Sustainability Approach and Understanding

RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY
Ziraat Bank prioritizes a value solution covering environmental, social, and economic dimensions in all decisions related to its activities.

Ziraat Bank develops and implements projects with the aim of integrating universally accepted principles of sustainability into the business model and processes. In all decisions related to its operations, the Bank prioritizes a common value solution encompassing environmental, social, and economic dimensions, as well as the goal of generating value for its stakeholders.

Sustainability Vision

To use the unrivaled experience and knowledge that it has built up in 161 years and to utilize its resources efficiently within the framework of responsible banking principles, for the benefit of the economy, the environment, and the community; to produce enduring value for its stakeholders; to be a bank which embraces all parts of the society by improving our customer-oriented business model.

Sustainability Goal

To further develop the Bank’s strong position in the national market and its global competitiveness with corporate, environmental and social sustainability practices to be implemented within the scope of this policy.

Sustainability Approach

Ziraat Bank has shaped its sustainability approach in light of its responsibilities as a financial service provider, its commitment to the environment and society, and its duties as an employer.

Within the framework of its sustainability approach, Ziraat Bank carries out the following;

  • Determines and implements its goals in the field of economic sustainability from a short-, medium-, and long-term corporate, environmental, and social sustainability perspective. Manages its resources and service infrastructure by carefully considering environmental and social issues as well as potential risks and opportunities.

  • Considers environmental sustainability—including combating climate change and transitioning to a zero carbon economy—a key component of its responsible banking approach, ranking it among its top priorities.

  • Contributes to facilitating investments designed to mitigate the pressures and challenges that green transformation will impose on the value chains of producer sectors. Likewise, it contributes to the transformation of technological developments in the fields of energy efficiency, renewable energy, efficient mobility, and circular economy into opportunities through its resource structure.

  • Contributes to corporate social responsibility activities that will create widespread social impact that adds value to society and supports social development.

  • Develops its service processes with a focus on sustainability and offers banking products and services to all customers in practical, understandable, accessible, and digitally focused formats.

  • Takes environmental and social impact into account in the processes of meeting changing customer demands and expectations, offering the right value proposition to the right customer at the right time, and efficiently evaluating new business opportunities provided by the markets.

  • Develops and implements projects with the aim of integrating universally accepted principles of sustainability into the business model and processes. Focuses, in this context, on areas where it contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

  • Evaluates and manages sustainability-related issues and the potential risks and opportunities posed by climate change in its decision-making processes.

  • Respects the fair sharing of the value it produces and accumulates with its employees, customers, shareholders, and other stakeholders.

  • Aims to take part and play an active role in multilateral sustainability initiatives and cooperation platforms on a national and international scale.

  • Focuses on developing and disseminating sustainability throughout the value chain and conducts its interaction with its stakeholders under the guidance of the UN SDGs.

  • Discloses its sustainability performance, which includes its environmental and social impact as well as the economic value it creates, to the public in accordance with the principles of transparency, accountability, compliance with laws, and adherence to ethical principles.

  • Strives to be “more than just a bank” in this field with its sustainability activities developed and carried out under the guidance of the Sustainability Committee.

Ziraat Bank supports Türkiye’s progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals through its economic, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices.

Sustainability Policy

Focusing on integrating, advancing, and continuously sustaining sustainability across its value chain, Ziraat Bank supports Türkiye’s progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals through its economic, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices.

Within the general framework determined in the sustainability policy, Ziraat Bank continues to achieve healthy growth as a competitive, strong, high market value, globally integrated bank, guided by the principles of efficiency and responsible banking.

Adopting an approach based on the fair sharing of the value it generates and accumulates with its employees, customers, shareholders and other stakeholders, Ziraat Bank transparently discloses its economic performance as well as its developments in corporate, environmental and social issues.

Ziraat Bank manages its relations with the stakeholders, environmental impact, social initiatives, and product and service processes within the scope of the sustainability policy updated in 2023.

Key Elements of Ziraat Bank Sustainability Policy

Stakeholders* and Ziraat Bank

Ziraat Bank recognizes diversity in its workforce as a key component of its intellectual capital. The Bank denies any discrimination and inequality which would disrupt equal opportunity based on gender, physical disability, cultural views, social class or differences of opinion and thought. The Bank views training and development as an important element of the progress it aims to achieve in the field of sustainability and implements investments to promote the continuous development of our employees.

Aiming to deliver products and services with a strong customer-oriented value proposition to all segments of society with the principle of financial inclusion and improving customer satisfaction and loyalty, Ziraat Bank implements measures to improve financial literacy and raise awareness of sustainability.

The Bank prioritizes the development and maintaining of relationships with suppliers based on mutual benefit, respect and honesty.

Environment and Ziraat Bank

Ziraat Bank aims to control its direct and indirect environmental impacts, to manage the risks resulting from the climate crisis with the right strategies and technologies, and provides continuous improvements.

Through its endeavors to measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Bank acts in line with the 2053 Net-Zero emission goal of Türkiye, the National Contribution Declaration, and Türkiye’s long-term strategy plan disclosed at COP29. This demonstrates its direct contribution to the global goal of keeping the projected temperature increase below 2°C and, if possible, at 1.5°C, as stipulated in the Paris Climate Agreement, with Türkiye among the signing parties.

Ziraat Bank focuses on the efficient use of all natural resources which it consumes in its service cycle, especially energy, and prioritizes the use of renewable energy sources to meet its energy requirements. To supply electricity to its service units, the Bank is implementing a solar power plant (SPP) project with a total installed capacity of 64 MWp in Kayseri Pınarbaşı. This project is part of the Bank’s Unlicensed Solar Power Plant initiative and is expected to be completed by 2025.

Considering the management of clean water resources as a key priority area, the Bank strives to ensure the accessibility and sustainable management of water and sanitary conditions for all.

Ziraat Bank and its contribution to Society

Ziraat Bank is focused on adding value to society, supporting social development with a multi-faceted approach, and continuing work that will bring about a wide ranging social impact.

Sustainability in Products, Services and Processes

Ziraat Bank also takes environmental and social issues into account in the processes of meeting changing customer demands and expectations, offering the right value proposition to the right customer at the right time, and efficiently evaluating new business opportunities provided by the markets.

The Bank generates integrated solutions with its domestic and overseas subsidiary banks, branches and financial companies in order to meet the financial requirements of its customers as a whole.

It prepares financing packages to support SMEs, entrepreneurs, women and youth and increase employment.

Aiming to digitalize its business processes wherever possible by utilizing sustainable technology solutions and to develop them by focusing on sustainability, the Bank provides the best digital experience by offering products and services with a high value proposition to meet the changing requirements of its customers through digital transformation.

Ziraat Bank Sustainability Policy is available at T.C. ZİRAAT BANKASI A.Ş. SUSTAINABILITY POLICY1 (ziraatbank.com.tr).