MESSAGES FROM TRASTA ESG

ÖZGÜN ÇINAR, CEO

Dear Readers,

We are pleased to present the tenth issue of our sustainability bulletin. The Trasta ESG family embarked on this journey three years ago with the mission of supporting you at every stage of your sustainability journey. This bulletin has been meticulously prepared with that objective in mind. Beyond our bulletins, we are also committed to raising awareness through the books we publish. Our founder, Sworn-in CPA Bülent Görer, has authored the book “What is ESG in 100 Questions,” published by Scala Yayıncılık with our sponsorship. All proceeds from the book are donated to the TEMA Foundation, reflecting our dedication to a greener Turkey.

As reported by Almina Gencal in Green Column, World Overshoot Day was marked on August 1st this year. This signifies that within just seven months, humanity has consumed more resources than the Earth can regenerate in a year. This alarming fact underscores the unsustainable nature of current human activities and the severe disruption of environmental balance, emphasizing the critical importance of sustainability efforts. Despite the global challenges, we encourage you to remain committed to sustainability.

ESG NEWS

  • Denmark is on its way to introducing a world-first tax on greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture in 2030. DETAIL
  • Amazon used sun and wind to power 100% of global operations in 2023. The net-zero target of the company was initially set for 2030. DETAIL
  • United Kingdom Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced a new $9.37 billion National Wealth Fund (NWF) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from heavy industry by investing in areas like green steel and gigafactories, reported The Guardian. The fund is part of a push by the new Labour government to raise billions in private sector funds for infrastructure projects. DETAIL
  • The Key Largo tree cactus (Pilosocereus millspaughii) has become the first Florida species to become locally extinct due to the climate crisis, according to researchers from the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and the Florida Museum of Natural History. DETAIL
  • The data shared on X by a user named Michael Thomas revealed the electricity consumption data of Microsoft and Google.  The data showed that companies consumed 24 TWh (terawatt hours) of electricity in 2023.  Alarming data revealed that both companies spend more electricity than more than 100 countries. DETAIL
  • IPCC scientist Sonia Seneviratne: ‘We need to let go of the climate of the past’. In an interview, the Swiss climatologist notes that extreme weather events are becoming commonplace. She fears that tipping points with unpredictable consequences may soon be reached. DETAIL
  • Two studies suggest the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation could collapse by the middle of the century and wreak havoc with the climate, but such predictions are controversial. DETAIL
  • Microbes living in the bark of trees are absorbing methane from the air, making trees about 10 per cent better for the climate than previously thought. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is responsible for about a quarter of human-caused global warming. DETAIL
  • The Turkey Green Industry Project, which is coordinated by the Ministry of Industry and Technology with the support of the World Bank, has been allocated a financing of 450 million dollars. Within the scope of the project, TÜBİTAK and KOSGEB will support the green transformation of the industry with a financing of 175 million dollars through TÜBİTAK-TEYDEB. The Turkey Green Industry Project, which will last for 6 years, will include various calls for proposals by TÜBİTAK. One of these calls is the Call for Green Transformation in Industry. The support period is a maximum of 24 months, and the project budget limit is determined as 8,500,000 TL for micro/small-scale companies, 13,000,000 TL for medium-scale companies, and 25,000,000 TL for large-scale companies. Within the scope of the call, interest-free repayable support will be provided to capital companies, with a maximum of 50% to be repaid. Some of the repayable support can be converted into grant support. The repayment of the utilized support will start 1 year after the project is completed. DETAIL
  • In a landmark climate case, Friends of the Earth and two people whose lives have been severely affected by the changing climate are suing the government of the United Kingdom over its failure to safeguard people, property and infrastructure against foreseeable effects of the climate crisis, a press release from Friends of the Earth said. DETAIL

GREEN COLUMN

HUMANITY’S CONSUMPTION RATE IS ALARMING

Every year, the date at which humanity exceeds the Earth’s capacity for renewal by consuming natural resources is called Earth Overshoot Day. For the year 2024, this date has been determined as August 1st. This highlights the unsustainability of human activities and the serious disruption of environmental balance.

While Earth Overshoot Day, calculated by the Global Footprint Network, falls on December 25th in 1971, it has been occurring earlier in recent years, even reaching the summer months. With the exception of 2020, which saw a decrease in natural resource use due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the global overshoot day has been happening earlier each year compared to the previous one. This indicates that humanity’s ecological footprint is rapidly increasing and natural resources are not being used sustainably.

According to the data from the Global Footprint Network, the world is currently consuming resources equivalent to approximately 1.7 planets. This signifies a consumption rate far exceeding the Earth’s capacity for renewal. Factors such as the intensive use of fossil fuels, deforestation, and overfishing play significant roles in the increase of the ecological footprint.

The fact that Earth Overshoot Day is occurring at such an early date also signals serious environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and depletion of natural resources. These problems have the potential to lead to humanitarian crises such as water scarcity, food security threats, and increased risk of natural disasters.

Among the proposed solutions are increasing energy efficiency, using renewable energy sources, and implementing sustainable agriculture and forest management strategies. Additionally, individual actions play a crucial role. Measures such as reviewing consumption habits, increasing recycling, and reducing carbon footprint can contribute to slowing down or even resolving this growing ecological problem.

Urgent and effective actions are needed at both individual and institutional levels for a sustainable future. Taking action today is of great importance for future generations to live on a healthy planet. Earth Overshoot Day is an important reminder that humanity needs to reduce its pressure on nature. The cost of ignoring this warning is bound to be very high.

Almina GENCAL, Sustainability Specialist

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