Green transformation and employment message from female business leaders at COP31

Within the scope of COP31, a panel titled 'Business World of the Green Future: Through the Eyes of Women Leaders' was held by the Turkish Businesswomen Association (TIKAD). TİKAD President Nilüfer Bulut, Vice President Sema Güral Sürmeli, High Advisory Board President Demet Sabancı Çetindoğan, High Advisory Board Member Gülden Yılmaz, Board Member Esin Güral Argat, board members of the association, women entrepreneurs and guests attended the panel moderated by journalist-writer Aslıgül Atasagun. The panel discussed environmentally friendly production practices implemented in different sectors, protection of natural resources, women's economic independence and greater involvement in decision-making mechanisms.

Speaking at the opening of the panel, TİKAD President Nilüfer Bulut said that combating climate change is not only an environmental responsibility, but has become a strategic issue that directly affects the economic competition of countries, their investments and the living conditions of future generations. Emphasizing that targets should be transformed into concrete practices in the climate fight, Bulut announced that they, as TIKAD, will initiate a new action on food safety. Bulut said, "Food is very important. Safe food is our future, our common responsibility. We are starting an action on food safety. We will create a joint responsibility and open it for signature. We will start our work by determining pilot regions. We will tell everyone who produces food that we will keep an eye on them as women."

Drawing attention to the responsibility that women will assume in the green transformation, Bulut said that women, especially women in leadership positions in the business world, can play an important role in spreading the understanding of environmentally friendly production and consumption. Bulut emphasized that women in business life act by considering the environment, the future and their children.

The first speaker of the panel, Demet Sabancı Çetindoğan, talked about the work of the SHOPSA platform, which was established in 2020 during the pandemic period to ensure stronger participation of women producers in economic life. Stating that it is an important opportunity for small producers to offer their products to consumers in the same digital market as large companies, Çetindoğan said that the project has turned into a structure that includes education and entrepreneurship support over time. Stating that they reached women producers in 65 provinces and that their goal is to cover all 81 provinces of Türkiye, Çetindoğan said, "However, in this process, we saw that our women also needed education and information support. Thereupon, we started training activities by traveling to the provinces."

Stating that they provide training to women entrepreneurs in the fields of production, marketing, food safety, clean cosmetics and sustainability through SHOPSA Academy, Çetindoğan said that the trainings are important for women to develop their own brands.

Businesswoman Sema Güral Sürmeli talked about her efforts to protect natural resources, energy efficiency and reuse of waste in porcelain production. Stating that porcelain production requires high temperatures and therefore energy use is important, Sürmeli said that they have developed applications to re-evaluate the heat generated in production furnaces. Sürmeli said, "We have to use very high temperatures during production. We try to reuse the energy generated in this process as much as possible. We can use the heat coming out of the furnaces in different parts of the factory. It is possible to use the energy seen as lost in one production stage in another stage."

Talking about his work to transform waste materials into works of art, Sürmeli emphasized that it is necessary to consider how a material can be reused before being thrown away.

Gülden Yılmaz also talked about their work on reducing water consumption, using environmentally friendly raw materials and recycling in the textile industry. Pointing out that approximately 7,500 liters of water are consumed in the production process of a pair of jeans from cotton to reaching the store, Yılmaz said, "The textile industry is a sector that uses a lot of water. For this reason, we started working with fabrics, manufacturers and washing methods that consume less water."

Stating that they turn to sustainable sources in the use of cotton and prepare collections from organic and recycled raw materials, Yılmaz explained that they also recycle the waste generated during the logistics processes.

Sharing their work on women's employment and women's rights, Yılmaz stated that 74 percent of the company's employees and 56 percent of the management staff are women.

Referring to the 'Hand Labor' project carried out to support women's economic independence, Yılmaz announced that more than 7 thousand women participated in production within the scope of the work launched in 2016 and more than 21 million lira of income was transferred to women.

Esin Güral Argat, the last speaker of the panel and also the President of Kütahya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KUTSO), said that green transformation in industry is not only an environmental responsibility, but also a strategic process that determines the production models of the future and the competitiveness of businesses. Stating that they focus on automation, digitalization, energy efficiency, renewable energy and recycling investments in industrial enterprises, Argat drew attention to the importance of accurate measurement of resource consumption. Argat said, "We see green transformation as a strategic transformation that reshapes the production models of the future, beyond an environmental responsibility."

Stating that they have created a structure for green transformation studies with the participation of academics and business people within KUTSO, Argat said that they aim to reveal the energy, water and carbon footprint of Kütahya industry. Argat said, "Large businesses can establish their own teams, work with experts and invest. However, small businesses do not have the same opportunities. Chambers of commerce and industry need to guide these businesses and facilitate access to finance by bringing projects together."

Making a statement to DHA after the panel, TİKAD President Nilüfer Bulut stated that it was a great pride for Türkiye to organize COP31 in Antalya and said that women should take a leading role in the fight against climate change. Emphasizing that the Zero Waste Movement, which was initiated under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's wife, Emine Erdoğan, has become a global asset, Bulut said, "We believe that this global movement will progress under the leadership of women. Because women in business life think about the environment, the future and their children. They can ensure smoother transitions in the business world. As TİKAD, we want leading women to spread an understanding that is sensitive to the environment and keeps up with competitive conditions, starting from their own workplaces. We want to create a more livable world for our children, together. "We will prepare it," he said.