Trends in environmental goods trade: A sectoral and technological assessment for Türkiye

Öz

This study examines global trends in environmental goods trade and Türkiye’s competitive position from technological and sectoral perspectives, using the Combined List of Environmental Goods (CLEG) classification. The findings show that 80% of the 248 products in the CLEG belong to the high- and medium-high-technology categories. Trade data for 2004–2023 indicate that Türkiye’s environmental goods exports are concentrated in the medium-high-technology segment (66.5%), with particular strength in renewable energy and water treatment—patterns that align with global trends. The results also suggest that Türkiye would benefit from developing sustainable solutions to meet its demand for high-technology environmental goods. The study highlights three pathways to strengthen sustainable competitiveness: (1) expanding domestic high-technology production capacity, (2) increasing R&D investment, and (3) reinforcing technology-transfer mechanisms. Methodologically, the study contributes by evaluating environmental goods through an integrated technology–sector framework, offering a more nuanced basis for policy design.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Environmental Goods
• Sustainable Development
• Green Economy
• Türkiye

Çevresel ürün ticaretindeki eğilimler: Türkiye için sektörel ve teknolojik değerlendirme

Öz

Bu çalışmada, Çevresel Mallar Birleşik Listesi (CLEG) sınıflandırması kullanılarak, çevresel mal ticaretindeki küresel eğilimler ve Türkiye'nin rekabetçi konumu, teknolojik ve sektörel bakış açısıyla incelenmektedir. Bulgular, CLEG listesindeki 248 ürünün %80'inin yüksek ve orta-yüksek teknolojili olduğunu göstermektedir. 2004-2023 yılları arasındaki ticaret verileri, Türkiye'nin çevresel mallar ihracatının orta-yüksek teknoloji segmentinde yoğunlaştığını (66,5%) ve yenilenebilir enerji ve su arıtma sektörlerinde özellikle güçlü olduğunu göstermektedir. Bu durum, küresel eğilimlerle de uyumludur. Ayrıca veriler, Türkiye'nin özellikle yüksek teknolojili çevresel mal ihtiyacının karşılanabilmesi için sürdürülebilir çözümler geliştirilmesinde fayda bulunduğuna da işaret etmektedir. Ayrıca çalışmada sürdürülebilir rekabet gücünün artırılması için üç kritik yol önerilmektedir: (1) yerli yüksek teknoloji üretim kapasitesinin geliştirilmesi, (2) Ar-Ge yatırımlarının artırılması ve (3) teknoloji transfer mekanizmalarının güçlendirilmesi. Metodolojik açıdan bu çalışma, çevresel malları teknolojik yoğunluk ve sektörel yapı boyutları açısından bütünleşik bir çerçevede ele alarak literatüre katkı sağlamakta ve politika yapıcılar için analitik bir değerlendirme perspektifi sunmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• çevresel ürünler
• sürdürülebilir kalkınma
• yeşil ekonomi
• türkiye dış ticareti

Kaynakça

1. References
2. APEC (2012). ANNEX C – APEC list of environmental goods, 2012 leaders' declaration. Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation. Available at: https://www.apec.org/meeting-papers/leaders-declarations/2012/2012_aelm/2012_aelm_annexc (access date: 11.08.2025)
3. Al-Mulali, U., & Ozturk, I. (2015). The effect of energy consumption, urbanization, trade openness, industrial output, and the political stability on the environmental degradation in the MENA (Middle East and North African) Region. Energy, 84, 382-389. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2015.03.004
4. Antweiler, W., Copeland, B. R., & Taylor, M. S. (2001). Is free trade good for the environment? American Economic Review, 91(4), 877–908.
5. Cameron, M., Hartzenberg, T., Fundira, T., Hattingh, E., Monaisa, L., Montmasson-Clair, G., and Wood, C. (2021). The European Green Deal: Context, challenges and opportunities for South African SMEs operating in the green economy. TIPS, Tralac, and Trade Advisory. Available at: https://greencape.co.za/assets/The-European-Green-Deal-Context-challenges-and-opportunities-for-South-African-SMEs-operating-in-the-green-economy-October-2021.pdf (access date: 11.08.2025)
6. Can, M., Ahmed, Z., Mercan, M., and Kalugina, O. A. (2021). The role of trading environment-friendly goods in environmental sustainability: Does green openness matter for OECD countries?. Journal of Environmental Management, 295, 113038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113038
7. Doha Ministerial Declaration (2001). Doha WTO Ministerial 2001: Ministerial Declaration. World Trade Organization. Available at: https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/minist_e/min01_e/mindecl_e.htm (access date: 11.08.2025)
8. European Commission (EC). (2019). The European Green Deal. COM(2019) 640 final. Available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52019DC0640 (access date: 10.10.2025)

9. European Parliament and Council (EPC). (2023). Regulation (EU) 2023/956 establishing a carbon border adjustment mechanism. Official Journal of the European Union L 130/52.
10. Gaigné, C., & Tamini, L. D. (2021). Environmental taxation and import demand for environmental goods: theory and evidence from the European Union. Environmental & Resource Economics, 78(2), 307-352. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10640-020-00534-w
11. Garsous, G. (2019). Trends in policy indicators on trade and environment. OECD Trade and Environment Working Papers, No. 2019/01, OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/b8d2bcac-en.
12. Ghisellini, P., Cialani, C., & Ulgiati, S. (2016). A review on circular economy: the expected transition to a balanced interplay of environmental and economic systems. Journal of Cleaner Production, 114, 11-32.
13. Kang, S. J., and Park, D. (2023). Asia’s low-carbon transition: opportunities and challenges for trade. Asian Development Bank Economics Working Paper Series, (686).
14. Kirchherr, J., Reike, D., & Hekkert, M. (2017). Conceptualizing the circular economy: An analysis of 114 definitions. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 127, 221-232.
15. Van Ledden, A., Can, M., and Brusselaers, J. (2024). Toward a greener future: investigating the environmental quality of non-green trading in OECD countries. Ekonomikalia Journal of Economics, 2(1), 15-28.
16. Mol, A. P. J., & Sonnenfeld, D. A. (2000). Ecological modernisation around the world: An introduction. Environmental Politics, 9(1), 3–16.
17. OECD (2021). “OECD work on trade and the environment - A retrospective, 2008-2020”. OECD Publishing. Available at: https://www.oecd.org/env/retrospective-trade-environment-2008-2020.htm (access date: 11.08.2025)
18. OECD. (2021). The OECD green recovery database: Examining the environmental implications of COVID-19 recovery policies. OECD Publishing. Available at: https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/the-oecd-green-recovery-database-47ae0f0d/ (access date: 12.11.2025)
19. OECD/Eurostat (1999). The environmental goods and services industry: Manual for data collection and analysis. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264173651-en.
20. Popp, D. (2010). Innovation and climate policy. Annual Review of Resource Economics, 2(1), 275–298. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.resource.012809.103929
21. Porter, M. E., & van der Linde, C. (1995). Toward a new conception of the environment-competitiveness relationship. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 9(4), 97–118. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.9.4.97
22. Sauvage, J. (2014). The stringency of environmental regulations and trade in environmental goods. OECD Trade and Environment Working Papers, No. 2014/3, OECD Publishing. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/5jxrjn7xsnmq-en. (Access date: 10.10.2025).
23. Sürdürülebilir Ekonomi ve Finans Araştırmaları Derneği (SEFİA), (2022). Çevresel ürünlerin ticareti raporu: Dünyada ve Türkiye’de çevresel ürünler. SEFİA Yayın. Available at: https://sefia.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/sefia-dunyada-ve-turkiyede-cevresel-urunlerin-ticareti-raporu-v1-min1.pdf (access date: 10.10.2025)
24. Steenblik, R. (2005). Liberalising trade in environmental goods: some practical considerations. OECD Trade and Environment Working Papers, No. 2005/5, OECD Publishing. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888676434604.
25. Stern, D. I. (2004). The rise and fall of the environmental Kuznets curve. World development, 32(8), 1419-1439.
26. Tariq, M., Xu, Y., Ullah, K., and Dong, B. (2024). Toward low‐carbon emissions and green growth for sustainable development in emerging economies: Do green trade openness, eco‐innovation, and carbon price matter?. Sustainable Development, 32(1), 959-978.
27. Ticaret Bakanlığı (TB), (2021). Yeşil Mutabakat Eylem Planı (2021-2023). Ticaret Bakanlığı. Available at: https://ticaret.gov.tr/data/60f1200013b876eb28421b23/MUTABAKAT%20YE%C5%9E%C4%B0L.pdf (Access date: 10.10.2025).
28. Türkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Araştırma Kurumu (TÜBİTAK), (2023). TÜBİTAK yeşil büyüme teknoloji yol haritası, genel bilgiler ve metodoloji, 2023. TÜBİTAK. Available at: https://tubitak.gov.tr/sites/default/files/2023-12/yesilbuyume_tyh_rapor_19072023.pdf (access date: 10.10.2025).
29. Türkiye İhracatçılar Meclisi (TİM). (2024). İhracatta Gündem: sınırda karbon düzenlemesi. TİM Report. Available at: https://tim.org.tr/files/downloads/Timreport/T%C4%B0MREPORT_229.pdf (access date: 10.10.2025)
30. UNCTAD. (2021). Commodities and Development Report 2021: Escaping from the commodity dependence trap through technology and innovation. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Available at: https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/ditccom2021d1_en.pdf (access date: 12.11.2025)
31. United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development. Available at: https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda (access date: 12.11.2025)
32. World Bank. (2020). World Development Report 2020: trading for development in the age of global value chains. The World Bank Group. Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wdr2020 (access date: 12.11.2025)
33. WTO (2009). Communication under paragraph 31 (III) of the Doha Ministerial Declaration. Committee on Trade and Environment Special Session, JOB(09)/132. World Trade Organization. Available at: http://www.nerpor.pt/component/phocadownload/category/2-nerpor?download=17:friends-list-2009 (access date: 11.08.2025)