The European Union Commission has prepared the regulation package, which includes the Green Agreement targets it has prepared within the scope of combating climate change. The said package, which aims to reduce EU greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent, is closely related to Turkish companies that export or will export to the European Union. Altensis Co-Founder Dr. Emre Ilıcalı said that the package, which imposes additional taxes on industrial products to be imported by EU countries according to carbon emissions, is an important warning that reveals the seriousness of the EU on climate change. Dr. Ilıcalı stated that the first sectors to be affected in this context are iron and steel, cement, fertilizer and electricity sectors.
The European Union Commission, which prepared the Green Deal (EU Green Deal) protocol in 2019 on the fight against climate change, has now submitted its first package (FitFor55) to its members, which includes the necessary regulations and regulations. The package, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas
Within the scope of the (FitFor55) package, energy efficiency practices and increasing the use of renewable energy, updates in the European Union Emissions Trade rules, necessary infrastructure works for the spread of low-emission transportation, implementation of Carbon Tax at the Border to prevent carbon leakage, updating tax policies in line with the targets within the scope of the Green Agreement, and the New It includes the main headings of carbon storage through afforestation policies and increasing forest areas. Dr. Emre Ilıcalı evaluated the details of the package and its effects on the Turkish economy with the following words:
Sectors to be affected first: Iron and steel, cement, fertilizer, electricity
“Within the scope of the European Union Border Carbon Tax (CBAM) system, it is aimed primarily to impose additional taxation on imported products from some sectors, according to carbon rates, so that the environmental impact is also included in the valuation. Here, first of all, iron-steel, cement, aluminum, fertilizer and electricity sectors will be included in this scope, and then the scope will be expanded. There will be a transition period between 2023 and 2025 for the CBAM taxation mechanism. Companies will only be required to report their carbon footprint and the amount of carbon tax they pay in their home country. After 2026, the system will be operational at full capacity. For this reason, the establishment of infrastructures for the calculation and reporting of corporate carbon footprints, especially in enterprises exporting to the EU, should be prioritized in our country.”
Coercive measures to reduce emissions are on the way
“As part of the package, the development of monitoring mechanisms for carbon emissions in air and sea transportation and the tightening of controls are also an important step. It also includes setting more compelling emission reduction targets in member states in proportion to their per capita GDP. This includes buildings, maritime, road transport, agriculture and other small industries.”
Priority to renewable energy
“By 2030, it is aimed to produce at least 40 percent of the energy from clean renewable sources in the EU. It is aimed to provide at least 49 percent of the total energy from renewable energy in buildings. Within the scope of the package, there are suggestions for reducing energy consumption in member countries by setting annual targets. In this context, it is recommended to allocate budgets for at least 3 percent of public buildings to increase energy efficiency every year, to use renewable energy sources for cooling and heating, and to allocate incentives related to industry-energy efficiency. ”
Infrastructure warning for Electric Vehicles
“Another important step is being taken towards reducing emissions in transportation. By strengthening the current regulations, it is aimed to reduce the average vehicle-related emissions by 100 percent in 2035, in other words, zero-emission transportation. In this regard, important expectations are set for both automobile manufacturers and member countries to increase the necessary infrastructure. Although there are serious studies in this direction in our country, these efforts will need to increase in order to reach the targets set by the EU.
72 Billion Euro Action Fund is being established
“Within the scope of the Fitfor55 package, 72.2 Billion Euros of Climate Change Action will be provided to the citizens of the member countries in terms of energy efficiency in buildings and industry, increasing new and clean energy sources, and e-mobility.