Pınar Ertör Akyazı is a behavioral economist working on environmental and climate policy. She received her Vordiplom (pre-diploma) in Management from University of Cologne, Germany (2005) and BA in Management (2008) and MA in Economics (2010) from Boğaziçi University. She holds a PhD in Economics from Boğaziçi University (2016).
Her MA thesis focused on citizens’ preferences on renewable and nuclear energy sources in Turkey. As part of her PhD thesis she conducted economic experiments with small-scale fishers in Turkey on common-pool resource use, cooperation, and environmental policy instruments.
As a visiting PhD candidate, she has spent one semester at the University of Siena (Department of Economics) and one at the University of Zurich (Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research). She worked as a research fellow for UNEP’s Global Environment Outlook (GEO-5) Report and on the EU-funded projects EJOLT (Environmental Justice Organizations, Liabilities and Trade) and ENTITLE (European Network of Political Ecology). After completing her PhD thesis, she worked as a post-doc researcher at the Center for Economic Design at Boğaziçi University and as a lecturer for micro and macroeconomics at Boğaziçi University and Bilgi University. Currently, she works as the coordinator of the COBENEFITS Turkey project funded by the International Climate Initiative.
Project: “Carbon Pricing Options and EU Harmonization in Turkey: A Behavioral Economics Approach”
As a Mercator-IPC research fellow, Pınar Ertör Akyazı will study the interactions among values, preferences, and institutions that aim to address global climate change. More specifically, she will conduct economic experiments on carbon pricing (carbon taxes versus carbon markets) to investigate the behavioral responses that these institutions invoke. By conducting such experiments, she will contribute to the growing international academic literature on the intersection of global commons, human cooperation, and climate policy instruments by providing experimental data from Turkey.
She will also use other economic games to raise public awareness and increase civil society engagement on climate change and carbon pricing in Turkey. The project therefore aims to fuel the debate on the economics of climate policy in Turkey by reviewing recent studies on carbon pricing and its potential economic impacts, in close collaboration with academics and experts from Germany, to set the scene for deeper discussions on how Turkey can harmonize its climate policies with those of the EU.
Improving people’s health and unburdening the health system through renewable energy in Turkey
Boğaziçi University Faculty Member Nadim K. Copty, Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) Senior Consultant Funda Gacal, Boğaziçi University Faculty Member Ali Kerem Saysel, Boğaziçi University Faculty Member İrem Daloğlu, Boğaziçi University Faculty Member Buse Yetişti, Boğaziçi University Faculty Member Derya Aydın Sarıkurt and Kocaeli University Faculty Member Çiğdem Çağlayan's report "Improving people’s health and unburdening the health system through renewable energy in Turkey" (Türkiye'de Yenilenebilir Enerjiyle Sağlığın İyileştirilmesi ve Sağlık Sistemi Üzerindeki Yükün Azaltılması) was published in June 2021.
Click here to download the document.
Future Skills and Job Creation through Renewable Energy in Turkey: Assessing the Cobenefits of Decarbonising the Power Sector
This study has been realised in the context of the project “Mobilising the Co-Benefits of Climate Change Mitigation through Capacity Building among Public Policy Institutions” (COBENEFITS) in November 2019.
This project is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) supports this initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag. The COBENEFITS project is coordinated by the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS, lead) in partnership with the Renewables Academy (RENAC), the Independent Institute for Environmental Issues (UfU), International Energy Transition GmbH (IET) and in Turkey the Sabanci University Istanbul Policy Center (IPC).
Click here to download the document.
Industrial Development, Trade Opportunities and Innovation with Renewable Energy in Turkey
This study has been realised in the context of the project “Mobilising the Co-Benefits of Climate Change Mitigation through Capacity Building among Public Policy Institutions” (COBENEFITS) in November 2019.
This project is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) supports this initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag. The COBENEFITS project is coordinated by the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS, lead) in partnership with the Renewables Academy (RENAC), the Independent Institute for Environmental Issues (UfU), International Energy Transition GmbH (IET) and in Turkey the Sabanci University Istanbul Policy Center (IPC).
Click here to download the document.
CoBenefits Trainings
Istanbul Policy Center, the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) and the Renewables Academy (RENAC) organized a training program within the CoBenefits project between January 28-29, 2020 in Ankara. The program focused on how renewable energy influences employment benefits, industrial development, reduced health costs, and increased energy security in Turkey.
COBENFITS Istanbul Conference: “Mobilizing the Social and Economic Co-Benefits of Renewable Energy in Turkey”
IPC and IASS co-organized the COBENEFITS Istanbul Conference on November 13, 2019 at IPC Karaköy to share the first findings of the COBENEFITS Studies conducted within the international “COBENEFITS: Mobilizing the Social and Economic Co-Benefits of Renewable Energy” project. The conference was followed with a roundtable meeting on the issue on November 14, 2019 at IPC Karaköy.
Co-benefits of Renewable Energy with a Focus on Employment and Industrial Development Opportunities
Co-Benefits Project Coordinator and 2017/18 Mercator-IPC Fellow Pınar Ertör-Akyazı co-organized a face-to-face training on “Co-benefits of Renewable Energy with a Focus on Employment and Industrial Development Opportunities,” in collaboration with RENAC (The Renewables Academy) within the IASS-IPC COBENEFITS Project on October 22-23, 2019 at IPC Karaköy.
Methods and Tools for the Assessment of Co-benefits of Renewable Energy
Pınar Ertör-Akyazı co-organized face-to-face training on “Methods and Tools for the Assessment of Co-benefits of Renewable Energy,” in collaboration with RENAC (The Renewables Academy), within the IASS-IPC COBENEFITS Project on October 8-9, 2019 in Ankara.
Sustainable Energy System Planning for Co-Benefits
Pınar Ertör-Akyazı co-organized face-to-face training on “Sustainable Energy System Planning for Co-Benefits,” in collaboration with RENAC (The Renewables Academy), within the IASS-IPC COBENEFITS Project on September 24-25, 2019 and October 8-9, 2019 in Ankara.
Nature Conservation and Protection of Biodiversity Subject to Climate Change Impacts
Climate Studies Coordinator and Senior Scholar Ümit Şahin and 2017/18 Mercator-IPC Fellow Pınar Ertör Akyazı convened a roundtable meeting titled “Nature conservation and protection of biodiversity subject to climate change impacts” on June 25, 2019 in Ankara
2018 Katowice Climate Summit – Impressions from COP24
The Initiative convened the panel titled “2018 Katowice Climate Summit – Impressions from COP24,” with the participation of Climate Change Studies Coordinator Ümit Şahin, 2018/19 Mercator-IPC Fellow Cem İskender Aydın, 2017/18 Mercator-IPC Fellow Pınar Ertör-Akyazı, and Semra Cerit Mazlum from Marmara University on December 18, 2018 at IPC Karaköy.
Climate Café Talks 4 – Behavioral Economics Experiments for Climate Change and the Commons
As the fourth event in the Climate Café Talks series, 2017/18 Mercator-IPC Fellow Pınar Ertör Akyazı’s talk on “Behavioral Economics Experiments for Climate Change and Commons (İklim Değişikliği ve Müşterekler İçin Davranışsal İktisat Deneyleri)” took place on June 6, 2018 at IPC Karaköy.
Please click here for more information about the Climate Cafe Talks.
Mercator-IPC Alumni Retreat 2018
The third Mercator-IPC Alumni Retreat took place on May 18-20, 2018 at Village Park Polonezköy. The event started with a Welcoming Speech by Fuat Keyman, followed by an Inspiring Speech by Dilek Ertükel from the Checks and Balances Network. The retreat included a “Critical Thinking” workshop by Leilani van Rheenen, a “Theatre in Social Research” workshop by Pieter Verstraete, a “Non-Violent Communication” workshop by Burak Ülman, and a coffee talk by Tonguç Çoban on the “Turkey Barometer.”
Carbon Pricing: Carbon Tax and Emissions Trade
The fourth Climate Policies Roundtable titled “Carbon Pricing: Carbon Tax and Emissions Trade (Karbon Fiyatlandırma: Karbon Vergisi ve Emisyon Ticareti)” was held at IPC Karaköy on April 18, 2018, with Climate Studies Coordinator and Senior Scholar Ümit Şahin and 2017/18 Mercator-IPC Fellow Pınar Ertör Akyazı as facilitators.
2017 Bonn Climate Summit – Impressions from COP23
The Initiative convened a panel titled “2017 Bonn Climate Summit – Impressions from COP23” on November 28, 2017 at IPC. Climate Studies Coordinator Ümit Şahin, 2017/18 MercatorIPC Fellows Pınar Ertör Akyazı and Barış Karapınar, 2014/15 Mercator-IPC Fellow Ethemcan Turhan, and Marmara University Department of Political Science and International Relations Faculty Member Semra Cerit Mazlum shared their general observations on the summit, as well as Turkey’s official position on the climate change regime, with academics, civil society representatives, and journalists in this field.
Welcoming of the 2017/18 Mercator-IPC Fellows
The Welcoming of the 2017/18 Mercator-IPC Fellows was held on October 16. The event marked the 6th cycle of the Mercator-IPC Fellowship Program, which is coordinated by the Istanbul Policy Center, Sabancı University and Stiftung Mercator Initiative.
The event began with welcoming remarks by IPC Director Fuat Keyman, followed by remarks from the Chairman of the Advisory Board at Stiftung Mercator, Rüdiger Frohn. The welcoming remarks were followed by a movie screening which introduced the 2017/18 Mercator-IPC Fellows Gabriele Cloeters, Souad Osseiran, Simon Waldman, Banu Karaca, Pınar Ertör Akyazı and Barış Karapınar.
