Recent Amendments to the YeS-TR Regulations by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change: A New Era in Green Certification (YeS-TR) Processes for Buildings and Settlements - Şengün Law

Recent Amendments to the YeS-TR Regulations by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change: A New Era in Green Certification (YeS-TR) Processes for Buildings and Settlements

28 October 2026 in Blog Reading Time: 3 mins read

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On 28 October 2026, an amendment to the legislation was published in the Official Gazette No. 33414, updating and bringing into force the annexes to the Regulation on Green Certification for Buildings and Settlements (Annex 1 – Building Assessment Guide, Annex 2 – Settlement Assessment Guide, and Annex 3 – Training Principles). Although the amendment may initially appear to be merely a revision of the annexes to the principal Regulation, its primary focus lies in the technical guidance frameworks introduced for buildings and settlements, modular rating matrices, and structural updates to the expertise and assessment mechanisms.

The principal objective of the amendment may be described as ensuring that the environmental performance of Türkiye’s building stock and settlements is monitored within a more measurable, transparent, and legally established framework aligned with international standards, in accordance with global green transition initiatives, low-emission targets, and sustainable construction principles.

1. Introduction and Key Changes Introduced by the Amendment

The principal objective of the Regulation on Green Certification for Buildings and Settlements, published in the Official Gazette No. 31864 on 12 June 2022, is to assess and certify the environmental, social, and economic sustainability performance of existing and new buildings and settlements through the efficient use of natural resources and energy throughout their life cycles. An examination of the updated annexes introduced by the Regulation Amending the Regulation on Green Certification for Buildings and Settlements reveals the following significant changes in practice:

– Under the new framework, the system has been updated to Green Certificate – v1.1, with the application, data entry/verification, and certification stages for buildings and settlements integrated into a unified workflow through a digital platform.

– The assessment modules for new and existing buildings have been restructured. The amendment clarifies the module credit requirements applicable according to the type of building (new or existing) and the targeted certification level (Pass, Good, Very Good, and National Excellence).

– The previous framework, which focused primarily on individual buildings, has been expanded to provide more detailed Green Settlement criteria for projects comprising multiple buildings. The weighting of settlement assessment modules, including Regional and Immediate Surroundings Profile, Sustainable Land Use, Ecology and Disaster Management, Transport and Mobility, Urban Design, Social and Economic Sustainability, and Innovation, is also intended to address the environmental impacts of settlements at the macro level.

– The rule limiting Green Certificate Experts to providing services for a maximum of three buildings or settlements simultaneously has been retained. In addition, the scope of authority and assessment procedures applicable to Green Certificate Assessment Experts (YESDU) working within the Assessment Body (Turkish Environment Agency) have been clarified. Settlement assessments must involve at least three experts holding different YESDUM qualifications.

2. Legal and Environmental Rationale for the Amendment

The principal strategic and legal considerations underlying the implementation of these updates and technical guidance frameworks may be summarised as follows:

Oversight: The certification process is intended to move beyond a purely documentary procedure at the construction permitting stage and become a transparent oversight mechanism covering the entire life cycle of a building or settlement, from site selection, design, and construction to operation, maintenance, renovation, and ultimately demolition and waste disposal.

Climate Alignment: As part of efforts to combat the global climate crisis and align with national green transition initiatives, the weighting of energy efficiency and water/waste management criteria has been increased with the aim of reducing carbon emissions.

Legal Certainty: To eliminate potential uncertainties in implementation, a rule has been introduced requiring matters not addressed in the guidelines to be governed by Turkish Standards (TS), or, where such standards are unavailable, by European standards and internationally recognised norms. The obligation of participating experts to provide reasoned justifications has also been established as a legal safeguard.

3. Sectoral Implications and Conclusion

The amendments published in the Official Gazette on 28 October 2026 require real estate developers, investors, architectural and engineering consultancy firms, and project owners to carefully reassess legal and technical compliance throughout the planning, financing, and permitting stages of their projects.

Considering the improved access to international funding, operational cost advantages, and direct positive impact on property values associated with sustainable real estate investments, full compliance with the YeS-TR v1.1 criteria constitutes a critical competitive advantage.

Kübra Zeren, Attorney