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Abstract

The transfer of environmentally sound technologies (ESTs) is universally recognized as one of the most effective ways to combat climate change. 1 These technologies contribute to our fight against climate change by lowering emissions and improving our resilience to climate change. 2 This series of papers will discuss the concept of ESTs, assess the compatibility of international laws and Turkish laws related to the transfer of ESTs, and propose new domestic laws and policies to create an environment conducive to their transfer.
These proposals will also identify international projects, funds, mechanisms, and institutional frameworks that
are available for Turkish actors to transfer ESTs. Since Turkey is planning to achieve its recently announced carbon-zero target by 2053,3 this paper series aims at bringing much-needed awareness to the issue of EST
transfer and proposing regulatory and practical remedies. This paper is the first paper in the series and aims at setting the scene and clarifying the concept of the
transfer of ESTs. First, the role of technologies in combating climate change is identified. Following this, the concept of ESTs and the transfer of ESTs are discussed. Subsequently, the relevant aspects of the United Nations (UN) climate change regime in the transfer of ESTs are outlined. The relevance of the international trading regime in the transfer of ESTs is then discussed. This paper argues that tension between the climate change and international trading regimes related to the transfer of ESTs will likely emerge. How Turkey can
manage this tension and govern the issue domestically is the main question arising from the analysis. The last section provides a brief explanation of the future papers in this series, which will progressively answer this central question.