Bursa, Pioneer in Combating Climate Change

Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, which meticulously implements exemplary practices on international, national and local scales within the scope of combating climate change, continues uncompromisingly all its efforts that threaten the ecological balance.

The Metropolitan Municipality, which attaches great importance to environmental investments with the aim of making Bursa a healthier city, continues to undertake exemplary works on the fight against climate change, which has become a global problem in recent years.

The Metropolitan Municipality Environmental Protection and Control Department had prepared the 'Bursa Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Climate Change Action Plan' in 2015 to determine the greenhouse gas emission sources in Bursa and to create reduction measures. In order to carry the activities carried out in the field of climate change to an international dimension and to share knowledge and experience with other municipalities working on the subject, a commitment was made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2016 percent per capita in 2030 by participating in the European Convention of Mayors in 40. "Bursa Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Adaptation Plan" was prepared in 2017 in order to revise the Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Climate Change Action Plan according to the criteria of the European Agreement of Mayors. Within the scope of the plan, which was prepared in line with the data obtained from one-to-one interviews and workshops with all stakeholders in the city, reduction measures were determined in 7 different sectors to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Adaptation strategies have been developed to make Bursa more resilient to natural disasters such as heat waves, drought, flood and landslide due to climate change. In this context, Bursa became the first city to develop climate change adaptation strategies on a national scale.

Industry in the first place

According to the inventory results; The carbon footprint was determined by calculating the 'corporate greenhouse gas inventory of the Metropolitan Municipality and the greenhouse gas inventory of Bursa'. While Bursa's total carbon footprint was determined over 13,2 million tons, industrial fuel and electricity consumption took the largest share in the emissions inventory with 31 percent. This value was followed by residential fuel and electricity consumption with 22 percent and urban transportation with 19 percent. Bursa accounts for 2,7 percent of Turkey's total greenhouse gas emissions.

active struggle

Metropolitan Municipality; It continues its work without interruption in order to combat climate change more effectively, accelerate decision-making processes, and take swift steps to protect Bursa from the devastating effects of climate change. At the meeting held in the Metropolitan Municipality Assembly Hall and attended by Deputy Secretary General Ahmet Aka, the distance covered in the process and the work to be done were evaluated. The carbon footprint is recalculated in line with the data to be obtained from all stakeholder institutions and organizations in the city in order to evaluate the progress achieved in the targets envisaged in the Adaptation Plan and to determine the status of Bursa in combating climate change. It is aimed to share the 'Monitoring and Evaluation Report', which will be published as a result of the studies, with the public, thereby raising awareness and awareness about climate change, strengthening the ties between local governments in Bursa, and ensuring the participation of those living in the city in decision-making mechanisms in this struggle.