EGİAD Introduces New Sustainability System

EGİAD Young Business Association Holds Sustainability Summit to Address Global Climate Crisis The EGİAD Ege Genç İş İnsanları Derneği (Aegean Young Businesspeople Association), which has amplified its voice through various initiatives over the past two years to counter the negative impacts of the global climate crisis, opened the doors of a sustainable new system to the business world through a major summit. New risks and concerns that emerged with the pandemic have made sustainable business transformation more important than ever. As climate change mitigation policies accelerate worldwide, their reflection on Turkey's agenda—the Climate Change Action Plan and the European Green Deal—has demonstrated that green transformation is now inevitable. Those who successfully manage a fair transition in this era of change will be able to prepare their businesses for the future and the new economy. Within this scope, EGİAD Ege Genç İş İnsanları Derneği, which has gained traction as a launching point from Izmir over the past two years and has drawn attention, held a full-day summit on 16 November under the heading "Sustainability for the Future" with CK Architecture Interiors as main sponsor. With expert participation across the business world, digitalization and social transformation, the summit held at İZQ brought key stakeholders from all sectors to discuss transformation-driving strategies, investments, innovations and collaborations. The EGİAD Sustainability for the Future Summit, held at the İzQ Innovation Center, was attended by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer, Karşıyaka Municipality Mayor Cemil Tugay, IZTO President Mahmut Özgener, Aegean Exporters Associations President Jak Eskinazi, BASİFED President Mehmet Ali Kasalı, İZSİAD President Hasan Küçükkurt, Aegean Economic Development Foundation (EGEV) President Mehmet Ali Susam, İTB Assembly President Ömer Gökhan Tuncer, and Denizli Young Businesspeople Association President Hakan Urhan. Opening remarks for the summit, organized under six panels covering different topics, were delivered by EGİAD Board Chairman Alp Avni Yelkenbiçer, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer, Izmir Chamber of Commerce (IZTO) Board Chairman Mahmut Özgener, and CK Architecture Interiors Founder Architect Cem Kapancıoğlu. EGİAD Board Chairman Alp Avni Yelkenbiçer noted that in the 16th term of EGİAD's management, the main theme was "Dynamism and Sustainability," and they wished to crown their work with the "Sustainability for the Future" Summit as they approach the end of this term. Emphasizing that they took care in the business world to work rapidly due to the need for dynamism, to move quickly, not to settle, to push harder and to strive for more and better, Yelkenbiçer underlined that they maintained balance through sustainability. Yelkenbiçer continued his remarks as follows: "We all first understand the sustainability theme in the dimension of 'climate change' because we are facing the reality that many world metropolises, including Istanbul, will be underwater by 2050. In other words, we face a mortal threat ahead… We must fight together every day to protect our world." Stressing that sustainability is a vital concept and that organizations that do not offer a purpose to their employees, members and stakeholders cannot survive, Yelkenbiçer said: "Just as a factory needs machines to produce, our organizations need our hearts and souls to be sustainable. Transformation begins the moment we win our struggle with ourselves and consciously choose cooperation before struggling with those in front of us. Transformation in our spirit, in our mind, in our company, in our society and ultimately in the world. To avoid extinction from the climate crisis, we need green transformation; to feed our growing population and survive, to use our resources efficiently, we need digital transformation. But the real factor that will make this possible is social transformation. At this point, we as Turkish society have a great competitive advantage because just last week on 10 November, we commemorated our dear Atatürk with nationwide respect and the honor of millions. We successfully accomplished one of the greatest transformations history has ever seen, and it has not yet been 100 years! And fortunately, the vision required for this transformation—'to elevate our culture to a level above contemporary civilization'—still guides us. At the same time, the 'mission' is still current and valid as our Republic enters its second century: '…your first duty is to eternally protect and defend Turkish independence and the Turkish Republic,' he said. CK Architecture Interiors Founder Architect Cem Kapancıoğlu stated in his remarks that sustainability has provided his company with significant benefits, saying: "In all products and materials we use and in all our work, we have prioritized sustainability. This perspective has provided both us and our cities with great transformation and development." Subsequently, Izmir Chamber of Commerce (IZTO) Board Chairman Mahmut Özgener, who took the podium, noted that the concept of sustainability has been on the business world's agenda for the last 5-6 years. Drawing attention to resources being used to drive economic growth, Özgener stated: "Economic, financial, climatic and even social crises that have increased in frequency and severity over the last 20 years show that we cannot use the world and all living beings in it to serve economic growth. We must design and operate a completely opposite structure. That is, economic growth must serve the continuity of our planet and the survival of all living beings on it." Noting that another important issue concerns company performance evaluation, Özgener said: "It will no longer be sufficient to evaluate companies only based on their financial performance; all processes that create production or commerce, such as logistics, marketing and human resources, must be addressed and evaluated collectively. Of course, profit maximization is important for our companies but is not sufficient alone. In such a period, business interests are expected to establish a 'win-win' relationship with social interests. Companies that are unaware of developments in their environment, fail to respond to customer feedback and focus only on their own affairs while ignoring environmental risks will not be able to compete domestically and internationally," he said. Noting that over the past 4.5 years they have concentrated on producing sustainable projects with the Chamber, Exchange and Associations as well as NGOs in the city, Özgener stated: "In line with extensive negotiations, we determined our priorities and now with minor revisions on these projects approaching five years, we have made great progress. With the İzQ Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center where we are holding today's summit, Dikili Agricultural Organized Industrial Zone, Bayındır Agricultural Organized Industrial Zone and Kınık Agricultural Organized Industrial Zone, we are targeting a sustainable production process. With the Kemalpaşa Logistics Center Project, we are aiming to increase integration and operational efficiency in the logistics sector; with our Torbalı Furniture Specialization and Mixed Organized Industrial Zone and model factory projects, we are contributing to sustainability by aiming to reach a level where industrial sectors can produce technology," he said. Drawing attention to the fact that sustainable development requires evaluating the impact of economic activities on the environment, social and individual welfare and designing targets to create a more livable future, Özgener stated: "For sustainable development, establishing peaceful and inclusive societies, ensuring access to justice for all, and creating effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels should perhaps be our most important goal."