Deadline for Şahabettin Bilgisu Environmental Awards Applications Is 26 April

Turkey's first Environmental Awards organization, the "Şahabettin Bilgisu Environmental Awards," will hold its 30th edition this year. The deadline for applications for the "Environmental Award" and "Sector Awards," which will be presented at a ceremony held during Environment Week, is 26 April 2024, Friday. In our world, where the effects of climate change are being felt increasingly each day, serious and rapid transformation is underway. Policies addressing climate change, whose impacts are striking, have begun to occupy the agenda much more rapidly. The normalization of the newly designed world order is planned to be "Green and Digital." The EU is modernizing its economy within the framework of circular economy principles, adopting digitalization and the green economy as "twin goals." Within this framework, the Green Deal, which encompasses the EU's alignment with the Paris Climate Agreement targets, aims to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. For us to keep pace with this change in the EU market, cope with increasingly intense competition, and preserve existing markets, it has become essential for our country to adapt to this new policy of the EU, which encompasses green and digital transformation. Within this framework, our country's ratification of the Paris Climate Agreement in the Turkish Parliament and acceptance of the target of climate neutrality by 2053 are very encouraging developments. By acting in accordance with Turkey's Green Transformation Action Plan, which has been published and serves as a roadmap, our sectors will need to rapidly adapt to new criteria such as carbon border adjustments, which will be among their priorities in the coming years. Within this scope, our industrialists are developing new "environmental strategies" for the protection of nature, reduction of climate change impacts, and sustainable production. Nowadays, the truly important factor that creates competitive advantage is the ability to use resources productively, not destroy while producing, and ensure sustainability. The Kocaeli Chamber of Industry, acting with this awareness, has been organizing the "Kocaeli Chamber of Industry Şahabettin Bilgisu Environmental Awards" since 1995 in order to encourage and reward industrialists who act conscientiously.

The purpose of the awards organization:

• To contribute to the protection and development of the environment,
• To encourage continuous environmental improvement,
• To encourage adaptation to changing environmental concepts,
• To increase awareness and consciousness on environmental issues,
• To promote best practice examples in this field,
• To support and encourage organizations that contribute to the environment and society alongside measurable environmental investments.
• Environmental Awards given in four separate categories in 1995 and 1996 as "Green Stack, Wastewater Treatment Facility, Environmentally Friendly Product and Environmentally Friendly Project"; from 1997 onwards began to be given in a single category and named after Mr. "Şahabettin Bilgisu," known as the "Environmentally Conscious President."

The Environmental Awards organization has been held since 1998 in a region with Turkey's largest industrial organizations operating in neighboring provinces and from 1999 onwards in provinces within the Marmara Region. Since 2003, enterprises applying for the award have been evaluated in two categories: "Large-Scale Enterprises" and "Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)." In 2014, sectoral differentiation was implemented for the first time. In addition to environmental awards in the large-scale enterprise and SME categories, awards are distributed under the headings of main sectors such as Automotive, Automotive Supply, Chemicals, Food, Metal, Machinery, Stone-Earth, Energy, etc., provided there are sufficient applications. In 2015, the region where the award organization was held expanded and the organization was opened to the entire country. The Kocaeli Chamber of Industry Şahabettin Bilgisu Environmental Awards, which play an important role in the development and dissemination of environmental consciousness, are a prestigious award organization with brand value. Award-winning enterprises will receive special discounts from İZAYDAŞ for one year regarding their waste disposal. Furthermore, İZAYDAŞ will apply special discounts for one year to companies that pass the preliminary selection and qualify for site inspection. The discount rates to be applied by İZAYDAŞ are determined annually by the İZAYDAŞ Board of Management.   The award-winning enterprise obtains the right to use the award logo free of charge in every phase of its corporate communication activities for a period of 2 years. (The conditions for logo use are determined with the Logo Use Agreement to be made with KSO.) The application fee for the 2024 Kocaeli Chamber of Industry Şahabettin Bilgisu Environmental Awards is TRY 10,000.00 for SMEs and TRY 50,000.00 for large enterprises.