Energy Efficiency Workshop Held

The Energy Efficiency Workshop organized by Healthy Cities National Network of Türkiye, was hosted by Muğla Metropolitan Municipality on 28 February 2025 at the Türkan Saylan Contemporary Life Center with the participation of 110 representatives from 28 member municipalities. The workshop started with the opening speeches of Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality and President of Healthy Cities National Network of Türkiye, Dr. Cemil Tugay and Mayor of Muğla Metropolitan Municipality, Ahmet Aras. Member mayors, council members, advisory board members, healthy cities project coordinators, municipality representatives, representatives of public institutions – organizations and relevant private sector representatives, professional chambers and city council representatives attended the workshop.

In his opening speech, Muğla Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ahmet Aras drew attention to the environmental impacts of thermal power plants and said, “In order for a city to be described as a healthy city, we care about a comfortable life as well as being resistant and sustainable against disasters. Therefore, we held an earthquake workshop last week and we have been working for an earthquake-resistant infrastructure. There have been studies on these issues before us. The energy efficiency workshop is also one of our efforts to create sustainable resilient cities. Except earthquakes and volcano eruptions, almost all disasters are climate-related. We have new solar power plants to be opened and our district municipalities are also working for solar power plants. They are working for investments both on the roofs of their own facilities and in suitable locations. Muğla is very suitable for this. In order to create a healthy city, we need to be prepared for climate-related disasters. We can define energy as the core of life. However, how energy is produced and consumed is also very important. There are 3 thermal power plants in our region. Unfortunately, these structures threaten cultural life, agriculture and ecology. Thermal power plants have reached the olive groves. The coal exploration permission of Yatağan Thermal Power Plant was canceled with the lawsuits we filed. Everyone saw the struggle in Akbelen. We need to make this transformation and abolish production with fossil energy. As a goal, I want us to remove these thermal power plants from our agenda at least until 2030. There is no need for bigger thermal power plants in Muğla anymore. We need clean energy and projects that support agriculture and tourism. We are not a country so backward that we use technologies abandoned in Europe and America. Here is the Republic of Türkiye founded by Atatürk, always aims for the future and science.”

In his opening speech, Mayor Tugay emphasized that natural riches are under threat and said, “The issue that we all need to realize today is the climate problem that is gradually destroying the natural balance of the world. We are working for healthy cities. A healthy city is a city that has a healthy natural environment and sustainable living conditions but unfortunately it is under threat due to the climate crisis.”

Mayor Tugay mentioned about problems such as drought and low yield in agriculture and said, “There are serious problems about people’s health that have been increasing in a hidden and insidious way. As the climate deteriorates, human health also deteriorates. If the most important problem we need to tackle is the climate crisis, the institutions that have the authority to make decisions about the source of the crisis, should have plans and road maps.”

Mayor Tugay stated that the most important purpose of the meetings is to bring local governments together in common mind and said that “Türkiye can be an example and a leader to the world in reducing carbon emissions. Especially if we are the heirs of the Republic founded by a leader like Atatürk, we should adopt this much more easily. I sincerely wish that self-confidence of Türkiye on this issue will increase.”

After the opening speeches, the first session was moderated by President of Izmir Planning Agency and Advisory Board Member of Healthy Cities National Network of Türkiye, Prof. Dr. Koray Velibeyoğlu. Prof. Dr. Koray Velibeyoğlu projected a QR code on the screen to calculate personal carbon emissions. 150 people took the test and the carbon footprint of those in the hall was 8.9 kilograms.

Velibeyoğlu said, “In the study conducted with 17 thousand people in Izmir, individual carbon footprint was measured. The average carbon footprint of citizens in Izmir was measured as 8.4 kilograms. Türkiye’s average is an estimated 6.5 kilograms. There are no measurements on the basis of cities, there are more estimates. It is extremely important to expand such studies and carry them to other cities in order to determine where we stand. A database is being created for member municipalities by Healthy Cities National Network of Türkiye. We have started a study to determine how member municipalities perform in order to provide a healthy environment and living environment. In this context, a joint indicator study is being carried out with advisory board members and scientists.”

Afterwards, Sustainable Urbanism and Building Expert (ECOBUILD), Murat Doğru made a presentation under the title of “Energy Efficiency in Cities and Public Health: Cross Interactions and a Holistic Approach”.

Murat Doğru emphasized the importance of expanding green building practices in cities and said, “Green buildings can reduce our emission rates by 40%. We need to implement green roof practices and building norms. Climate change has reached an irreversible point. At this point, we can no longer continue with old understanding. Municipalities are the orchestra conductor in the fight against climate change. Municipalities and government need to work together. States have to take action on this issue. We should encourage electricity in transportation. Cities are changing road sections. Roads need to reach the capacity to completely combat rainwater and heat islands. We need to work for the establishment of zero carbon cities from green buildings. We have to switch to green buildings. This will reduce our emission values by 40%. Public and private sectors should also switch to green buildings. Alternative fuel vehicles, smart mobility systems should be used and we need to encourage green building policies. We need to reduce light pollution. We need to make green areas in cities 85 square meters per person.”

Afterwards, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of İZENERJİ A.Ş., Saadet Çağlın shared her presentation titled “Holistic Approaches to Energy Efficiency in Local Governments”.

In her presentation, Çağlın drew attention to the need to use public resources correctly and said, “Local governments should play an active role in the protection of natural resources. We need to use the public resources entrusted to us correctly. As local administrators, we also have to guarantee the natural resources of citizens. We do not want to have a share in energy deprivation” and shared energy saving targets of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality for 2025.

The last speaker of the first session, Head of Climate Change and Zero Waste Department of Muğla Metropolitan Municipality, Dr. Cihan Dündar made a presentation titled “Climate Change and the Effects of Urban Heat Island on Cities”.

In his presentation, Dündar pointed out that the urban heat island effect is 4.5 degrees higher in urban centers than in rural areas and emphasized that municipalities should take effective measures against this problem and said the following about the climate crisis: “We have to use energy efficiently. Many natural disasters are caused by the climate crisis. There is no escape from the effects of climate change, we need to work on mitigation and adaptation policy. Urban heat island is very important. Because urban centers are 4.5 degrees warmer than rural settlements. Concrete structures trap too much heat.”

In the question and answer part of the session, moderator Prof. Dr. Koray Velibeyoğlu received the questions and evaluations of the participants and ended the session.

In the second session, participants completed their work with a practical approach at the tables formed with the themes of Energy Efficiency in Health/Tourism Facilities, Energy Poverty, Climate Friendly and Energy Efficient Land Use Planning, Fair Access to Renewable Energy, Energy Positive Buildings and Neighborhoods, Energy Efficiency Programs and Policies, Digital Energy Management, Energy Remunicipalization and Localization, Energy Efficiency in Municipal Buildings and Infrastructure Facilities, Energy Efficiency in Sustainable Transportation.