MESSAGES FROM TRASTA ESG

ÖZGÜN ÇINAR, CEO

One of the turning points for sustainability was undoubtedly the United Nations’ publication of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. This extremely important set of regulations, consisting of 17 goals, 169 targets, and 231 indicators, has helped to address sustainability efforts worldwide within a framework.

In September, we witnessed another important milestone. World leaders adopted the Pact for the Future, a landmark declaration containing concrete actions for a safer, more peaceful, sustainable, and inclusive world for future generations.

As we share the details of the pact in our Green Corner, we hope that this promising development will be followed by new ones, and that more effective measures for sustainability will be incorporated into our lives every day.

Stay sustainable…

ESG NEWS

  • Largest glacier in Italy’s Dolomites could disappear completely by 2040. Marmolada glacier has seen 70 hectares of its surface disappear in the last five years – the equivalent of 98 football fields.  The glacier is losing 7 to 10 centimetres of thickness per day, according to scientists, and risks melting away completely by 2040. DETAIL
  • Life was put to the ultimate test a quarter-billion years ago as extinction events ravaged Earth’s biosphere, leaving a mere handful of species to claw their way back to survival. This ‘Great Dying’ appears to have been driven by a complex series of incidents, with a new study finding prolonged, intense climate fluctuations not unlike modern El Niños almost undoubtedly made a bad situation a lot worse. DETAIL
  • During the past 500 million years – the time when animals and land plants evolved – the average surface temperature of the planet varied more widely and got even hotter than previously thought. The mean global surface temperature was 24°C (75°F) over this time and sometimes reached 36°C (97°F), compared with around 14°C or 15°C (57-59°F) at present. The lowest it got was around 11°C (52°F) according to the most rigorous study so far. “Our research suggests that temperatures during greenhouse intervals [when CO2 levels are high] can get warmer than is indicated by previous [studies],” says Emily Judd of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. DETAIL
  • The World Bank says it delivered a record $42.6bn in climate finance during the 2024 fiscal year, marking a 10% increase on the $38.6bn it distributed the prior year, Reuters reports. DETAIL
  • Climate change, deforestation and unusual weather phenomena are driving the worst drought in Brazil since records began seven decades ago and the highest number of forest fires seen in 14 years. A total of 190,943 blazes have been recorded in Brazil so far in 2024 — more than double the 94,829 recorded for the same period in 2023. The fires are a symptom of an accelerating climate feedback loop, says Luciana Gatti at Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research. Fewer trees leads to less water evaporating into the atmosphere and less rainfall. Less rainfall means more trees are lost to fires, which in turn causes even less rainfall. “This is the acceleration of climate collapse,” she says. DETAIL
  • The goal to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030 and cut fossil fuel use is within reach, the International Energy Agency said in a report on Tuesday, but will require a huge push to unlock bottlenecks such as permitting and grid connections. DETAIL
  • A former climate chief of the World Bank has been appointed to lead the UK’s efforts to forge a global coalition on climate action, the Guardian can reveal. Rachel Kyte, who previously served as special representative for the UN and a vice-president of the World Bank, will take up the role of climate envoy to lead the UK’s return to the front ranks of global climate diplomacy.DETAIL

🍃🍃GREEN COLUMN🍃🍃

THE UN PACT FOR THE FUTURE: A TURNING POINT FOR A BETTER WORLD

The world is on the brink of great change. Global challenges such as the climate crisis and inequality demand urgent solutions. At this juncture, the UN Pact for the Future emerges as a beacon of hope, offering a long-term roadmap for building a sustainable and resilient world for the future.

The UN Summit of the Future provided world leaders with an opportunity to develop common solutions at a time when global problems are deepening. Aiming to combat the impacts of global crises and build a more sustainable future, member states signed a historic pact. The pact, which covers topics such as “sustainable development and development financing, international peace and security, science, technology, and digital cooperation, youth and future generations, and transforming global governance,” was adopted with 143 “yes” votes. The Pact for the Future emphasized critical issues such as combating climate change, creating a more equitable financial system, and preventing conflicts. In addition, the goal of nuclear disarmament, the need for reform of the UN Security Council, and the need to restructure the current global system to respond to the challenges of the age were among the prominent topics. However, disagreements over disarmament and financial structures were also discussed throughout the summit. With the Pact for the Future, the aim is to strengthen international cooperation, fight more effectively against global challenges, build a just and inclusive society, accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change, involve young people in decision-making processes, and prepare the UN for the future.

The UN Pact for the Future is shaped around some fundamental goals:

Sustainable Development and Climate Action

Climate change is considered one of the most urgent threats to our planet. The Pact for the Future encourages countries to take greater responsibility for reducing carbon emissions, accelerating the transition to clean energy, and developing strong policies to combat the climate crisis. It also emphasizes the need to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement more quickly. The protection of nature and the support of biodiversity are also some of the important sub-headings.

Global Equality and Fighting Poverty

Eliminating poverty and reducing global income inequality are among the focal points of the Pact for the Future. In this context, the UN aims to increase development aid to poor and vulnerable communities, create economic opportunities by investing in education, health, and infrastructure. Policies focused on expanding social safety nets and fundamental human rights such as gender equality are highlighted for this purpose.

Peace, Security, and Justice

Ensuring peace worldwide, preventing conflicts, and protecting human rights are among the fundamental principles of the UN Pact for the Future. Reforms aimed at resolving humanitarian crises in conflict zones, supporting peace processes, and ensuring justice within the framework of international law are included in the content of the pact.

Global Cooperation and Solidarity

The UN Pact for the Future attaches great importance to increasing international cooperation in solving global problems. It aims to develop a stronger cooperation and information sharing mechanism among countries in the face of crises such as pandemics and climate change, which are very difficult to cope with. In this direction, large-scale projects are envisaged in strengthening global health systems, digitalization in education, and access to information.

Science and Technology

Within the framework of the additional Global Digital Principles Agreement, which is the first universal agreement on the international governance of artificial intelligence, it is stated that technology should benefit everyone. The aim is to use scientific knowledge and technological developments for the benefit of humanity and to manage the digital transformation in a fair manner. This also serves the purpose of bridging the digital divide between societies.

Youth and Future Generations

According to the Declaration on Future Generations, which is another annex adopted by the Pact for the Future, the aim is to increase the participation of young people in decision-making processes and create a more livable world for future generations.

Aligned with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the UN Pact for the Future aims to take concrete steps towards protecting the future of the planet and humanity by offering a collective solution approach to the complex problems faced by the world. For the successful implementation of the pact, all countries need to show a joint effort and fulfill their commitments. Civil society organizations, the private sector, and international organizations also have important responsibilities in this process.

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