Sustainability Action Guide

Today, the concept of "sustainability" has become increasingly important due to rising environmental pollution, depleting natural resources, the climate crisis facing the world, and economic crises, and industry is taking significant steps towards sustainable production. Through more sustainable production and planning, added value can be generated for society in many areas, from the economy to social spheres. Particularly, the decisions taken by the European Union on this matter have made it mandatory for industries to take steps in this direction. The Istanbul Chemical Substances and Products Exporters Association (İKMİB) has prepared a Sustainability Action Guide for the Chemical Substances and Products Sector to assist and lead chemical companies in taking steps on sustainability.

Guide Press Launch Held

On Friday, 22 December, İKMİB held a press conference introducing the Sustainability Action Guide for the Chemical Substances and Products Sector. At the meeting, attended by İKMİB Chairman Adil Pelister and Turkish Exporters Council (TİM) Chairman Mustafa Gültepe, both speakers shared valuable information about the guide with press representatives. TİM Chairman Mustafa Gültepe emphasized the importance of the EU market for sectors in particular and stressed that compliance with the European Green Deal criteria is mandatory to increase our market strength. İKMİB Chairman Adil Pelister noted that they have created a sustainability map that concerns not only the chemical sector but all industrial fields affected by the chemical sector, and emphasized that the concepts of green economy and circular economy will be concepts affecting the sector's exports in the future, speaking to the importance of the adaptation process. Pelister stated: "When we consider the EU market, which accounts for more than 40 percent of our exports, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism coming into force with the European Green Deal, 'Fit for 55' and the 'EU Emissions Trading System' (ETS) will affect all our sectors, including chemicals, significantly. As İKMİB, with the Chemistry Sector Sustainability Action Plan Report we have prepared, we have determined the trajectory of chemistry's transformation and change in this area. Because the chemical sector is in a strategic position, touching all other sectors and supplying inputs to them. Changes in the chemical sector will affect all other sectors as well. In this regard, we are aware that the time for change and transformation has come for the sustainability of chemical exports" he said. Following the opening remarks at the meeting, detailed information about the action guide was also shared. The report was also made available to readers on İKMİB's website. The Sustainability Action Guide for the Chemical Substances and Products Sector was created by Finansal Eksen Independent Audit and Consulting Inc. as part of the sustainability action plan work conducted by İKMİB. The guide is 153 pages long and comprises eight sections including the introduction: Sustainability and Reporting Frameworks, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, European Green Deal, Ministry of Trade Green Deal Action Plan, Sustainability in the Chemical Sector, Circular Economy in the Chemical Sector, Sustainability Strategy and Action Plan. The action guide begins with a preface by İKMİB Chairman Adil Pelister and the introduction section shares general information about the chemical sector, the general status of the chemical sector worldwide, the chemical sector in Turkey, and the sub-sectors of chemistry.

Information on Sustainability Concept and Reporting Frameworks

In the Sustainability and Reporting Frameworks section following the first chapter, the definition and history of sustainability are initially presented, and reference is made to "Our Common Future," or as it is famously known, the "Brundtland Report," published by the "United Nations Commission on Environment and Development," which led to the complete conceptualization of the sustainability term. The second section continues with sustainability reporting frameworks that play a role in evaluating companies' environmental and social responsibilities. In this part, detailed information is provided about GRI, IIRC, SASB, TCFD, CDP, CRSD, and ISSB reporting frameworks, and the standards these reporting frameworks consider.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Their Relationship with the Chemical Sector

In the third section of the guide, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are discussed. This section first covers the process and history of the development of these targets. As conveyed in the guide, these targets were first established in the UN Millennium Declaration, which came into force in 2001. These targets, called the Millennium Development Goals or Millennium Development Objectives, were adopted by 189 countries and were promised to be achieved by 2015. However, subsequently, the idea of updating these targets emerged, and at the UN Rio + 20 Sustainable Development Conference convened in 2012, the "Sustainable Development Goals Open Working Group" was established to set more appropriate targets. This group published 17 Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by 2030 and 169 targets for these goals. The targets conveyed in detail in the guide are as follows in headings: End Poverty, End Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life Below Water, Life on Land, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, Partnerships for the Goals. In the continuation of the guide, the chemical sector is linked with these stated sustainable development goals. From these goals, those with the highest impact on the sector have been selected. In this section, five goals were designated as primary priority and three goals as secondary priority. Here, the primary priority goals were designated as: Gender Equality, Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action. Information on these topics was provided in detail in the guide, and the targets established to achieve these goals were also shared in subsequent sections.

European Green Deal

In the fourth section, comprehensive information about the "European Green Deal," which was also emphasized at the press conference held, is provided. In this section, Regulations Supporting Green Economy and Green Order Policy, Regulations the Sector Must Adapt to Within the Scope of the European Green Deal are the headings under which the regulations specified by the European Green Deal, the objectives of this agreement, and the actions the chemical sector must take at this point are conveyed in detail.

Nine Pillars of the Green Deal Action Plan Created by the Ministry of Trade

In the fifth section of the guide, information is provided about the Green Deal Action Plan created by the Ministry of Trade. In the section where information is shared about the "Green Deal Action Plan" published in the Official Gazette dated 16 July 2021 and entered into force under the coordination of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Trade to comply with the European Green Deal and other global regulations related to green transformation, the nine main headings established within the scope of this plan are conveyed. The nine main headings conveyed in detail are as follows: Carbon border adjustments, Green and circular economy, Green finance, Clean, economical and secure energy supply, Sustainable agriculture, Sustainable intelligent transport, Combating climate change, Diplomacy and European Green Deal awareness and information activities.

Sustainability in the Chemical Sector

In the sixth section, under the heading of sustainability in the chemical sector, information is provided on sector-specific problems, sustainability steps that can be taken, and news related to sustainable steps taken by companies, also making distinctions according to topics. In this section, under the headings of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Air Emissions, Energy Management, Water Management, Waste Management, Community Relations, Employee Health and Safety, Product Design for Use Phase Efficiency, Chemical Safety and Environmental Management, Management of the Legal and Regulatory Environment, Operational Safety, Emergency Preparedness and Response, information is shared.

Circular Economy

In the seventh section, under the heading of Circular Economy in the Chemical Sector, steps the sector can take towards a circular economy are presented. It is emphasized that the transition to circular economy, an industrial term describing the adoption of transformation and reuse instead of the production, use and disposal process in industrial economy, is quite important for the global resource problem. Because chemicals are used in every area of our lives and in 95 percent of products produced, it is very important for the chemical sector to take steps in this area. In this section, first, plastics and the damage caused by plastics thrown away each year are discussed, and the circular economy vision for plastics created by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) is discussed in detail. In the continuation of this section, under the headings of Life Cycle Analysis in the Sector, Energy Efficiency in the Sector, Eco Design, Recycling, Use of Secondary Raw Materials, Industrial Symbiosis, the steps the chemical sector can take towards a circular economy are shared.

Sustainability Strategy and Action Plan of the Chemical Sector

In the eighth and final section, the sustainability strategy and action plan prepared for the chemical sector, created to encompass all these sections, is shared. The sustainability vision for the chemical sector as stated in the guide is as follows: "To create a sustainable, profitable and competitive business model that meets the needs of our stakeholders while reducing the environmental impacts of the sector." The sustainability strategy is stated with the expressions: "To prepare members of the chemical sector by 2053 to be carbon neutral on the basis of innovative and environmentally friendly products, low-emission production technologies, circular economy and renewable energy." In the continuation of this section, the four fundamental pillars on which a sustainable chemical sector should be built, the action plan, key sustainability areas, and key performance indicators are presented in detail in a way that the chemical sector can benefit from them. In addition to the action guide, four appendices are provided: Greenhouse Gas Management, GRI Content Index, Sustainability Reporting in 9 Steps, and Green Terminology conveying terms that should be known.

Conclusion

Today, one of the most important points for the continuation of the world order we are in is to take sustainable steps. The proper use of declining resources, energy management, circular economy models, green economy, recycling and similar concepts are gaining increasing importance. Since chemicals are present in many areas of production and the chemical sector has a large share in the economy and production, the steps the sector takes on this matter are particularly valuable for the future. At this point, the guide created through a comprehensive study by İKMİB, which shares the information that should be acquired in detail in the field of sustainability and the chemical sector's action plan, aims to serve as a correct guide and roadmap for the sustainability steps the sector will take and its goal of being carbon neutral by 2053. You can access the Action Guide from İKMİB's official website; by reading the guide, you can obtain detailed information about the action plan. Source