Francesco La Camera, stated that Turkey has made “significant progress” in renewable energy investments and is moving rapidly in the right direction towards its goal of net-zero emissions by 2053.
This statement was made on the sidelines of the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30) in Belém, Brazil.
La Camera affirmed that Turkey’s energy policies are on the right track, adding, “Turkey is making significant progress, and of course, we all need to do more, but what we are seeing is very encouraging.”
He highlighted the potential of geothermal energy to enhance Turkey’s renewable energy generation capacity, saying, “Turkey has tremendous potential in geothermal energy; it truly has exceptional capabilities.”
He emphasized that Turkey has leadership that is moving in the right direction with its energy policies.
He added: “I see that Turkey is moving in the right direction and at an accelerated pace. I believe that geothermal energy is at the heart of the energy system, and solar and wind energy also have enormous potential.”
He stated that “Turkey is truly fortunate in terms of the natural resources that allow it to transition more quickly to a clean energy system.”
Regarding aligning the global energy transition with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius in the fight against climate change, La Camera said that the direction is right, but the speed and scale must be increased.
He emphasized the commitments made by countries at COP28 to triple their renewable energy capacity as part of the fight against climate change.
He pointed out that the real issue lies not in expectations, but in the concrete steps that countries take in this direction.
He added: “We are witnessing an increase in renewable energy capacity around the world, with new records being broken every year. This is not a regional phenomenon; it is happening on a global scale.”
He added: “But progress has not been sufficient in some areas. The situation in Africa and Southeast Asia is worrying, as some developing countries still do not fully understand what they are doing, and some countries are still lagging behind.”
