July 26, 2011 09:00

Türk Telekom Energy Efficiency Projects to Reduce Carbon Emissions Equal to the Amount Offset by the Belgrad Forest

Published under About TT > Press Bulletin

Türk Telekom becomes the first telecommunication company in Turkey to report its carbon emissions to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), which provides corporate investors with information on the greenhouse gas emission amounts of publicly listed companies across the world.

Having undertaken its sustainability efforts with a view to leaving a habitable planet for the generations to come, Türk Telekom became the first telecommunication company in Turkey to measure its carbon emissions and report its results to CDP. From the use of alternative energy sources such as sun and wind to video conferencing technology telepresence, the environment-friendly font Ecofont to e-education, fleet optimization efforts to energy-saving products and services, Türk Telekom implements numerous sustainability projects, and thanks to its energy transformation program, it shall prevent the emission of carbon equal to the amount reduced annually by a 5,400 hectare forest.

Turkey’s leading communication and convergence technologies company Türk Telekom announced the beginning of a new era in its sustainability efforts at a carbon-neutral press conference held in Adalar (Princes’ Islands). A fleet of battery-powered, zero-emission vehicles acquired for the use of Türk Telekom employees working in the Adalar district of Istanbul were also presented at the press conference where in addition to Türk Telekom CEO K. Gökhan Bozkurt, Dean of Sabancı University Faculty of Administrative Sciences Prof. Nakiye Avdan Boyacıgiller was also present to represent the CDP Turkey operation conducted under the coordination of Sabancı University.

In his address at the conference, Türk Telekom CEO K. Gökhan Bozkurt said, “We are ushering in a new era for the future of ourselves, our families, our company and the planet we inhabit under the slogan ‘Environment-friendly communication.’ Acting on economic, social and environmental responsibility in line with our identity as a good corporate citizen, our goal is to create value for all of our social stakeholders,” and added: “We are taking steps with the participation of all our employees to align all our office practices with sustainability principles. We are providing environment-friendly product and service opportunities with a view to helping our customers make more efficient use of energy resources. I would like to underline one point: we do not view sustainability as a task that we are ‘obligated’ to undertake. Quite to the contrary, each member of the 25,000-person Türk Telekom family shares the same responsibility and enthusiasm on this issue. Indeed, we see sustainability as one of the pillars of our company policy.”

Prof. Nakiye Avdan Boyacıgiller also delivered an address at the meeting where she said: “The risks of climate change also directly or indirectly affect all sectors. Being aware of such risks posed by climate change and to measure and manage them is an indicator of good governance. I would like to congratulate Türk Telekom for its groundbreaking move as the first company to announce its carbon footprint among the telecommunication companies listed in the Istanbul Stock Exchange. I firmly believe that this report by Türk Telekom shall not go unnoticed among international corporate investors.”

The meeting held by Türk Telekom in Adalar, İstanbul to announce its carbon footprint report was organized in line with its content, as a carbon-neutral event.

Members of the press attending the meeting also found the opportunity to try the battery-powered, zero-carbon emission vehicles that had been procured for the use of Türk Telekom Adalar district employees in Büyükada where the meeting was held.

*Deemed as the most comprehensive environmental project in the world, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) aims to inform corporate investors on the greenhouse gas emission amounts and risk management policies on climate change of publicly listed companies all around the world. CDP continues its work in Turkey hosted by Sabancı University Faculty of Administrative Sciences. CDP-Turkey project has been directed by Sabancı University Faculty Member Melsa Ararat since 2010.

What does carbon-neutral mean?
Carbon-neutrality is the practice of offsetting the greenhouse gasses released in the atmosphere as a result of any activity of a person or organization and to attain a net emission figure of “0” by the same person or organization by preventing / reducing the emission of the greenhouse gas equal to the amount released or to achieve this reduction through another project by purchasing an equal amount of carbon credit.