Doğal Kaynaklar, Enerji Dönüşümü ve Çevresel Sürdürülebilirlik: Türkiye'nin Stratejik Kaynak Potansiyelinden Kanıtlar

Öz

Bu çalışma iki temel amaca hizmet etmektedir. Birincisi, Türkiye ekonomisinde doğal kaynak rantları, enerji dönüşümü, ekonomik büyüme ve çevresel bozulma arasındaki ilişkileri açıklamaktır. İkincisi, Türkiye'nin açık ara dünya lideri olduğu bor madenciliğinin çevresel sürdürülebilirliğe katkısını değerlendirmektir. Bu çalışma, 1970-2021 yılları arasındaki verileri kullanarak yapısal kırılmalı ARDL sınır testini kullanmaktadır. Kısa vadeli sonuçlar, ekonomik büyüme ve çevresel bozulma arasında ters U ilişkisinin bulunduğunu göstermektedir. Ayrıca, doğal kaynak rantlarının çevresel bozulmayı artırdığı, yenilenebilir enerji tüketiminin azalttığı ve fosil yakıt kullanımının ise artırdığı sonucuna varılmıştır. Uzun vadede de benzer bulgular elde edilerek Ters Yük Kapasitesi Eğrisi hipotezinin geçerliliği doğrulanmıştır. Bu sonuç, doğal kaynak laneti hipotezinin çevresel boyutunu da doğrulamaktadır. Uzun vadeli sonuçların sağlamlığını doğrulamak için DOLS tahmincisi kullanılmıştır. Son olarak, çalışma Toda-Yamamoto nedensellik analizini kullanmıştır. Bu sonuçlar, Türkiye'nin kaynak gelirlerini tüketim odaklı büyüme yerine yenilenebilir ve düşük karbonlu enerji yatırımlarına yönlendirmesi gerektiğini vurgulamaktadır. Yeşil inovasyonun geliştirilmesi ve sürdürülebilirlik hedeflerinin enerji planlamasına entegre edilmesi büyük önem taşımaktadır. Bu bağlamda, Türkiye'nin en stratejik doğal kaynaklarından biri olan borun, sürdürülebilir enerji teknolojilerine ve ülkenin düşük karbonlu, kaynak verimli ve çevre dostu bir ekonomiye geçişine önemli katkı sağlayacağı düşünülmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Bor
• Çevresel bozulma
• Doğal kaynak rantı
• Yenilenebilir enerji
• Türkiye

Natural Resources, Energy Transition, and Environmental Sustainability: Evidence from Turkey’s Strategic Resource Potential

Öz

This study pursues two main objectives. The first is to explain the relationships between natural resource rents, energy transformation, economic growth, and environmental degradation in the Turkish economy. The second is to assess the contribution of boron mining, in which Türkiye is a clear world leader, to environmental sustainability. This study utilizes the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds test with structural breaks using data from 1970 to 2021. The short-term results demonstrate that an inverted-U relationship exists between economic growth and environmental degradation. Moreover, the findings indicate that natural resource rents exert a positive effect on environmental degradation, whereas renewable energy consumption contributes to its mitigation. Conversely, fossil fuel consumption is associated with heightened environmental deterioration. Similar findings are obtained in the long term, confirming the validity of the Inverse Load Capacity Curve hypothesis. This result also confirms the environmental dimension of the natural resource curse hypothesis. The dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS) estimator was employed to verify the robustness of the long-run results. Finally, the study utilized Toda-Yamamoto causality analysis. These results emphasize Türkiye's need to channel its resource revenues toward renewable and low-carbon energy investments rather than consumption-driven growth. It is crucial to develop green innovation and integrate sustainability goals into energy planning. In this context, boron, one of Türkiye's most strategic natural resources, is considered to significantly contribute to sustainable energy technologies and the country's transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient, and environmentally friendly economy.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Boron
• Environmental degradation
• Natural resource rent
• Renewable energy
• Türkiye

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