Development of Natural Capital Accounts, Data, Tools, and Analyses
The production of various accounts is under way. Specifically, data has been collected, drafts have been compiled, and results have been discussed for the Ecosystem Extent Account, Forest Condition Account, Provision Ecosystem Account, and Nature-Based Tourism Ecosystem Account. In addition, discussions on data requirements and methodologies have taken place for multiple ecosystem accounts. These include the Global Climate Ecosystem Account, Soil Retention Ecosystem Account, Crop Provision Ecosystem Account, and Flood Control Ecosystem Account. These efforts are crucial in providing accurate and reliable information for the accounts’ production. In FY24, significant progress was made in completing four circular economy reports. These reports have been submitted to the client for review and approval. Most institutions have already provided their feedback and the team is organizing two dissemination events to be held in Istanbul in the second quarter and Brussels (date to be confirmed)
The four reports are as follows:
- Circular Economy Transition in Türkiye: Impacts and Interactions. This report analyzes the macroeconomic impacts of circular economy policies in Türkiye and addresses the complementarity between these and climate policies, examining the impacts of targeted circular economy policies on key factors such as economic growth, the labor market, and welfare. It provides recommendations on policy actions and measures to mitigate any potential negative impacts.
- Türkiye’s Circular Economy Transition in the EU’s GVC Ecosystem. This report assesses the exposure of Türkiye’s industry to evolving circular economy policies in major trade partners. It explores the connection between trade and material use in Türkiye, assessing how regulatory differences with the European Union affect Türkiye’s competitiveness in various industries. It provides recommendations on trade and investment policy, human capital development, supplier development programs, standard development, compliance, and infrastructure requirements.
- Building a Competitive Circular Economy: Prioritizing Industries for Accelerated Development in Türkiye. This report identifies the sectors and industries that are crucial for adopting circular economy strategies and achieving resource efficiency in critical materials. It suggests measures to support these sectors and industries. The analysis includes an assessment of sector and network linkages, identification of potential and gaps, and recommendations for the emergence of circular business models.
- Economic, Trade, and Industry Implications of the Circular Economy Transition in Türkiye. This summary report provides an overview of the three aforementioned reports and highlights the key findings and recommendations, offering a consolidated view of Türkiye’s circular economy.
Informing Investments and/or Policies
The Turkish CIC program is supporting the implementation of the Türkiye Resilient Landscape Integration, a US$135 million project. The project objective is to strengthen integrated landscape management and increase access to improved livelihood opportunities and resilient infrastructure services for rural communities in targeted areas of Türkiye. Activities under the grant supported project implementation by conducting preliminary analysis to assess the benefits of livelihoods supported by the project for different stakeholder groups in the context of natural resource management. This analysis was carried out through focused group discussions, enabling a comprehensive understanding of the potential impacts and advantages of the project. The CIC program also provided pilot ecosystem accounts for two watersheds under the project. These accounts are valuable for evaluating and monitoring the ecological status of these areas, contributing to effective landscape management.
GPS-sponsored activities in Türkiye have had significant impact on two government policy documents—the Forest Management Strategy and the Circular Economy Strategy and Action Plan. The draft of the General Directorate of Forestry’s Strategic Plan (2024–2028) was revised to include Forest Ecosystem Services after GPS-NCA works. Currently the national accounts do not value the goods and services from the forest sector. The General Directorate of Forestry is interested in improving forest ecosystem services and initiated a new project on “valuation of ecosystem services” to gain experience and know-how. The General Directorate of Forestry needed to integrate international methodologies and standards for NCA (especially the United Nations System of Environmental-Economic Accounting) in order to improve and disseminate its work. The GPS-NCA project allows the General Directorate of Forestry to improve its technical capacity in the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting, among others. This revised plan has recently been published, highlighting the importance of integrating biodiversity and ecosystem services into forest management. The Circular Economy Strategy and associated Action Plan are in the final phase of preparation, and the GPS-funded analysis has played a vital role in the development of these documents. Furthermore, the CIC program team has engaged in discussions with TurkStat, emphasizing the significance of including NCA as part of official national statistics. As a result, TurkStat has committed to including NCA in the Official Statistics Program 2024 under the category of “Future Statistics,” indicating its planned implementation in the coming years.
Capacity Building and Institutionalization
In FY24, efforts were made to enhance understanding and build capacity in NCA and related methodologies produced in Türkiye. This was accomplished through the organization of two workshops and two combined workshop and training sessions. These workshops and training sessions were designed to bring together government officials from key agencies involved in natural resource management to foster collaboration and ensure a comprehensive understanding of NCA among key stakeholders. Efforts were made to ensure gender inclusivity in these events with the proportion of female participants ranging between 28 and 37 percent.
Communication
Counterparts for all work streams have been engaged through regular meetings. Regular discussions and sharing of findings related to the circular economy were held with the Ministry of Trade. In addition, SBB, MoIT, CSB, and TÜBITAK reviewed the circular economy reports and provided comments. The Ministry of Trade will also facilitate the organization of the two dissemination workshops to be held in Istanbul and Brussels. For NCA work, the biophysical and spatial data needs and protocols for data sharing were discussed with TurkStat, which is the agency responsible for publishing statistical data. The roadmap for developing NCA work was finalized through consultative meetings with the General Directorate of Forestry and TurkStat. A specialized resource firm, Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek, was contracted based on the recommendation of United Nations Statistics Division experts in November 2023 to finalize the development of natural capital accounts, including training and capacity development for national partners (the General Directorate of Forestry and TurkStat). The contract will end in December 2024.
