ÇANKAYA MUNICIPALITY SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ACTION PLAN (SEAP) 2015-2020

In the 21st century, the most important amongst the global-scale problems which scientists have settled on, comes to the fore as the human-induced global climate change. Conducted researches indicate that the phenomenon of climate change lies down on the basis of a majority of other political, social and economic problems such as regional wars, hunger and migration. This situation shows us that we are now faced with a great crisis that surrounds all humanity. Therefore, the "Paris Climate Treaty”, which entered into force on April 4, 2016, has passed into history as an agreement which has been signed with the greatest participation at global level.

There is more than one dimension of combating global climate change. International agreements such as Kyoto and Paris, in which the states are included, constitute a pillar of this combat, and continue to flow in its own channel with its strong and weak sides. Another foot of this combat is the local struggle. Although climate change carries the word global in its name, it is actually a local problem… Because its effects are seen directly in the areas of responsibility of local governments. The balance of nature degraded by global climate change leading natural events causing severe consequences. The problems that arise are those which affect local governments, and which the urbanite expects local governments to solve them. Even the global climate change is the reason of water that not flowing from the tap or the flood water filling the house, this situation has no sides that could be explained or elucidated to the citizens living in our cities.

That is why, it is clear that, also local governments have to take initiative in combating global climate change, and develop policy strategies on climate change adaptation. As moving from this necessity, as Çankaya Municipality, we have become a party to the "Covenant of Mayors", which is supported by the European Commission and is a party to more than 6 thousand local governments in the world, and we registered our 2020 commitment which is expected from local governments. Accordingly, as Çankaya Municipality, we will reduce our carbon emissions by 25% by 2020. Here is the Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP) in your hand, describing how we will achieve this goal, is a document which has emerged as a result of the studies conducted by our municipality.

In the presence of the latest scientific reports, as Çankaya Municipality, we know that the 25% target is not a sufficient end; but is a stop, and we aim to contribute to the goal of creating a sustainable life in our World by overcoming this stop with all the studies we conduct.

Alper Taşdelen

Mayor of Çankaya