Another important step has been taken towards strengthening the planning framework for climate action at the local level in Türkiye. The Legislation on Local Climate Change Action Plans and Provincial Climate Change Coordination Boards was published in the Official Gazette No. 33330 on 4 August 2026 and entered into force on the same date.
Prepared pursuant to Article 7 of Climate Law No. 7552, dated 2 July 2025, the legislation establishes the main framework for Local Climate Change Action Plans (LCCAPs) to be prepared at the provincial level for climate change adaptation and greenhouse gas emission reduction, taking into account Türkiye’s net-zero emissions target, Nationally Determined Contribution and relevant planning instruments. The legislation also sets out the general principles governing the preparation, approval, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of LCCAPs, as well as the duties, authorities and responsibilities of relevant institutions and organizations. Under the legislation, LCCAPs will be prepared for each province, covering the entire provincial territory and addressing climate change adaptation and greenhouse gas emission reduction in an integrated manner, based on a participatory and scientific approach and taking into account just transition requirements.
The plans will include data on the geographical, ecological, demographic, social, cultural and economic characteristics of each province, as well as climate risk assessments and corresponding adaptation targets and actions, provincial greenhouse gas inventories, emission reduction targets and related actions. The responsible institutions and organizations, implementation periods, monitoring indicators, budgets and potential financing sources for the identified actions will also be defined within the LCCAPs.
The legislation also defines the structure, duties and working procedures of the Provincial Climate Change Coordination Boards, which will play an important role in coordinating LCCAP processes at the local level. Chaired by the governor, the Boards will bring together local authorities and relevant public institutions, as well as representatives of chambers of commerce and industry and, depending on the subject, professional organizations, civil society organizations and universities. The Boards will review draft LCCAPs and approve the final plans, as well as monitor and evaluate their implementation status on an annual basis. Under the legislation, a Provincial Climate Change Coordination Board will be established in each province by 31 December 2026. The first LCCAPs will cover the 2028–2032 period and must be approved by the Provincial Climate Change Coordination Boards by 31 December 2027. LCCAPs will subsequently be updated every five years.
The EU Partnership for Local Climate Action in Türkiye Project, funded by the European Union, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with the Directorate of Climate Change as the End Recipient, supports the development of the legislative, institutional and technical infrastructure required for local climate action. Under the Project, comprehensive technical studies have been carried out to contribute to the development of the legislative framework for the preparation, implementation and monitoring of LCCAPs. As part of this work, a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) examined the legal, institutional, technical and financial dimensions of establishing a nationwide framework for LCCAPs and assessed the governance structure, institutional responsibilities, monitoring mechanisms and implementation needs. Extensive consultations were also conducted to gather the views of different institutions and stakeholders in support of the legislation development process. Workshops held in December 2024 and February 2025 brought together public institutions, local authorities, academia, civil society and other relevant stakeholders to share their views and recommendations on the LCCAP legislative framework. Following these consultations, the draft legislation was opened for comments from relevant institutions and organizations. Project experts also contributed to the technical work carried out throughout the process.
With the publication and entry into force of the legislation in the Official Gazette on 4 August 2026, an important milestone has been reached in establishing the national legislative framework for local climate action planning. Following the publication of the legislation, work is continuing to strengthen the implementation framework for local climate action. Under the legislation, detailed procedures and principles for the preparation, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of LCCAPs will be set out in the LCCAP Technical Guideline to be published by the Directorate of Climate Change. The legislation also stipulates that LCCAPs will be prepared in accordance with the Technical Guideline and that relevant data and monitoring processes will be managed through E-LCCAP.
The LCCAP Technical Guideline, developed under the EU Partnership for Local Climate Action in Türkiye Project, has reached the finalization stage and is expected to be completed and published in the coming period. Once the Guideline is published, all 81 provinces will begin preparing their LCCAPs based on the common framework established by the legislation and the Technical Guideline. The Project is also supporting LCCAP preparation in six pilot provinces: Antalya, Elazığ, Isparta, Kahramanmaraş, Kastamonu and Ordu. The work carried out in these pilot provinces is expected to support the practical application of the approaches and methodologies developed and contribute to the LCCAP preparation process to be undertaken across Türkiye. Training activities are also being carried out under the Project to support the effective implementation of the Technical Guideline and strengthen the necessary technical capacity at the local level. Training on the LCCAP Technical Guideline has already been completed in five of the six pilot provinces. Training in Kastamonu, the sixth pilot province, is planned for September 2026.
Following the activities in the pilot provinces, capacity-building efforts will be expanded nationwide. Starting in September 2026, training on the LCCAP Technical Guideline will be launched across Türkiye’s 12 NUTS-1 regions. The training programme aims to strengthen the technical capacity of relevant institutions and organizations for LCCAP preparation and support the effective implementation of the framework established by the legislation throughout the country.
The legislation also establishes the framework for the digital infrastructure that will support the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of LCCAPs. It provides for the establishment and operation of the E-LCCAP system, where LCCAP-related data will be uploaded, while approved LCCAPs will be made publicly available through the Climate Portal. Technical support for the development of E-LCCAP will also be provided under the EU Partnership for Local Climate Action in Türkiye Project. This will support the management of data and information related to the preparation, implementation and annual monitoring of LCCAPs through a common digital system.
With the legislation now in force, Türkiye has entered a new phase in putting a common framework for local climate action planning into practice. With the forthcoming publication of the Technical Guideline and the launch of LCCAP preparation across all 81 provinces, the framework established to systematically plan, implement and monitor climate actions that reflect local needs and priorities will move into implementation.