Francesco La Camera, director-general of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), praised Türkiye’s progress in clean energy policies during the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Belem.
Speaking to state-run Anadolu Agency, La Camera emphasized that the country is moving in the right direction, noting, “Türkiye is making significant progress. Of course, we all need to do more, but what we are seeing is encouraging enough.”
Highlighting Türkiye’s renewable energy potential, La Camera pointed to geothermal energy as a key resource.
“Türkiye has a great power derived from geothermal energy. It truly has extraordinary potential,” he said.
He added that Türkiye’s leadership in energy policy is advancing correctly and swiftly, with geothermal energy at the core of the system, while solar and wind also offer remarkable opportunities.
“Türkiye is really fortunate in terms of natural resources for a faster transition to a clean energy system,” he remarked.
La Camera underlined that the global energy transition is aligned with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, but stressed that both speed and scale must be increased.
Referring to commitments made at COP28 to triple renewable energy capacity, he noted that the real issue lies not in pledges but in the concrete steps countries take toward achieving them.
He also warned of insufficient progress in certain regions. “Only Africa and Southeast Asia are worrying areas. Some developing countries still do not fully know what they are doing. They have not assumed the role they need to take in the energy transition, and some nations are falling behind,” La Camera cautioned.
