18 July 2025
Local governments do not utilise their potential in energy transition
16 June 2025 – Istanbul, Turkey – A new report analysing the 2025-2029 strategic plans of 30 metropolitan municipalities in Turkey has revealed that local governments are not sufficiently exploiting their potential in the energy transition.
In order for cities to become more resilient to the impacts of the climate crisis and to achieve a fair, healthy and livable structure, an energy transformation including the transition to renewable energy and energy efficiency is of great importance.
Energy transformation provides many benefits such as increasing savings and local employment, ensuring energy security in times of disasters, reducing energy dependence on foreign energy and protecting the climate in countries with high potential in terms of solar and wind like Turkey.
In the new report prepared by Beyond Fossil Fuels and 350 for Climate Association, the energy transformation plans of 30 metropolitan municipalities were analysed.
The highlights of the report are as follows:
- Although most of the metropolitan municipalities emphasise the importance of renewable energy and energy efficiency in their strategic plans, their plans do not sufficiently utilise the potential of their regions.
- Most solar power plant projects consist of systems to be installed on the roofs of municipal service buildings, but do not include steps to support renewable installations on other buildings within the municipal boundaries.
- While many municipalities recognise wind as a potential resource, they do not have concrete projects that engage the public and share the benefits with the community.
- There are awareness-raising activities, but no vocational training for energy transition is planned.
- There are no energy desks to provide guidance to citizens on energy transition.
- The establishment of renewable energy co-operatives is not supported.
- The contribution of energy transition in solving energy poverty is not mentioned.
- The benefits of renewable energy in times of disasters are ignored.
The report highlights the importance of local and central cooperation in the energy transition, pointing out that the problems frequently mentioned by municipalities such as grid connection, access to finance, frequent changes in legislation and bureaucratic obstacles can be solved with the support of the central government.
The report urges municipalities to update their plans to include key priority actions that take into account the societal benefits of the energy transition, including increasing solar energy installations in all buildings, streamlining bureaucratic procedures, and designing renewable energy-focused vocational training programmes.