Is “Canal Istanbul” Compatible with the Sustainable Development Goals and Paris Climate Agreement?

Abstract

This study analyzes the compatibility of the Canal Istanbul project with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement (PCA). Turkey ratified the PCA in October 2021 and has committed to the SDGs since 2015. However, the government in Turkey strives to capitalize on a mega construction project in Istanbul by bulldozing the city’s natural habitat, fabricating an alternative strait, namely, “Canal Istanbul”, and building a city with luxury characteristics around it for the rich. The government has two separate aims with the project: to relieve traffic on the Bosporus Strait and generate economic gains. We show here that the implementation of the Canal Istanbul project breaches and undermines the PCA and contradicts 17 of 17 SDGs. In particular, the project conflicts with SDG 10 (reduced inequalities), SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 14 (life below water), and SDG 15 (life on land).

Keywords: Biodiversity, climate change, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, Istanbul, Paris Climate Agreement, sustainable development, Sustainable Development Goals, Turkey

JEL Classification: Q01, Q54, Q56, Q57, Q58