Aegean Exporters' Associations Publish Sustainability Report

Ege Export Associations, one of the first institutions in Turkey to swiftly comply with the European Union Green Deal put forward by the European Union, has published its 2022 Sustainability Report. Jak Eskinazi, Coordinator Chairman of Ege Export Associations (EİB), recalled that their largest step regarding sustainability was joining Global Compact, the world's largest sustainability initiative, in 2019, and that EİB declared 2020 as the "Year of Sustainability." Eskinazi emphasized that as a result of their sustainability work in 2022, they reduced energy consumption by 3%. Sharing that they were the first exporter associations in Turkey to publish a Sustainability Report in 2021, and that Ege Export Associations continued their commitment to contribute to sustainable development and environmental and economic sustainability in a period where sustainable development and environmental consciousness converge, Eskinazi stated: "We continue to support environmental sustainability through projects we have implemented in the areas of energy efficiency, emission management and environmental management. We are continuing our work at full speed to help our members, who have foreign trade volume exceeding USD 200 billion, adapt without problems in the European Union's process of compliance with the EU Green Deal and to be of benefit to them. In our report where we have brought together the 2022 EİB activities and work from a sustainability perspective, we conducted internal and external stakeholder analysis and prioritized which sustainability topics we as an institution should place emphasis on for our members. In 2023, where we currently stand, we continue to maintain our activities and projects as an institution within this scope," he said.

Eskinazi, noting that they took their place with 19 URGE Projects in the Ministry of Trade's International Competitiveness Development (URGE) Projects, continued his remarks as follows:

"11 of our 12 exporter associations within EİB became stakeholders in at least one URGE project. In our 19 URGE Projects, our main objectives are to develop the sustainability competencies of our firms through clustering and to increase the share of processed product exports in our exports. In these projects, hundreds of our firms continue to increase their sustainability competencies together with the philosophy of competitiveness. By maintaining our determination in environmental sustainability efforts, we will continue to move towards our 2050 climate neutrality targets."

EİB reduces energy consumption by 3%

Mehmet Ali Işık, Coordinator of Organic Products and Sustainability at Ege Export Associations and Chairman of Ege Dried Fruit and Products Exporters Association, said that Ege Export Associations has achieved a 3% reduction in the institution's internal electricity use by implementing significant investments and projects in the efficient management of energy consumption and the use of renewable energy sources, and made the following comments on the matter: "As EİB, we continued with our commitment to plant 1,230 trees in the 2022 sustainability report, in response to our commitment to plant 4,800 trees equivalent to the total emissions spanning 3 years in the sustainability report we published in 2021. In fulfilling this commitment, we have created the EİB Forest consisting of 7,660 seedlings over the past 4 years and fulfilled our commitment. Our exceeding this commitment is a reflection of our connection to nature and an important step taken for a green future. Ege Export Associations, with its determination on sustainability and its commitments for the future, will continue to contribute to the efforts of its members and all of society to build a sustainable future. In addition to serving as an example to its members through the activities and projects carried out by our institution, we emphasized in this report that they also need to calculate their own carbon footprint and water footprint, and that they need to place importance on digitalization and innovation. The report also mentioned the importance of corporate governance and strategic planning. As an institution, EİB is conducting its 2023 activities and work within the framework of its strategic plan, while on the other hand conducting its activities within a sustainability framework according to the EU sustainable development goals and feedback from its internal and external stakeholders."

Işık, also sharing that as EİB they renewed their vision, mission and values from the perspective of sustainable development goals, continued his remarks as follows:

"Our mission: To support value-added exports by creating competitive advantage through human and environmentally-focused production, to provide innovative services, and to serve as a bridge between all national and international stakeholders and our members. Our vision: To be a leading organization that guides the export world within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals. Our values: Leadership, Agility, Excellence, Innovation, Transparency, and Responsibility."