The third of the “Sustainable Future in Exports” meetings of Garanti BBVA held in İzmir
Considering sustainability and inclusive growth as one of its main strategies, Garanti BBVA is continuing series of events 'Sustainable Future in Exports' to support adaptation of Türkiye to the European Green Deal and to pave the way for sustainable investments. The latest session of the meetings, which were previously held in Istanbul and Gaziantep, recently took place in İzmir. Garanti BBVA wants to contribute to these events by providing concrete recommendations, answering questions, and offering its consulting services to the institutions and sectors that will be impacted by the European Green Deal and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism when exporting to the EU, which is especially true for SMEs. Companies operating in İzmir will be profoundly affected by the transitional phase brought on the European Green Deal and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) considering their contribution to the national economy.
At the “Sustainable Future in Exports” meeting in İzmir, the panel “What Should Türkiye Do While Preparing for the European Green Deal?” was moderated by journalist and author Ilgaz Gürsoy. Panelists included Recep Baştuğ, the General Manager of Garanti BBVA; Okan Uğurlu, the Climate Change Expert from the Climate Change Directorate of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change; Ender Yorgancılar, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Aegean Region Chamber of Industry and Vice President of TOBB; Serra Tükel, the Sustainability Director of Arkas Maritime Group; and Prof. Levent Kurnaz, the Director of Boğaziçi University Climate Change and Policies Application and Research Center. In the discussion, they provided vital insights on what organizations and companies need to take into account when strategizing for the imminent future in line with the European Green Deal.
Garanti BBVA stands by exporters with a sustainability-themed loan package that includes consulting...
In addition to these meetings, Garanti BBVA offers a sustainability-themed loan package to assist its customers in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. Under this package, the bank's customers can access interest-discounted loan offers and leverage the bank's expertise and communication network. In collaboration with the Turkish Standards Institute, the bank contributes to its customers' capacity development. Customers are educated about greenhouse gas management and guided on steps to reduce carbon emissions.
Discussing the İzmir segment of the 'Sustainable Future in Exports' meetings, Garanti BBVA General Manager Recep Baştuğ stated, “We initiated these awareness-raising meetings, Sustainable Future in Exports, to safeguard against potential future pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages. Our aim is to support both our country and our customers in navigating this process successfully. The first two of these meetings were held in Istanbul and Gaziantep. We are pleased to host the third session of our event in İzmir, which has been instrumental in fostering the sustainable transformation of our customers. European Union's roadmap to sustainability is called “Green Deal”. The changes targeted under the Green Deal are divided into 8 sub-categories. Each of these categories will influence our business practices and, consequently, our lives. However, we believe that the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism is among the most pressing issues that require immediate action. The regulation that officially brought to life this mechanism was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on May 16th. So, it's imperative that we swiftly adapt our production methods to align with sustainability. İzmir is one of the most important export gateways of our country. It's crucial that companies exporting from İzmir and the Aegean Region remain unaffected by CBAM and don't encounter export barriers. I hope today's meeting proves beneficial for the Aegean Region. As a bank, we remain committed to supporting our esteemed stakeholders in the green transformation journey, leveraging all our resources.”