Toward a sustainable energy future in Turkey: An environmental perspective

Abstract

As long as the energy future of Turkey is concerned there is a consensus among all parties involved in the subject that a strong sustainability based on diverse range of renewable and variety of sources with efficient and fair use of energy is a must. The main criterion in this approach is to use energy with the least possible greenhouse gases and other harmful emissions. A shift in focus to meeting the needs of energy service sector will be immediately felt in the sustainable energy future in Turkey. Another important aspect of the sustainable energy future of Turkey is that all energy users, as more knowledgeable and active participants will be more involved in various stages of the process. However, Turkey has a long way to reach this vision, because of growing greenhouse emissions related to energy production and utilization of alternative energy is slow. Besides, the intensity of energy of the Turkish economy is decreasing slower than many other OECD countries. In addition, energy consumption per person in Turkey is far above the service needs, even for modern lifestyles. There are substantial obstacles on the way to a sustainable energy future of Turkey, such as various aspects of economic structure, a misdirected energy market process, and a lack of vision among the decision makers.