Yıldız Holding Unveils Its Environmental and Social Sustainability Vision at COP29

The 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change took place in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, under the theme "Solidarity for a Green World" with high-level participation.

Fezal Okur Eskil, the Head of Strategy, Business Development, and M&A at Yıldız Holding, shared the company's sustainability efforts, including its "This World is Ours" approach and "Waste-Free Company" business model, during the panel titled "Green Risks and Social Risks in the Context of Climate Change," organized by the Impact Investing Advisory Board (EYDK). The panel, moderated by EYDK Board Member Hale Özsoy, included speakers such as Wiebke Schloemer, the Regional Director for Turkey and Central Asia at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and Çağla Eker Altınkulp, the Climate Change and Sustainability Management Director at the Industrial Development Bank of Turkey. The discussions focused on identifying climate change-related risks, enhancing resilience, and developing joint strategies through public-NGO-private sector collaboration.

Emphasizing the importance of their responsibilities as a company that impacts a broad ecosystem in the food and retail sectors, Fezal Okur Eskil stated, "The effects of the climate crisis reduce biodiversity while threatening the sustainability of food. To feed the projected population by 2050, production needs to increase by 70%, but this is not feasible. Such alarming results clearly show that existing systems are 'unsustainable' with outdated understandings. We need to repair and transform these systems. This transformation should aim for not only environmental sustainability but also economic and social sustainability. For this, a comprehensive action plan that includes collective efforts and shared intelligence, with the collaboration of all stakeholders, is essential."

Eskil noted that Yıldız Holding addresses sustainability as a holistic system transformation and integrates it into all their processes through the "Waste-Free Company" business model. He added, "We are restructuring our supply chains and aiming for all our strategic suppliers to comply with the 'Yıldız Holding Responsible Purchasing Policy' by 2030. We are investing in regenerative agricultural practices that play a significant role in the sustainable future of food and are working with our critical stakeholders, the farmers, to prevent food waste from farm to table and promote sustainable agriculture."

In building the future of the food and retail sectors, Eskil mentioned that they continue R&D activities across various areas, from innovative products and sustainable packaging practices to water conservation and technological applications in agriculture. He expressed their goal to double sustainability-focused innovation investments by 2030.

Eskil concluded, "We will continue our efforts with all our might to ensure the sustainability of food and to transform collectively while leaving no stakeholder behind."