First of all, I would like to share my good wishes about the new year for everyone. While we wish all the best, I think we should take a picture of our current situation.
In the last week of December, Dünya newspaper handled some important information about the 'climate crisis', which has been mentioned many times recently and whose effects we feel so intensely for the first time. You may see these below...
In 2016, Thermal Sciences Specialist Dr. John Abraham mentioned some facts in his article on the climate crisis. Here are THE GOOD, THE BAD and THE UGLY.
List Of THE GOODS;
* In the World Economic Forum Global Risks Report, it was stated that the biggest threat facing the world was the climate crisis, and then countries started to announce their zero emission targets.
* The EU Green Deal announced that it will reduce carbon emissions by 50% in 2030 and target climate neutral countries in 2050. A Sustainable Finance Taxonomy will be created to achieve these goals, and companies without environmental sustainability will not be able to enter the EU sustainable company list (without zero emissions).
* Joe Biden; The President Of ADB, announced their plans about transition to carbon-free energy by the year 2035; It aims to reduce its’ net carbon emissions to below zero by 2050.
* Bonds financing sustainable and social projects broke a record by reaching $ 357.5 billion in the first nine months of the year.
* Total assets managed by investors, who take ESG (environmental, social and governance) criteria into account, reached 20 trillion dollars worldwide. ESG investments mean investments focused on environmental, social and governance criteria. So why is it important? Upon the announcement of the European Investment Bank; it plans to allocate 1 trillion euros for environmental projects in the next 10 years, the importance of investors' integration of environmental, social and administrative indicators into business processes has been emphasized once again. The ability of a company to explain how its’ strategy and business model have evolved in line with the effects of climate change by supporting it with concrete KPIs and targets, and at the same time associating this with the general mission and the definition of "value" it wants to create, is critical for the world of 2020 we are in. These stories and information are used by investors to make sustainable investment decisions, gain and engage a talented workforce, and attract the attention of customers and perhaps change their preferences and habits.
* According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) data, 90% of the new energy capacity created in 2020 was obtained from renewable energy. While global energy demand fell 5%, electricity generation from renewable sources increased 7%.
* Insure Our Future Report published. According to this publishing; most insurers have made it more difficult to obtain insurance for coal projects and has been made more expensive by 40%.
List Of THE BADS;
* World Meteorological Organization (WMO) - 2020 was the hottest year after 2016 and 2019. The most severe warming was observed in Siberia with +5 0C.
* The most devastating disaster of the year was identified according to the Counting The Cost 2020 report. Ten of these incidents cost more than $ 1.5 billion, the cost of the damage over $ 5 billion.
* Six of the damages resulted in the highest cost was detected in Asia, and five of them occurred during the heavy rain Monsoon season.
* 500 people died in bushfires in Australia. (lasting from June 2019 to mid-2020.) 1.25 billion animals perished.
* The most devastating floods in history took place; more than 50 million people were affected in China, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Japan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand, South Korea, Kenya, Sudan, Nigeria and Yemen.
* Two extra tropical cyclones living in Europe caused about $ 6 billion in damage.
* ADB affected negatively from hurricanes and fires with 60 billion dollars damage.
* Successive typhoons were seen in the Philippines and more than 3 million people were displaced. Agricultural damage had been 256 million dollars, and infrastructural damage had been 165 million dollars.
List Of The UGLIES;
* Former US President Donald Trump formalized his withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, which he announced in 2017.
* Despite the UN General Secretariat's call to terminate the installation of new coal plants by 2020, 263 companies are still planning power plants in 41 countries.
* Japan came to the fore as the country with the world's largest coal power plant project stock, with the power plant planned for more than 9 GW.
* 222 financial institutions have adopted coal termination policies. However, the other 211 of them do not have any policy in this regard.
The Current Situation In TURKEY...
* The water stock in Istanbul, which was 57 % in 2018, decreased to 23 % in 2020. The water level is 28 % in Ömerli dam; which is the water source on the Anatolian side.
* The number of flood disasters has increased. 10 people died in the flood disaster in Giresun.
* Turkey between G20 countries, continues to be the only country to ratify the Treaty of Paris.
* While almost all of the 2950 megawatts of installed power put into use in renewable energy consists of renewable energy resources, this amount surpasses the total of 20 countries in Europe.
* Turkey Environment Agency was established. The agency will take part in circular economy and zero waste applications.
* According to Eurostat data, Turkey in 2019 was only the most importing countries by 582 296 tonnes of plastic waste imported from Europe. Vedat Kılıç, Chairman of the Board of Recyclable Waste Materials Industrialists Association (TÜDAM), said, “When we look at it, these are not garbage, but intermediate raw materials used by the industry. These are plastic production waste or plastic material that has been collected, separated. Plastic materials are processed by businesses that have recycling and recycling licenses from the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, and transformed into raw materials used in the main industry.
* Environmental awareness is increasing. The number of environmental protection campaigns launched on Change.org in 2020 was 938, and 784 a year ago.
* Canadian company did not renew license due to the backlash against gold mining in the Goose Mountains.
* The zoning plan of Çayırhan-B Coal Thermal Power Plant, which is planned to be established in a 740 hectare wetland in Ankara Nallıhan, has been canceled.
