GREEN CITY ISTANBUL

İstanbul has joined EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development)’s Green Cities urban sustainability programme. With a population of over 16 million, İstanbul is Turkey's largest city and following İzmir and the capital Ankara, İstanbul became the third city to join the programme from Turkey.

EBRD has created a Green City Programme to ensure a sustainable use of natural resources by adapting to climate change risks and improving the social and economic well-being of citizens. The goal of the programme is to create a better and more sustainable future for cities and their citizens.

A Memorandum of Understanding was formalized between EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso and Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Istanbul and the EBRD will begin implementing a Green Cities Action Plan as a first step in assessing, prioritizing, and addressing the city's major environmental issues through policy changes and investments. This will make for a more environmentally friendly and long-term vision for Istanbul and its 16 million residents.

In order to achieve this aim, the EBRD will provide financial support to the construction of a new 14-kilometer metro line that will connect the city's east and west sides. The development of Istanbul's underground public transportation is critical to reducing car traffic, which clogs the city's streets and is a major source of pollution. EBRD and Istanbul will also collaborate to identify investment opportunities in priority green infrastructure areas such as urban renewal, waste management, urban transportation, public building & infrastructure energy efficiency as well as renewable energy.