Environmental Concerns and Policies in Türkiye: Combining Micro and Macro Perspectives

Abstract

This thesis investigates the intricate relationship between environmental concerns, population dynamics, and economic development within the context of Türkiye. Through comprehensive literature reviews and empirical analyses, this study examines public attitudes, policy frameworks, and international benchmarks. Utilizing theories such as Post-Materialist Value Explanation (PMVE), Objective Problems Explanation (OPE), and Dependency Theory, the research explores demographic, socioeconomic, and ideological factors influencing environmental priorities. The study employs data from the 2018 World Values Survey (WVS) and the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) to provide a multifaceted analysis. The WVS data helps identify key demographic and socio-economic determinants of environmental concern among the Turkish population. The CCPI, on the other hand, offers a macro-level assessment of Türkiye’s climate change policies in comparison to international standards climate change policy space, the climate habitus, was chosen as an assessment criterion because it provides an inclusive approach to the balanced management of the three policy areas in the thesis. In this regard, the thesis employed the CCPI as a valuable parameter for evaluating the globe, countries, and Türkiye. Logistic regression analyses, both univariate and multivariate, reveal significant determinants of environmental attitudes, including settlement size, number of children, occupational status, income level, and political orientation. The multivariate analyses of this thesis reveal that being an environmental protector (EP) is significantly associated with holding political views aligned with the left or center of the political spectrum, belonging to a higher income group, working in a professional or technical capacity, having two children, and residing in a settlement with a population above 5,000. Age, educational attainment, gender, and household size were not significant factors in the same analysis, indicating little change in an individual's level of environmental sensitivity across these variables. These results underscore the critical role of demographic science in addressing global environmental challenges and offer practical implications for policymakers. The study emphasizes the necessity for targeted strategies that consider demographic characteristics to balance environmental protection, economic development, and population dynamics, ultimately contributing to sustainable development goals.