Determination of the framework conditions and research–development needs for the dissemination of cleaner (sustainable) production applications in Turkey

Abstract

The term cleaner production has been used in policy and strategy documents of top agencies/institutions on science, technology and development in Turkey for over 10 years. However, cleaner production is not sufficiently understood and applied, except in terms of energy efficiency. To overcome this deficiency, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry supported a project ‘Determination of the Framework Conditions and Research–Development Needs for the Dissemination of Cleaner (Sustainable) Production Applications in Turkey’, which was carried out in 2009 by the Technology Development Foundation of Turkey (TTGV) with Goksel Demirer as consultant. The objective was to determine national capacity, assess Turkish regulations in terms of cleaner (sustainable) production (C(S)P) and compare it with related European Union (EU) regulations, report existing incentive mechanisms, perform a sectoral analysis to determine high-priority sectors for C(S)P implementation, determine the research and development and other needs and provide recommendations. The project used a participatory approach. Sixty-six and thirty-seven stakeholder institutions contributed to the determination of existing institutional capacity and sectoral priorities regarding C(S)P, respectively, through questionnaires. Moreover, 125 participants from 62 stakeholder institutions participated in the project workshop in which the draft report of the project was finalised with feedback from the participants. This paper communicates the main outcomes of the project.