Recommendations for Companies on ‘Carbon Footprint’

Recommendations for Companies on 'Carbon Footprint' Associate Professor Görkem Üçtuğ, Deputy Dean of the Engineering Faculty at İzmir Ekonomi Üniversitesi (İEÜ), called on companies regarding the 'Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism' to be implemented from 2026 under the 'Green Deal'. Reminding that European countries will set 'carbon footprint' limits for every imported product across many sectors—from food to technology, electronics to automotive—and will levy additional taxes on any product exceeding this threshold, Associate Professor Üçtuğ stated: "Companies must determine the carbon footprint of their products as soon as possible and take strategic steps to reduce it. It is now time to break away from familiar habits and monitor suppliers as well. We must take this matter seriously in order not to lose competitiveness in the European market. We need to raise awareness at the national level." Associate Professor Görkem Üçtuğ, Deputy Dean of the Engineering Faculty at İzmir Ekonomi Üniversitesi (İEÜ), stated that the 'Green Deal', in which Turkey also participates, is one of the most important steps taken recently in environmental matters. Emphasizing that a completely new era will begin for companies exporting from our country starting from 2026, Associate Professor Üçtuğ said: "Within the framework of the 'Green Deal', which the European Union (EU) has created with an approach based on environmentally friendly and sustainable production in response to the climate crisis, the 'Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism' will begin to be applied from 2026 onwards. There is a marked climate change occurring globally. Accordingly, needs and demands are changing; energy requirements are increasing. Countries acting together and producing solutions jointly are becoming critically important. The Green Deal is one of the finest examples of this." Providing information about the 'Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism' to be implemented starting on 1 January 2026, Associate Professor Üçtuğ said: "Carbon footprint is a process that encompasses all stages from the energy spent in manufacturing a product to fuel consumption. When calculating a product's carbon footprint, many criteria are taken into account, such as which energy methods and how much energy are used, and how far away the raw materials are sourced from. From 2026 onwards, there will be a set carbon footprint limit for each product. If the carbon footprint of the product you export exceeds the set limit, additional taxes will be levied. This will naturally significantly reduce the product's competitiveness in the European market. Turkey exports a large portion of its exports to European countries. 2026 is not a distant year. Taking this into account, all companies need to take action on the 'carbon limit' issue and create a comprehensive action plan."

"Companies must conduct measurements"

Sharing his recommendations with companies one by one, Associate Professor Üçtuğ continued: "All exporting companies should develop a measurement system and calculate the carbon footprint of each product they manufacture. Companies producing multiple products should be particularly careful. Every company knows the raw materials it uses and the energy it consumes; however, these should be calculated on a product basis, not on a factory basis. After measurement procedures are completed, steps should be identified to reduce the carbon footprint. Companies must monitor their supply chains in detail. For example, if your product's carbon footprint is high, you can reduce it by installing solar panels on your roof, because solar energy is quite environmentally friendly. To give another example, instead of sourcing raw materials from 500 kilometers away, you can focus on obtaining them from a closer location. If they cannot be sourced locally, you can use electric vehicles in transportation. It is possible to diversify such examples. For all of these, companies need to determine their roadmap without wasting time on the carbon footprint issue," he said. Source