Sustainable Built Environment Against Earthquakes and the Climate Crisis: Saint-Gobain Summit Kicks Off in İstanbul

Saint-Gobain's global sustainable construction platform Sustainable Construction Talks is being held in Türkiye for the first time. At the gathering, which will take place on October 9, 2026 at Divan Kuruçeşme, topics closely concerning Türkiye's construction sector—earthquake safety, urban transformation, climate change, low-carbon construction and energy efficiency—will be addressed by leading experts in the sector.

The transformation of the built environment plays a critical role in making cities safer, more resilient and more sustainable. In Türkiye, this transformation is shaped around two important agenda items: creating safe and resilient structures against earthquake risk, and transitioning to a low-carbon, energy-efficient built environment against the climate crisis.

A Global Network Comes to Türkiye

The "Sustainable Construction Talks" meetings, held under the Sustainable Construction Observatory launched by Saint-Gobain in 2023, take place at global platforms such as COP and the World Economic Forum (WEF), as well as in France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and the USA.

This global meeting network is being brought to Türkiye with the event to be held in İstanbul on October 9, 2026. Türkiye, together with South Africa, Colombia and Canada, is among the countries newly joining this global network, and will host discussions on the international agenda regarding sustainable construction with stakeholders in Türkiye.

The opening speech of the meeting, which will be moderated by journalist Ilgaz Gürsoy, will be delivered by Saint-Gobain Türkiye CEO and Türkiye İMSAD Chairman Murat Savcı. Following the opening, the barometer results of the Saint-Gobain Sustainable Construction Observatory, to be presented by Architect Sedat Bayrak, will reveal Türkiye's current position in sustainable construction.

Panels and Session Topics

Session 1: Transformation Must Accelerate for Earthquake-Resistant Cities

Under the title "Türkiye's Earthquake Test," the engineering, architectural, material and implementation dimensions of creating a built environment resilient to earthquake risk will be discussed. Accelerating urban transformation, strengthening building inspection, and making the existing building stock safe will be put on the table.

Speakers:

Muhammed Maraşlı (Türkiye İMSAD Board Member and Chairman of the Safe Buildings and Urban Transformation Committee, Fibrobeton Board Member)

Prof. Dr. Alper İlki (Head of the Department of Civil Engineering at İTÜ, Board Member of the Turkish Earthquake Foundation)

Architect Nevzat Sayın (Founder of NSMH)

Session 2: The Climate Test of the Construction Sector

Under the title "Türkiye's Climate Test," the sector's role in achieving net-zero targets will be addressed. Low-carbon building materials, energy efficiency, the circular economy and changing regulations will be evaluated.

Speakers:

Prof. Dr. Ece Ceylan Baba (Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at Yeditepe University, Türkiye İMSAD Board Member)

Dr. Emre Ilıcalı (Founding Partner of Altensis, Chairman of ÇEDBİK)

Onur Ünlü (CEO of ESCON Enerji, Deputy Chairman of TÜRKONFED)

ABOUT SAINT-GOBAIN

A world leader in sustainable and lightweight construction solutions, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. It offers integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, and for the decarbonization of lightweight construction and industry. Celebrating the 360th anniversary of its founding in 2025, the group's entire activities serve its purpose of "MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME."