Türkiye and Sustainability: The Big Picture

Hey again! It has been almost a month since I shared my views about Vienna, and this time I am writing about another topic I’m interested in: Sustainability and Türkiye.

As we all know, topics like sustainability, climate change, the greenhouse effect, and CO2 emissions are mentioned all around the world, and they are quite significant for today and tomorrow’s world. You might have also heard of other concepts linked to these terms, like the Paris Climate Agreement and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Maybe you even heard that Trump withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement, making the USA reconsider its sustainability goals. Okay, okay—this isn’t the main topic today! Maybe we can talk about it in a separate post.

So, I wanted to discuss Türkiye’s progress in overcoming sustainability challenges, and I’ll focus on three parts:

1. A general overview of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and Türkiye’s actions (including its current stage in achieving them).

2. What the public in Türkiye thinks about sustainability and how they act.

3. Whether companies align with the SDGs, especially in Corporate Social Responsibility, with examples.

1. Türkiye’s Progress Toward the SDGs

Türkiye is part of the Paris Climate Agreement and has set goals to achieve the SDGs in line with UN regulations. The government aims for net-zero CO2 emissions by 2053. According to the UN’s Sustainable Development Report, Türkiye ranks 72nd out of 166 countries in SDG performance. When we look at each goal, Türkiye still has work to do—but so do most countries. Let’s highlight two goals where Türkiye is doing well and two where it struggles, then briefly touch on the rest.

Progress: SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger)

Türkiye is on the right path for SDG 1 (No Poverty) and is expected to achieve it soon. Since this connects to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), progress here is also positive. (Figure 1.1)

Progress: SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure)

Türkiye has invested heavily in rural areas, universities, and mobile solutions, showing advancement here—though challenges remain.

(Figure 1.1)

Challenges: SDG 13 (Climate Action)

Despite the 2053 net-zero target, fossil fuel use is increasing, even as solar energy grows (see Figure 1.2 - 1.3). Current trends suggest the goal may be missed.

(Figure 1.2)

Challenges: SDG 5 (Gender Equality)

Issues like low female labor participation and education gaps persist. For example, only 20% of parliament members are women, though there are some support programs for female entrepreneurs.

For the other 13 SDGs, progress is mixed—Türkiye is trying but lacks urgency in some areas.

(Figure 1.3)

2. Public Awareness and Action on Sustainability

I couldn’t find many sources, but available data shows that people in Türkiye care about climate action but don’t always take individual steps. Some are unaware or skeptical (see Figure 2.1).

(Figure 2.1)

3. Companies and Sustainability: CSR and Gender Equality

Corporate Responsibility

Large Turkish companies often mention SDGs on their international websites, likely because sustainability matters more in developed markets. Smaller local businesses rarely focus on it—except energy/oil firms.

Gender Equality in Business

The gender gap persists in leadership—only 3.9% of top managers are women. While some companies support women, systemic barriers remain.

(Figure 3.1).

Conclusion

Türkiye’s sustainability journey is complicated, with bright spots and big gaps. Steps forward are happening, but much more is needed—from policies to public action. This was my longest blog yet (I was late because I kept searching for sources!).

Thanks for reading, and see you in the next one. Stay tuned!