Few issues necessitate international cooperation as strongly as the need to respond to the threat of climate change. The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions can only be accomplished through the joint efforts of national and local governments, businesses, academia, civil society groups, and individual citizens. In particular, the transformation of energy systems in Europe and elsewhere toward decarbonization is crucial for reducing greenhouse gases for mitigation and adaptation. The Mercator-IPC Fellowship Program aims to raise awareness among decision makers and the broader public of the threats posed by climate change. The particular focus of the program is on Turkey, where the issue of climate change has so far not received the necessary political and public attention.
The following subtopics are of interest to the Initiative:
• Analysis of the social and economic impacts of climate change mitigation and adaptation policies;
• Mechanisms for effective multi-level governance in climate change mitigation and adaptation;
• Obstacles to policy reform (in developing countries) and overcoming the alleged dichotomy of economic development and climate change mitigation policies;
• Mapping the impacts of climate change in Europe and Turkey;
• Decarbonization of the Turkish economy based on the Paris Agreement and Turkey’s net-zero emissions target;
• Turkey’s transition to a low-carbon energy and industrial systems (i.e., energy efficiency, renewable energy, grid flexibility, electrification, green hydrogen, zero-emission buildings, alternative technologies, etc.) in the European context;
• European Green Deal and Turkey: challenges and opportunities;
• Just transition;
• Adaptation policies and resilience to changing climate in Turkey in regard to food systems, water management, urban policies, health care, and nature (i.e. biodiversity, forests, etc).
• Climate finance;
• Gender and climate action;
• Climate diplomacy;
• International negotiations.