A new era of 'opening to rent' in forests: Carbon allocation for companies is coming!

A new danger awaiting Turkey's forests is about to become law. A clause hidden within the proposal known in the public as an "omnibus bill" paves the way for the allocation of state forests to private companies. "Additional Article 21," which is planned to be added to Forestry Law No. 6831, transfers the management and usage rights of forests to market actors under the pretext of "carbon sinks."

ALLOCATION UNDER THE MASK OF "CARBON SINKS"

According to the regulation, the General Directorate of Forestry (OGM) will establish "carbon sink forests" under the guise of combating global climate change, or will be able to have these forests established by individuals and companies for a fee. The most critical phrase in the article is that even existing forests can be allocated to, managed by, and operated by companies based on the market value of the carbon market.

IT WILL BE A CARBON OFFSET

This regulation creates the risk that forests, which are the common property of the public, will become "cleansing grounds" (carbon offsets) for industrial organizations and energy companies that pollute the environment. While natural forest ecosystems are left to the profit greed of companies trading in carbon, the public's access to these areas and the natural structure of the forests will be endangered.

Here are the Main Dangers Brought by the Article:

Ownership and Allocation Problem: Forests can be allocated to companies for a figure above the cost price.

Marketization: Forest management is being stripped of its public nature by being defined with purely commercial terms such as "carbon market fair value."

A New Gateway for Rent: Forests, which are already riddled with holes by mining, energy, and tourism projects, are now being opened to rent under the name of "green economy."

Regulatory Uncertainty: The limits and conditions of the implementation are not clearly defined by law and have been left open-ended by stating that they will be regulated by "regulation."

Nature advocates emphasize that if this article becomes law, the rights of forest villagers and the public over the forests will be usurped. Environmentalists, stating that the claim of increasing carbon sequestration capacity is being used as a cover to turn forests into commercial enterprises, are calling for the proposal to be withdrawn immediately.

News Source: 12punto