National Energy 2040 Plan excludes health costs from fossil fuels

The Right to Clean Air Platform (THHP) has criticized the National Energy 2040 Plan, announced by Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar, for lacking a roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels and failing to account for their health impacts.

The National Energy 2040 Plan, announced to the public ahead of the COP31 Climate Summit held in Antalya, includes a 36 percent electrification target for the country. However, according to assessments by the THHP and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), the plan aims to increase investments in gas, oil, and nuclear energy while maintaining coal subsidies.

The THHP emphasizes that air pollution caused by fossil fuels leads to approximately 26,500 premature deaths, 8,000 preterm births, and 5,100 new cases of childhood asthma annually in Turkey. The annual economic cost of this pollution is stated to be at the level of $55 billion. The platform argues that Turkey needs a clear phase-out schedule instead of coal subsidies.