Carbon Forward Türkiye 2025 brought together over 150 climate professionals in Izmir on May 7–8, marking a key moment in Turkiye’s preparations for its national emissions trading scheme (ETS). Life Climate participated fully in this influential event, engaging with decision-makers, market leaders, and international climate policy experts to help shape the future of carbon markets in Turkiye and the wider region.

With the Climate Law expected to be ratified in 2025, Carbon Forward Türkiye offered both public and private sector stakeholders a rare opportunity to align strategies, share insights, and confront challenges tied to climate policy, carbon pricing, and decarbonisation.

Turkiye’s ETS: A Turning Point in Climate Policy

The opening keynote was delivered by Orhan Solak, Vice President of Climate Change at the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, who emphasized Turkiye’s commitment to ambitious, timely climate action. His message confirmed the Ministry’s roadmap for rolling out the ETS and highlighted the importance of stakeholder coordination, transparency, and regulatory readiness.

From the perspective of Life Climate, this event marked a defining point for national climate infrastructure. The Ministry’s involvement, alongside evolving legislation and market mechanisms, signals a new era for compliance, transparency, and opportunity across the Turkish industry.

Day One: Policy, Pricing, and Regional Cooperation

The first day of Carbon Forward Türkiye 2025 focused on compliance with carbon markets and the operational mechanics of the upcoming ETS.

Key insights included:

• ETS Design & Implementation: Sessions covered Turkiye’s legislation status, allocation mechanisms, and MRV (monitoring, reporting, verification) frameworks. These discussions made clear that companies must start preparing for the costs and opportunities associated with carbon pricing in 2025.
• CBAM Implications: With the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) already affecting carbon-intensive exports, presenters stressed the urgency for Turkish manufacturers and exporters to align with EU climate standards. Ministry speakers emphasized their role in ensuring Turkiye's alignment and fair treatment under CBAM.
• Sectoral Impacts: Carbon pricing in shipping, aviation, and heavy industry was explored through both a regulatory and operational lens. These sessions offered companies a clearer view of where their exposures and mitigation opportunities lie.
• Socio-Economic Outlook: Perspectives from national policy actors reflected on how carbon pricing could drive low-carbon innovation while requiring careful design to avoid burdening vulnerable sectors.

Life Climate’s representatives—including our Managing Director, Ramazan Aslan, who took the stage as a moderator and panelist—engaged actively throughout the day. The broader Life Climate team also participated in roundtables and bilateral discussions, representing our clients’ interests and voicing priorities for sustainable carbon market development.

Day Two: Voluntary Markets and Carbon Finance

The second day of Carbon Forward Türkiye 2025 shifted to voluntary markets, international mechanisms, and nature-based solutions.

Highlights for Life Climate included:

• Article 6 and International Collaboration: Ministry officials detailed Turkiye’s growing involvement in carbon market cooperation under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The national climate team is actively exploring mechanisms for credit transfers, hosting high-integrity projects, and encouraging regional collaboration.
• Voluntary Carbon Market Evolution: Ramazan Aslan moderated a discussion on voluntary markets and the regulatory future of carbon credits. Topics included the EU’s Green Claims Directive, Core Carbon Principles, and demand-side scrutiny. The conversation reinforced the importance of credibility, additionality, and permanence in project development—principles Life Climate actively promotes in its work.
• Nature-Based and Engineered Solutions: Sessions explored both regenerative and technological carbon removal methods, highlighting Turkiye’s capacity to support scalable climate mitigation initiatives. The Life Climate team participated in these sessions as part of our broader work on blended mitigation portfolios.
• Carbon Finance and Export Strategy: With growing interest in green funding and climate finance instruments, project developers and exporters were encouraged to explore bankable, emissions-aligned business models. The Ministry’s emphasis on green transition finance echoed many of the advisory themes we support at Life Climate.

Life Climate’s Role at Carbon Forward Türkiye 2025

As the Platinum sponsor and Local Partner, our participation at Carbon Forward Türkiye 2025 served several goals:

• Thought Leadership: Through the moderation role and engagement in technical panels, we shared actionable insights on VCM design, integrity, and international linkage.
• Advocacy & Presence: While not all on stage, the Life Climate team engaged in high-level dialogues with Ministry officials, private sector stakeholders, and carbon market developers throughout the event. These discussions helped inform our internal strategy and reinforced our advisory capabilities across compliance and voluntary markets.
• Strategic Partnerships: The event offered valuable space to explore collaboration opportunities across Turkiye, the Balkans, and the MENA regions where Life Climate is scaling advisory, finance, and project development work.

What the Event Means for the Region

Carbon Forward Türkiye 2025 clarified how critical carbon pricing will become, not just as a policy tool, but as a business determinant. The ETS will reshape investment decisions, export potential, and climate risk across sectors. The Ministry’s active participation confirmed the state’s leadership role in driving this transition forward.

For industry actors, the message is clear: carbon costs are coming, but so are new sources of funding, efficiency, and competitive advantage. For advisors like Life Climate, the next step is helping organizations turn this moment into measurable action.

What Comes Next for Life Climate

Following Carbon Forward Türkiye 2025, we’re focused on:

• ETS Preparedness: Providing clients with carbon footprint analysis, MRV systems, and regulatory guidance for smooth ETS integration.
• VCM Expansion: Supporting high-quality offset projects in forestry, agriculture, and engineered removals—with emphasis on permanence, co-benefits, and buyer assurance.
• Climate Finance Facilitation: Connecting clients to green loans, carbon revenue streams, and sustainability-linked export strategies.
• Regional Outreach: Delivering workshops, training, and policy guidance to partners across Turkiye, the Balkans, and MENA.

FAQ: Carbon Forward Türkiye 2025

What is Carbon Forward Türkiye 2025?

Carbon Forward is one of the most prominent and influential international events in the field. The Türkiye leg of this global series was held in İzmir, focusing on the rollout of Turkiye’s expected ETS, alignment with the CBAM, and developments in the voluntary carbon market. The 2025 edition took place May 7–8.

How did Life Climate contribute?

Our Managing Director, Ramazan Aslan, moderated and participated in two sessions on voluntary markets, and the wider team engaged in technical, financial, and policy conversations throughout the event.

Why is this event important for Turkiye?

It aligns stakeholders around the launch of Turkiye’s ETS, increases climate policy transparency, and connects local efforts with global carbon markets.

How can companies prepare for Turkiye’s ETS?

To prepare for Turkiye’s ETS, companies should begin by establishing a robust emissions baseline and implementing a reliable Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system. Developing a risk management and compliance strategy is also essential to navigate potential regulatory and financial impacts.Advisors like Life Climate can guide integration, cost planning, and compliance strategy.

What role will Life Climate play going forward?

We’ll continue to support carbon market development, provide strategic advice, and help scale climate finance and project execution across sectors and borders.