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Türkiye’s economic growth model is built on a system reliant on fossil fuel investments. This model not only causes environmental destruction but also directly violates the economic and social rights of young people. As GoFor, we have prepared the “Fossil Fuel-Based Economy and Youth Rights in Türkiye” report, which examines the impact of fossil fuel dependency on young people’s living conditions, economic security, and participation in decision-making processes.
This report was prepared to contribute to the thematic report that the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Climate Change and Human Rights will present at the 59th session of the Human Rights Council. In the context of Türkiye, it provides concrete insights on how the fossil fuel economy affects young people’s lives.
Fossil fuel investments violate the economic and social rights of young people.
Türkiye holds a semi-peripheral position in the global economy and structures its economic growth largely around fossil fuel investments. This model excludes young people from decision-making processes, deepens economic insecurity, and exacerbates the environmental crisis’s impact on youth. While young people will bear the greatest consequences of environmental destruction, the privatization of energy management and large-scale fossil fuel investments completely exclude them from local and national decision-making processes.
The deregulated housing market and fossil fuel-based economic policies systematically restrict young people’s access to affordable and climate-resilient housing. Additionally, fluctuations in energy prices increase young people’s living costs while limiting their opportunities in education and employment. Türkiye’s fossil fuel-dependent economic model forces young people into low-wage and precarious jobs. Young workers, especially in the energy and mining sectors, face serious health and safety risks.
Fossil fuel dependency does not only increase economic insecurity but also threatens young people’s right to health. Air pollution, exposure to environmental toxins, and climate change-induced health problems are becoming increasingly common among young people. Türkiye’s fossil fuel-driven growth model directly violates young people’s right to live in a healthy environment.
What do we demand?
Fossil fuel-based economic policies threaten not only the future of young people, but also their present. If this model does not change, young people will continue to face increased economic insecurity, environmental disasters, and exclusion from decision-making processes.
As GoFor, we emphasize the following demands to protect young people’s rights:
- Türkiye must move away from a fossil fuel-dependent economic growth model and initiate a just energy transition.
- Young people’s participation in decision-making mechanisms regarding energy policies must be ensured.
- Fossil fuel subsidies should be removed, and investments in renewable energy should be increased.
- Measures must be taken against social and economic rights violations caused by fossil fuel-based economic policies.
- Young people’s rights to housing, education, and employment must be safeguarded in line with environmental and social justice principles.
- Sustainable employment opportunities must be created for young people, and effective regulations must be implemented to eliminate precarious working conditions in the energy sector.
- Public policies should be developed to mitigate the long-term effects of the climate crisis on young people.
