Şekerbank undersigns UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative…

Şekerbank has undersigned the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) that targets to support a sustainable global economy through sustainable finance. Thanks to its branch network, 66 percent of which is located in Anatolia, the Bank targets to support the efforts of the UNEP FI in Turkey through its works promoting financial comprehensiveness and its pioneering role in financing of the energy efficiency.

07.12.2015

Handling its mission of financing the sustainable development, which goes back to its foundation, from its social and environmental aspects, Şekerbank has signed the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). The third Turkish bank member of the UNEP FI, Şekerbank will carry out global works together with the other relevant financial sector representatives on the subject by making its energy efficiency works widespread and integrating the sustainability into its system more with the program.

Halit Yıldız: “We have strengthened our pioneering role in the financing of sustainable development”

Şekerbank General Manager Halit Yıldız said that they were greatly satisfied with the rise of environmental awareness in the financial sector, and added that they targeted to make their energy efficiency works more widespread by signing the UNEP FI, and they had strengthened the pioneering role of the Bank in the financing of sustainable development. 

Stating that Şekerbank finances the sustainable development in line with its foundation mission, Yıldız reminded that they measured the social and environmental impacts of their activities with a responsible banking understanding, and that all works in this area were coordinated by a special unit called the Sustainable Development Banking. Yıldız said that as one of the pioneer banks that measure the environmental and social impacts in the lending processes in Turkey, they had carried out numerous international co-operations in this area. 

“We have introduced energy efficiency to over 75 thousand people”

Stating that they have introduced energy efficiency to over 75 thousand people until today within the scope of the EKOkredi, which is a first in Turkey, they have developed to popularize the energy saving and support the sustainability of the natural resources in our country where 73 percent of energy is imported, Yıldız said, “With the insulation of over 104 thousand houses within the scope of EKOkredi, 194 million cubic meters of natural gas or, in electrical terms, over 21.1 billion kilowatt-hour of energy was saved. Besides, 4.5 million tons of carbon-dioxide emission was prevented.” Stating that they have also contributed to the rise of the energy efficiency awareness as well as the revival of economy and the rise of employment through the co-operations they have carried out in this area, Yıldız said that Şekerbank had acquired 15 percent of the liabilities in its balance sheet to finance the energy efficiency and renewable energy investments thanks to its international recognition in the area of financing of the sustainable development.