Meeting Held on Turkey's Integration into the EU Green Deal

EU Green Deal Integration Meeting Held A videoconference on the Integration of Gaziantep Industry into the EU Green Deal was held for companies operating in Gaziantep and the region through cooperation between Gaziantep Chamber of Industry (GSO) and QuickCarbon. The meeting, organized to raise awareness among industrialists and exporters on green transformation and to contribute to the transition processes of sectors and companies towards green production, was attended by GSO Board Chairman Adnan Ünverdi, QuickCarbon Manager and Environmental Engineer Dr. Zeynep Durak, sector representatives and company officials. At the meeting, current developments in the context of the Green Deal, roadmaps that need to be followed by companies, additional costs that may emerge for sectors with new regulations, and economic impacts were evaluated. Information was provided on carbon footprint, carbon border adjustment mechanism and emissions trading system. GSO Board Chairman Adnan Ünverdi, who delivered the opening remarks of the meeting, stated that the EU Green Deal requires fundamental changes in economic activities and that creating a clean environment and leaving a more livable world for future generations is only possible through this. Emphasizing that Gaziantep companies and industrialists need to prepare themselves in every aspect for the new process and accelerate their work to avoid being subject to sanctions that will be implemented with the Green Deal, Ünverdi said: "With implementations such as carbon border tax included in the Green Deal, our companies that export raw materials, intermediate products or final products to the European Union will soon have to pay carbon tax on the products they export. Although Green Deal criteria may seem like a risk, the fact that we export 50 percent of our exports to Europe as both Turkey and Gaziantep brings us many opportunities as well. As Gaziantep Chamber of Industry, we continue to work on managing the process and informing our companies. It is of great importance that we move together with all parties involved in order to meet Green Deal criteria. I wish our meeting brings good results and thank all participants." QuickCarbon Manager and Environmental Engineer Dr. Zeynep Durak provided information in her presentation at the meeting about international agreements related to climate change, particularly the Paris Agreement, and circular economy. Durak stated in her remarks that carbon border tax means additional taxes for companies exceeding the carbon footprint amount determined by the EU. Noting that companies need to start their preparations within 2022 to comply with the carbon border adjustment mechanism, Durak emphasized that companies need to calculate and report their carbon emissions to clearly determine their current situation. Durak recommended that company officials attending the meeting make transformations and investments in environmentally friendly, low-carbon technologies. The Integration of Gaziantep Industry into the EU Green Deal meeting concluded after the question and answer session.