Sakarya, located in northwestern Turkey, is distinguished by its industrial prowess, anchored by automotive and manufacturing sectors. The city's strategic location near Istanbul and its historical sites contribute to its economic and cultural significance in the region.
In 2018, Sakarya Metropolitan Municipality (SBB) signed the Covenant of Mayors (CoM), established by the European Commission to encourage and support urban mitigation plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cities and promote the use of clean energy sources. By preparing and implementing a Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP), SBB voluntarily aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this context, the goals include:
- Reducing CO2 emissions by at least 40% by 2030 compared to the baseline year of 2018.
- Ensuring reliable access to sustainable and low-cost energy.
To achieve these targets, the SBB Environmental Protection and Control Department led the preparation of the SEAP in coordination with local stakeholders. Greenhouse gas reduction activities aligned with Sakarya's Strategic Plan vision and goals have been identified to make Sakarya a sustainable city.
The Sustainable Energy Action Plan preparation process for Sakarya Metropolitan Municipality began with a kickoff meeting on July 28, 2020, and an educational program aimed at increasing institutional capacity in this area. The SEAP includes activities compatible with the city's strategic goals, such as the Sakarya Metropolitan Municipality (SBB) Strategic Plan and the Smart City Strategy, to voluntarily achieve a 40% greenhouse gas reduction by 2030 under the Covenant of Mayors.
During the SEAP preparation process, city and institutional greenhouse gas inventories were created, and based on these inventories and city data, a 40% reduction scenario for 2030 was prepared. A participatory process was followed to determine the activities to achieve the set targets. During the workshop, activities were discussed and identified with participants from expert institutions and organizations on relevant topics.
The Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP) of Sakarya Metropolitan Municipality (SBB) was completed and prepared under the coordination of the SBB Environmental Protection and Control Department. The Sakarya Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan serves as a roadmap to reduce emissions from energy consumption across various sectors, determined with the participation of urban stakeholders.
The process began with the calculation of Sakarya's 2017 Urban Baseline Emission Inventory (BEI). Urban greenhouse gas emissions were prepared within the framework of the International Local Government Greenhouse Gas Emissions Analysis Protocol (IEAP), developed by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) in accordance with IPCC guidelines and applicable to each local government.
The greenhouse gas reduction rate of the Sakarya Sustainable Energy Action Plan was prepared in alignment with the 2030 target of a 40% reduction, as stipulated for signatory cities of the Covenant of Mayors.
Sakarya Municipality won the title of Bike City.