- Istanbul Carbon E-Summit Achieved Carbon Neutrality
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Istanbul Carbon Summit was held online on 28 September 2021 under the main support of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization and Istanbul Technical University (ITU), organised by the Association for Sustainable Production and Consumption (SÜT-D). At the 7th Istanbul Carbon E-Summit, 31.80 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas generated was offset to zero through landfill gas carbon credits, and the climate-friendly event was completed successfully.
To determine the amount of greenhouse gas resulting from electricity consumption, the SÜT-D Summit Board and İSTAÇ Carbon Offsetting Team worked throughout the event. As a result of this work, the greenhouse gas emission amount corresponding to electricity consumed for e-mail traffic, digital platform design, website work, event company and Summit Board activities was calculated.
According to the calculations performed, 31.80 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas was generated, with 99.6% of these emissions resulting from electricity consumed for data before the event. This emission, which also increases global temperature, was offset to zero at the İSTAÇ Landfill Gas to Electricity Generation Facility. Thus, the 7th Istanbul Carbon E-Summit became climate-friendly with a Verified Emission Reduction Certificate.
ITU Faculty Member and SÜT-D Chairman Prof. Dr. Filiz Karaosmanoğlu made statements on the matter. Karaosmanoğlu stated: "With the establishment objective of SÜT-D, we work to increase carbon management capacity in our country and achieve firsts for broad impact. We obtained Turkey's first and only ISO 20121 Sustainable Event Management System certificate in 2015 for our summit.
In our digital summit, we also achieved an important first – making our summit, which bears Istanbul's name in its name, carbon neutral, and we accomplished this with İSTAÇ, which adds value to Istanbul's waste. Such green actions suit us and our Istanbul well. I entrust İSTAÇ, with which I have worked in close cooperation since the day of its establishment, to our ITU graduate. I congratulate the İSTAÇ Carbon Offsetting Team, particularly General Director M. Aslan Değirmenci, and thank them for our waste journey in climate-friendly carbon management," he said.
Transforming for Life
İSTAÇ General Director M. Aslan Değirmenci emphasised that following meetings between the Istanbul Carbon E-Summit Board and the İSTAÇ Carbon Offsetting Team, it was determined that electricity consumption was the only emission source at the E-Summit. Değirmenci explained that the areas where electricity consumption was identified were e-mail traffic, digital platform design, website work, event company and summit board work.
Stating that the maximum calculated emission value of 31.80 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions was offset to zero using carbon credits obtained at the İSTAÇ Landfill Gas to Electricity Generation Facility, thereby protecting nature, M. Aslan Değirmenci said: "With our mission of leaving liveable cities to future generations, we are expanding our fields of activity and working for a sustainable future.
During this period when climate change work is intensive, we are pleased to receive the 2021 SÜT-D Low Carbon Hero Award at the 7th Istanbul Carbon E-Summit, where we zeroed our carbon footprint, with our project 'Heat from Our Waste, Power from Our Waste'. In our project, we heat our greenhouse with energy derived from waste and distribute approximately 7 million seedlings we grow each year free of charge to our Istanbul farmers.
By not using natural gas in our greenhouse, we reduce our carbon footprint and protect our nature. Thus we transform for life. As the İSTAÇ family, we will continue to work with all our strength for a carbon neutral world," he said.
