The Turkey Green Taxonomy Regulation was published in the Official Gazette on September 24, 2026, and entered into force. Prepared by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, the regulation officially establishes criteria for which economic activities will be considered “environmentally friendly. It aims to prevent companies from carelessly declaring themselves “green. The regulation also defines the concept of greenwashing for this purpose.

What is the Turkey Green Taxonomy?

You can think of the taxonomy as a common vocabulary prepared for sustainable investments. This structure, which is the Turkish version of the model system applied in the European Union for years, is based on the Climate Law. The system will be implemented by the Climate Change Presidency. The Presidency will work with a 15-person committee consisting of representatives from ministries, regulatory bodies, and the private sector.

Six environmental objectives have been determined

The regulation includes six environmental goals: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to climate change, sustainable use of water and marine resources, transition to a circular economy, pollution prevention, and biodiversity conservation.

How will an activity be considered “green”?

For an activity to be considered compliant with the taxonomy, it must meet all three rules. The activity must make a valuable contribution to at least one of the objectives. It must not significantly harm the other objectives. It must also comply with international labor and human rights standards. The extent of the contribution will be determined by the technical screening criteria to be published by the Presidency. Production activities using solid fossil fuels , such as coal, will not be considered sustainable under any circumstances.

Which sectors are included?

The annex to the regulation lists the activities within the scope of taxonomy one by one. The list includes a wide range of activities from renewable power generation such as solar, wind, geothermal and hydroelectric to the manufacture of batteries and hydrogen equipment, from wastewater treatment to the manufacture of electrical and electronic equipment. High-emission sectors such as cement, iron and steel and aluminum are listed as “transition activities”. Accommodation facilities such as hotels and campsites are also included under the heading of biodiversity protection. The technical criteria to be published by the Presidency will determine under what conditions each activity will be considered “green”.

The 2029 period begins for banks

The most striking aspect of the regulation is the reporting side. Companies will be able to voluntarily report their taxonomy-compliant income, investments, and expenses. Reporting will be mandatory for banks, insurance and pension companies, brokerage firms, and portfolio management companies. Financial institutions have been given a transition period until January 1, 2029. Reports will be uploaded to the Online Taxonomy Management System

within six months following the end of the fiscal period and will be publicly available. Those who fail to fulfill their obligation may be subject to administrative fines.

So what does this regulation mean?

In the short term, there is no direct change for consumers. However, since banks will be required to report how much of their loan portfolios are “green

”, it is expected that renewable energy, water efficiency, and recycling projects will have easier access to financing in the coming years. The technical criteria that will be the main determining factor have not yet been published. These thresholds will also show how strictly the system will operate. Once again, the transformation of the word “green” from a marketing gimmick into a measurable criterion was a long-awaited step.

The Turkish Green Taxonomy Regulation has been published in the Official Gazette. Which activities will be considered “green,” and what awaits banks? Here are the details.

Activity, Green, Taxonomy, Single, Target

<

div>