At ING, we are working with all our might to build a sustainable future under the motto "
Sustainability is at the heart of our business", and we are pioneering the discovery of new ways to do business that are respectful to the environment and society. To achieve our mission, while building a sustainable future, we ensure that the impact of our company and our customers on the environment and society are in line with our sustainability criteria and responsibilities by actively using banking, which is our core business. In this context, we implement new practices, measure, and improve them continuously. As a global company, we have an opportunity to do more to offer a better future to all living beings on earth and to have an impact all over the world, and we are aware of this responsibility.
To fulfill this responsibility, we prioritize climate action at ING, and we set an example by working towards
net zero in our own operations first. In this context, ING Türkiye gives priority to reducing consumption, providing renewable energy, and conducting Energy Studies at our branches, General Directorate, and additional service buildings.
Within the scope of ING Group policies, we follow the progress of sustainable development through regular reporting.
ING Group has been producing reports on the
Global Environmental Program in all the countries it operates in, and these reports were introduced in Türkiye in 2009. At that time, consumption items such as electricity, water, and fuel were reported, and today we have a set of over 100 report questions. As a group, ING is one of the companies that signed the
Paris Climate Agreement in 2016. In this context, while we initially carried out this reporting at the end of each year, as of 2019 we increased the frequency of reporting to twice a year, and to quarterly in 2022, enabling us to more frequently control CO² values. In the global report, which includes the steps taken and progress made in Türkiye, not only utilities, but also data on any consumption item or situation that affects the environment, such as electronic waste and paper usage, is collected.
We are taking action to improve resource efficiency and sustainability
One of the largest sources of carbon emissions in the world is energy consumption. Therefore, as ING, we apply regular monitoring, reporting, and reduction strategies in our global operations to understand and reduce our energy use.
At ING Türkiye, our strategic efforts in this area range from using building space more efficiently to increasing
the energy efficiency and use of renewable energy in our buildings and data centers. In addition to electricity consumption, we also reduce our CO2 emissions resulting from electricity consumption by sourcing electricity from local companies that provide renewable energy in Türkiye.
In addition, business travel also has a significant impact on carbon emissions. To this end, ING Türkiye has made remarkable strides in reducing emissions from our fleet vehicles in recent years. Our efforts have focused on promoting the adoption of electric vehicles and opting for vehicles with lower fuel consumption. Additionally, we have successfully curtailed emissions by minimizing the number of personnel owning vehicles. In addition, we see the significant decrease in air travel due to the pandemic as a positive result for us, as there was no meaningful increase compared to the past. In this respect, after the end of the pandemic, we will continue to use our widespread remote working tools, leaving behind our travel habits of the past.
On the other hand, although it occupies a relatively small place compared to many sectors,
ING aims to monitor and reduce its water consumption.
From the perspective of efficient use and sustainability of resources,
consumption of paper and waste management is also a priority for us. In Türkiye, ING works with an independent environmental consultant to check the compliance criteria for waste management and, as a result, we professionally manage our waste management, recycling, and data collection processes.
In order to reduce carbon emissions, ING Türkiye is also implementing effective area management. By reducing areas that we consider inefficient, we save energy and contribute to a reduction in our carbon footprint. In this context, we have saved approximately 3,000 sq m by leaving the office floors in IOTM and approximately 3,500 sq m by stopping the activities in our warehouse.
We are working towards Net-Zero
In February 2021, we commissioned a 380 kWp solar energy power plant on the roof of our Operations Center in Kahramanmaraş, which is capable of producing approximately 40% of the electricity consumed annually at the facility.
In addition, to increase energy consumption efficiency, we have replaced our 6 old UPS devices at our
General Directorate and Kahramanmaraş Operations Center buildings with devices that have an energy efficiency of over 96%.
We have replaced all lighting products used in our General Directorate building with LED products, and today
we use LED lighting products in 90% of our branches, while continuing to transform the rest of our branches.
We use 100% fresh-air ventilation systems that have heat recovery capability at our General Directorate, Kahramanmaraş Operations Center, and branches, and we also use
high-efficiency devices for heating, cooling, and ventilation. We also save 14% of heat by using heat insulation on the back of all our buildings' frames and cladding. We regularly perform flue gas analysis on boilers and furnaces used for heating and ensure proper and efficient combustion to control waste consumption. We also regularly maintain mechanical equipment such as air conditioning and ventilation devices to prevent excessive electricity consumption due to neglect.
In our branches, printers are set to automatically print double-sided for documents required for customer transactions. For waste management, we work with an independent environmental consultant who checks compliance with environmental legislation and ensures that hazardous waste is disposed of in accordance with laws and regulations without harming the environment.
We are sharing our Work Hygiene Report, which we prepare within the framework of occupational safety, by performing lighting, thermal comfort, dust, and instant CO2, CO, O2 measurements annually.
In addition, as ING Türkiye, we have successfully completed the Integrated Management System audits by obtaining ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and ISO 50001 Energy Management System certificates. In this context, we have registered the management approach to reduce environmental impacts and efficient use of energy and carbon emissions with international standards.
