The Impact of Governance Indicators on Environmental Sustainability in Türkiye

Aim: This study aims to analyze the institutional determinants of environmental sustainability in Türkiye. In particular, the effects of governance indicators such as government effectiveness, political stability, regulatory quality, rule of law and anti-corruption on environmental sustainability are investigated. The study makes an original contribution to the literature by discussing the role of governance on environmental outcomes in the context of an emerging economy.Method: In this study, annual data for Türkiye for the period 1996-2023 are used; the stationarity levels of the variables are tested with ADF and PP unit root tests, and then the long-run relationship between the variables is analyzed with the Johansen cointegration test. Model estimation is performed by Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) method and the long-run causality between variables is evaluated.Results: The findings reveal that governance indicators have significant effects on environmental sustainability. While indicators such as government effectiveness, regulatory quality and rule of law have a supportive effect on environmental sustainability, weakness in the fight against corruption stands out as a factor that increases environmental degradation. These results show that institutional structures are decisive for the success of environmental policies in Türkiye.Conclusion: The findings of the study reveal that environmental sustainability is directly related not only to economic variables but also to governance structure and institutional capacity. In this context, governance reforms need to be implemented to increase the effectiveness of environmental policies. In developing countries like Türkiye, strengthening institutional structures in environmental policy design processes should be considered as a key priority.