Call for Papers

 

                                             

Beyond Special Circumstances: Turkey and Global Climate Change Politics 

Young Scholars Workshop

16-17 April 2015 

Co-organized by

Istanbul Policy Center (IPC), Sabancı University

Marmara University Research Center for International Relations (MURCIR)

Agence Française de Développement (AFD)

 

Being an Annex-I party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and a party to the Kyoto Protocol (KP) without any commitment in its first period, Turkey has a peculiar position in the global climate change negotiations. Having ratified both the Framework Convention and the KP with 12 years of delay, Turkey had the highest rate of increases in greenhouse gas emissions among the OECD members with a 133.4% increase in 1990-2012 period. Moreover Turkey’s submissions to the UNFCCC often underline “common but differentiated responsibilities”, “national capacities” and Turkey taking its position in a fair, equitable and inclusive deal with respect to its “special circumstances”.

Nonetheless as the new climate regime is knocking at the door in Paris at COP21, Turkey’s position is yet to be clarified. In contrast with its importance as an emerging economy that strategically positions its energy production as highly dependent on fossil fuels, Turkey stands as a key albeit under-investigated country. This is reflected in the lack of substantive academic research on Turkey’s position in the UNFCCC process and its commitment to a global agreement, which stands weaker in comparison to countries with comparable profiles.

In an attempt to go beyond ‘special circumstances’ discourse and to contribute to filling this knowledge gap, this Young Scholars Climate Policy Workshop aims at providing a space of reflection on Turkey’s case within the global climate change regime as well as linking it to the broader issues.

We seek a wide range of research foci, but potential topics and themes might include:

-Turkish climate change policy: Opportunities and challenges

-Foreign policy dimensions and UNFCCC

-Institutions and policy instruments in responding to climate change

-Impacts, vulnerabilities and adaptation in key sectors

-Gender and climate change response

-Energy and mitigation opportunities for Turkey

-Local governance of climate change

-Private sector and climate change

-Ecological conflicts and climate change

-Social movements and climate change

-Climate change narratives and the media

-Climate finance

 

We particularly encourage graduate students (M.A., M.Sc. and PhD students) and junior scholars as well as senior scholars, practitioners from NGOs and state institutions to present their work. Contributions to this workshop will be considered for publication in an edited volume or a special issue in a high-quality peer-reviewed journal.

Submissions in English and Turkish are welcome. Abstracts around 300 words are invited for the first round on 22.02.2015. Extended abstracts around 800-1000 (max.) words will be requested for accepted submissions by 01.04.2015.

Abstracts (and any inquiries) should be sent to: bsc2015@sabanciuniv.edu

Genç Araştırmacılar Çalıştayı: Özel Koşulların Ötesinde: Türkiye ve Küresel İklim Değişikliği Politikaları

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