The 8th Green Economy Conference took place at Cezayir meeting hall on April 24, Tuesday through the joint efforts of Green Thought Association, Heinrich Böll Stiftung Turkey Office and Troya Environmental Association. The theme of the conference was Energy Financing.
In the first session of the conference, the current status of energy financing in Europe and relevant good examples were discussed with guests from Europe. The session took place with the moderation of Prof. Begüm Özkaynak from Boğaziçi University. The first presentation made by Daan Creupelandt from Rescoop about renewable energy financing models and creative investment examples. During the presentation, a project called CITYnvest, focused on supporting and augmenting innovative financing energy efficiency upgrades in public buildings was introduced. Creupelandt also explained other models based on Energy Performance Certificates (EPC), Third Party Financing, floating capital and cooperatives.
Later, Dirk Holemans, a member of a Belgium based organisation called Think Tank Oikos talked about energy democracy and energy financing. He explained how renewable energy production became widespread in Europe as an alternative to nuclear based, central energy production and talked about the production-consumption model established through participation of local authorities, local companies, energy cooperatives and citizens in the city of Ghent.
During the presentation about good examples of Danish co-operatives, Daniele Pagani, the representative of Danish organisation Nordisk Folkecenter, explained how renewable energy investments and financing took place in Denmark. Another representative of REScoop, Stanislas d’Herbemont highlighted the most important founding purpose of energy co-operatives as less consumption and self-consumption, at his presentation about energy value-added for energy co-operatives. Last speech of the session made by Kardelen Afrodit Adsal from Nordisk Folkecenter. Adsal emphasized the good implementations in Europe regarding energy investments and the concept of self-financing.
The second session took place after the lunch break with the moderation of Derya Nazan Ünverir from an all-female organisation called Troya Energy Co-operative.
In this session, the secretary general of GÜNDER, Faruk Telemcioğlu spoke first about the opportunities, obstacles and alternatives in the renewable energy sector in Turkey. Associate professor Sevil Acar From Altınabş University talked about a scenario in which national income will increase by 7% yearly and renewable energy will have a market share of 60% by 2040, if incentives of coal will be removed and carbon will be taxed. Dr. Değer Saygın from SHURA Energy emphasized the electric production technologies of renewable energy in Turkey and probable investment potentials until 2026. Afterwards, Business Development Manager Dr. Asuman Sönmez from Turkey Sustainable Energy Financing Facility (TurSEFF) explained their renewable energy investments. Last speaker of the session, Murat Gökçe, Turkey’s Credit Guarantee Fund İkitelli İstanbul Branch Manager, introduced financial education tools of small and medium enterprises.
The 8th Green Economy Conference was concluded with questions and remarks from guests.