MESSAGES FROM US

Dear Readers

ESG regulations around the world are not slowing down. The sector is in a rapid change. As Trasta ESG, we are trying to follow and adapt to this rapid change without interruption. Europe is carrying out the most meticulous work on this issue. The recent regulations to prevent green washing were noteworthy. In this newsletter, we will provide you with detailed information on the subject. A full bulletin with other news awaits you.

We wish you a pleasant reading.

KEMALEDDIN DİLBAZ, CEO

Dear stakeholders

We are living in a period when it is difficult to keep track of ESG regulations around the world. While we are trying to catch up and bring them to you, the flow of ESG-related news has reached incredible levels. We need to stay on top of these developments and constantly stay in the game. In the second issue of our newsletter, as we said, we tried to include content that will make it easier to stay in the game. Please do not forget to share your thoughts on the content of the newsletter with us.

Stay sustainable

ÖZGÜN ÇINAR, CRO

IPCC PASSES QUIETLY THROUGH TURKEY

The 60th session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was hosted by Turkey at Istanbul Lütfi Kırdar International Convention and Exhibition Center between January 16-19, 2024. With the participation of more than 400 delegates from 195 countries, the seventh assessment cycle of the IPCC took important decisions on the structure and shape of the IPCC for its future activities.

One of the most important highlights of the 60th session was temperature levels. It was announced that the average global temperature in the period until October 2023 will increase by 1.4°C compared to the pre-Industrial Revolution period, making 2023 the hottest year in history. It was also pointed out that the period between 2015 and 2023 will be the 9 hottest years in history.

In her speech, Fatma Varank, Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of the Republic of Turkey, stated that Turkey is very sensitive to climate change due to its location in the Mediterranean Basin, that the effects of the 1.5°C temperature increase are currently being felt in our country, that this situation increases the disasters due to climate change, and that floods and floods in the Black Sea, forest fires in the Mediterranean, and drought in Central Anatolia and Southeastern Anatolia are the main problems.

Another important emphasis of the session was on urban life. At the meeting, where the importance of resilient and livable cities emerged, considering the fact that the urban population, which constitutes approximately 55% of the world’s population today, may increase to 68% by 2050 and that extreme temperatures, floods and similar natural events affecting 4.4 billion people are currently affected, attention was drawn to the guidelines of the IPCC’s Special Report on Cities for sustainable and climate resilient cities.

ALMINA GENCAL, ASSISTANT EXPERT

ESG NEWS

  • The sandy beaches of the Galicia region in northwestern Spain are littered with millions of plastic pellets. According to BNN Breaking, the pellets were spread when a container from the Liberian-registered ship Toconao fell into the sea. Pellets can be defined as the remains of commonly used plastic items such as plastic bags and water bottles. DETAIL

  • In the wake of the pollution, some European Union lawmakers have started to push for a toughening of the planned law on microplastic pollution. DETAIL
  • Schneider Electric, an energy management and automation company, together with Boston University, has revealed that more than 2 million new jobs and up to 141 million additional job years could be created by adopting clean energy technologies in new and renovated buildings in Europe and the United States. DETAIL
  • As the planet warms, scientists are racing to catalog the vast range of life on Earth before species disappear. As part of this effort, researchers at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, have recorded 89 new species of plants and fungi from around the world, from the rocky regions of Antarctica to an extinct volcano in Indonesia. “It’s an incredibly exciting time to be a scientist, but even as we make these amazing new discoveries we must remember that nature is under threat and we have the power to do something about it,” says senior researcher Martin Cheek. DETAIL

  • The European Parliament is introducing a law regulating sustainability claims on product labels. The law will ban retailers from making generic environmental and sustainability claims without evidence. The law bans the use of terms such as “eco”, “biodegradable”, “environmentally friendly”, “natural” and “climate neutral” without evidence. DETAIL
  • Most major banks in Europe have failed to adjust their businesses to the decarbonization process in the Union’s economy and therefore face increasing financial, reputational and legal risks, the European Central Bank (ECB) said on Tuesday. “Our analysis of 95 banks that lend 75 percent of euro area loans shows that banks’ loan portfolios are currently significantly out of line with the Paris Agreement’s targets, leading to high transition risks for around 90 percent of banks,” ECB executive board member Frank Elderson said. DETAIL
  • The report, jointly published by three nonprofit organizations, Environment America, the US Public Interest Research Group Education Fund and the Frontier Group, suggests that plastic bag bans could eliminate about 300 single-use plastic bags per person per year. DETAIL
  • The 20 Regions with the Most Intense Air Pollution in Turkey: Iskenderun Central District Leads the Way: The 20 regions with the most intense air pollution were announced by analyzing the data of air quality monitoring stations in our country. In this evaluation, Iskenderun Central district of Hatay took the first place. This is followed by Istanbul’s Göztepe district. Air pollution ranks fifth after tobacco, overweight, hypertension and hyperglycemia among the factors that cause health risks that can lead to death in Turkey. Air pollution has the potential to seriously affect public health by causing respiratory diseases, heart problems and general health problems. According to data from the World Health Organization, air pollution causes 13 deaths per minute worldwide. It is stated that raising public awareness and individuals developing environmentally friendly habits in their daily lives can be part of the long-term solution. DETAIL

🍃GREEN CORNER🍃

In parallel with the growing importance of sustainability-related issues, “greenwashing” strategies created by companies to present an “environmentally friendly and sustainability-oriented” image without a solid basis are on the rise.

In a circle, decisive steps continue to be taken to combat greenwashing around the world. It is a well-known fact that the European Union has taken a very sensitive approach to sustainability. Naturally and as expected, the most serious step in this regard came from them.

The European Parliament adopted a directive regulating sustainability claims on product labels. The law prohibits retailers from making general environmental and sustainability claims without evidence, including the use of terms such as “eco”, “biodegradable”, “environmentally friendly”, “natural” and “climate neutral” without evidence.

Under the legislation, official certifications will be required for the use of sustainability-related labels. The certificates required for this purpose will be obtained from organizations similar to EU Ecolabel.

The Directive passed with strong support from Parliament. 593 voted in favor, 21 against and 14 abstentions. The regulation will be published in the EU’s Official Journal following its approval by the European Council.

As is well known, Europe is Turkey’s most important trade partner. Therefore, the sustainability-related legal regulations in the continent are also closely related to our industry. It can be clearly seen that this area of interest will not be limited to sustainability reporting, but will include completely different requirements.

As Trasta ESG, we are aware of the monitoring challenges and the need for compliance created by all these developments. We support companies that feel the need to improve in these areas. For this reason, “We are with you at every stage of your sustainability journey”.

ÖZGÜN ÇINAR, CRO

 

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