TIM Holds Second Session of Climate Talks Program

Second Session of TİM Climate Talks Held The Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) organized the second session of its "TİM Climate Talks" program. The event was moderated by Istanbul Topkapı University Rector Prof. Dr. Emre Alkin and hosted United Kingdom Ambassador to Turkey Sir Dominick Chilcott as guest speaker. The second TİM Climate Talks session took place via digital platforms and reached 15,000 participants. United Kingdom Ambassador to Turkey Sir Dominick Chilcott, who attended the discussion, stated: "On the path to net zero, we are committed to combating climate change by working together with strong international partners like Turkey."

TİM Chairman İsmail Gülle Delivered Opening Remarks

The second session of TİM Climate Talks was attended by members of the TİM Climate Committee, TİM Women's Council, TİM Sustainability in Industry Science Committee, as well as exporters, SMEs, entrepreneurs, NGOs and all relevant ecosystem stakeholders. TİM Chairman İsmail Gülle delivered the opening remarks of the well-attended program. In his opening remarks, TİM Chairman İsmail Gülle noted that Turkey conducted USD 225 billion in exports in 2021, with 41 percent going to 27 European Union countries, and that sector exports to the EU market in 2021 ranged from 11 percent to 74 percent of total exports. He stated: "The sectoral average of these ratios stands at around 40 percent. When we include the United Kingdom and the United States, which have placed legal regulations similar to the Green Deal on their agendas, this ratio reaches 54 percent. If the right steps are not taken regarding this significant volume of trade, it could result in substantial carbon taxes."

'Producing for the World without Depleting It'

Gülle also discussed their implemented project. He said: "We initiated this effort by establishing the TİM Climate Committee. Under the motto 'Producing for the world without depleting it,' we shared our TİM Sustainability Action Plan, which consists of 12 main objectives, with the public last June. Accordingly, we established the TİM Sustainability in Industry Science Committee with a comprehensive team comprising representatives from universities, public and private sectors, national and international NGOs, and financial institutions.

Emphasized Focus on European Green Deal in Export 2021 Report

Our Science Committee plays an important role in guiding our sectors on determining and implementing sustainable policies in industry, and assumes significant responsibility in the green transformation process. Under our Committee's guidance, we began developing sectoral action plans at the initiative of our members. In July 2021, we announced our sectoral action plan for the Textile sector, and last month we announced our sectoral action plan specifically for the Agriculture and Livestock sector. We have organized numerous events and training programs to raise awareness among our exporters about countries' prominent strategies and regulations in sustainability, particularly climate change, with a focus on green transformation and green agreements," he said. Emphasizing that they placed the European Green Deal at the center of their Export 2021 report, TİM Chairman İsmail Gülle announced that the focal point of their Export 2022 report, which they will share with the public shortly, will be the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and its Effects on Exports.

"I Reiterate Our Invitation to Adopt Production Practices That Prioritize Nature and Environment"

TİM Chairman İsmail Gülle stated that it is highly valuable to crown the friendly relations between Turkey and the United Kingdom with concrete steps, and noted that with a trade volume exceeding USD 19 billion in 2021, Turkey has achieved a foreign trade surplus of USD 8 billion with the United Kingdom, one of its largest trading partners. Gülle said: "Our exports to the United Kingdom are continuing with strong performance in 2022. In the first quarter of the year, our exports increased by 13 percent compared to the previous year, exceeding USD 3.2 billion. I hope today's meeting will take these strong relations even further. On this occasion, I reiterate our invitation to all our industrialists, producers, suppliers and exporters to adopt production practices that prioritize nature and environment," he said. Saying he takes pride in the cooperation they have launched for a sustainable world, TİM Chairman İsmail Gülle used the words: "By sequentially realizing the 12 objectives in our action plan, we will make Turkey a brand country in sustainability and will take an important step forward in trade between Turkey and the United Kingdom."

Turkey Demonstrated Impressive Growth in Renewable Energy

United Kingdom Ambassador to Turkey Sir Dominick Chilcott, who was a guest speaker at the TİM Climate Talks program, also addressed the event. Chilcott stated: "In terms of green transformation, the greatest opportunity for our bilateral trade lies in the complementary expertise of the two countries. Turkey has demonstrated impressive growth in renewable energy by nearly tripling renewable electricity generation over the past decade. It has made significant progress in domestic manufacturing in this area. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom possesses top-level expertise in offshore wind energy, low-carbon vehicles and power electronics for electric motors, solar energy, and hydrogen as clean energy, as well as global leadership in low-carbon and renewable energy services and green finance." Following the opening program, United Kingdom Ambassador Sir Dominick Chilcott and British Embassy Commercial Attaché David Machin evaluated cooperation opportunities between the United Kingdom and Turkey for green transformation targets and answered questions from sector representatives regarding their green transformation.