Turkey's Role in Advancing Environmental Sustainability Within the Framework of The Sustainable Development Goals

In the last 15 years, Türkiye has attained all the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with remarkable success and is among the best in the reduction of poverty, child goals. mortality, This and sustainable success development environmental has strategies. Since paved sustainable the 7th development way Development concepts SDG for Plan with implementation Sustainable the in the will Development sustainable 1996, 11th be Commission development the NDP private headed will goals NDPs integrating sector, facilitate which by have the non-governmental SDGs. form the embraced SDGs organizations the Ministry coordination. Turkish as and backbone of Awareness Statistical the academic of Development among Institute main institutions the with the (Turk Stat) goals. are current a public, will the considered focus political be important for on support, responsible the policy and for achievement coherence involvement tracking of while of the progress enhanced and National this will entail ensuring that the national indicators are in conformity with the UN framework and also addressing the data gaps.  Türkiye has progressed in the environmental SDGs by paying attention to biodiversity, sustainable agriculture, climate adaptation, water management, energy efficiency, and ‘zero waste’ strategies. The Turkish Co-operation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) has been implementing bilateral projects in the country as Turkey’s development cooperation has evolved over the years. However, there are issues that include the challenge of breaking policy silos, enhancing data quality and ensuring proper stakeholder engagement. The country’s experience underlines the importance of the mutual learning and international cooperation in addressing these issues. However, the current research is designed using a qualitative research approach to assess Türkiye’s contribution to the environmental sustainability through the SDG framework based on literature reviews, project evaluation, and comparison.

Türkiye has achieved 16 of the 123 SDG targets and is on track to meet 5 more by 2030. While it has made significant progress in securing basic needs and implementing policy tools from the 2030 Agenda, challenges remain. This profile highlights Türkiye’s strengths and challenges, using data from the SDG Global Database and OECD databases, unlike VNRs that use more current national indicators (Genes et al 2022). With the urban population expected to rise from 13% to 68

Türkiye has made significant progress in advancing environmental sustainability, reflecting its dedication to global sustainability goals outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The country has effectively aligned its national policies with international standards, particularly following the adoption of the Rio+20 outcomes and their integration into Türkiye’s development plans. Key areas of focus include sustainable water management, improvements in energy efficiency, and the promotion of 'zero waste' practices in industrial sectors, highlighting Türkiye’s comprehensive approach to environmental conservation and sustainable resource use. Türkiye’s achievements are apparent in various critical sectors of environmental sustainability. According to recent reports, Türkiye has met 16 of the 123 SDG targets and is on track to meet an additional 5 targets by 2030. The country demonstrates its commitment through its submission of Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) to the United Nations, which outline both progress and challenges in implementing the SDGs. These reviews are crucial for showcasing Türkiye’s advancements, identifying areas needing improvement, and emphasizing transparency and accountability in sustainable development efforts. The Turkish Statistical Institute (Turk Stat) is central to monitoring and reporting on Türkiye’s SDG progress. By aligning national indicators with global SDG metrics and addressing data gaps through capacity-building initiatives, Turk Stat ensures that Türkiye’s performance across various SDG indicators is reliably tracked and evaluated. This systematic approach supports evidence-based policymaking and strategic interventions. Despite these successes, Türkiye faces challenges, such as policy fragmentation and the need for improved data quality and stakeholder engagement. Overcoming these challenges will require ongoing cooperation among government agencies, civil society, and the private sector to promote a more integrated and inclusive approach to sustainable development. As conclusion, Türkiye’s proactive initiatives and strong statistical framework illustrate its potential to significantly contribute to global environmental sustainability goals. Continued efforts in data-driven decision-making and collaboration across multiple sectors will be crucial for strengthening and expanding Türkiye’s impact in advancing environmental sustainability under the SDGs.

Table 1: Comparison of Türkiye’s contributions to environmental sustainability in the SDGs with other countries involves gathering specific data points for comparable indicators.

Based on the table 1.for SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 92% of Türkiye’s population has access to safely managed sanitation services, compared to 88% in South Africa and 99% in Singapore. In SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), Türkiye’s share of renewable energy in total final energy consumption is 18%, while Brazil’s is 12% and Iceland’s is 34%. For SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), Türkiye’s municipal solid waste collection rate is 90%, compared to 85% in India and 98% in South Korea. Regarding SDG 14 (Life below Water), 15% of Türkiye’s territorial waters are Marine Protected Areas, compared to 10% in Indonesia and 27% in Australia. Lastly, for SDG 15 (Life on Land), Türkiye’s Forest area constitutes 23% of its land area, while Finland’s is 33% and Sweden’s is 44%.

Figure 1: Inequitable Progress in Electricity Access (Miyake et al 2024)

Data Source
The World Bank Global Electrification Database, as reported in the Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report. This report is collaboratively produced by the custodian agencies, including the International Energy Agency (IEA), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the World Bank, and the World Health Organization (WHO). Data retrieved from World Development Indicators.
Table 2: Progress Overview of Selected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

In 2018, geothermal heat usage saw a roughly 14% increase, making up 4.2% (0.7 EJ) of renewable heat applications at that time. Globally, around 60% of geothermal heat is harnessed through ground-source heat pumps. The main areas where geothermal heat is applied include buildings, with common uses being bathing, swimming pools, and space heating, especially through district heating systems. China leads in geothermal heat consumption, accounting for two-thirds of global usage. Türkiye and the United States follow, together making up an additional 18%. In 2018, nearly 90% of the growth in geothermal heat consumption was attributed to China and the United States (Balin et al 2024).

In addition, Türkiye has considerably advanced environmental sustainability and attained a commitment to global sustainability goals as stated in the SDGs. The country has aligned its national policies with international standards, particularly after the adoption of the Rio+20 outcomes and their integration into Türkiye's development plans. The key areas of focus include sustainable water management, improvements in energy efficiency, and the promotion of 'zero waste' practices in industrial sectors, which highlights Türkiye's comprehensive approach to environmental conservation and sustainable resource use. Some of the critical sectors in environmental sustainability where successes are realized in Türkiye. Indeed, recent reports show that out of a total of 123 SDG targets, Türkiye achieved 16, and has shown to be on course to achieve another 5 by 2030. The country, in following up on these goals through VNR submissions to the United Nations, has detailed progress and challenges in relation to the SDGs' implementation. In additional, reviews are crucial for showcasing Türkiye’s benefits, identifying areas needing improvement, and emphasizing transparency and accountability in sustainable development efforts. The Turkish Statistical Institute (Turk Stat) is central to monitoring and reporting on Türkiye’s SDG progress. However, by aligning national indicators with global SDG metrics and addressing data gaps through capacity-building initiatives, Turk Stat ensures that Türkiye’s performance across various SDG indicators is reliably tracked and evaluated. This systematic approach supports evidence-based policymaking and strategic interventions. Notwithstanding these successes, challenges remain to be addressed by Türkiye in areas such as policy fragmentation and data quality, and particularly in stakeholder engagement. Thus, overcoming these challenges will require ongoing cooperation among government agencies, civil society, and the private sector to promote a more integrated and inclusive approach to sustainable development. Conclusion As a whole, these proactive initiatives by Türkiye, along with its strong statistical framework, have the potential to make substantial contributions toward global environmental sustainability goals. Furthermore, continued efforts in data-driven decision-making and collaboration across multiple sectors will be crucial for strengthening and expanding Türkiye's impact in advancing environmental sustainability under the SDGs.