The senior management of our organization determined the environmental policy in accordance with our purpose, size and scope of our fields of activity, and our policy was documented accordingly. With this document, we are committed to compliance with legal requirements and relevant standards, and to continuous improvement of the environmental management system with targets and programs to support the policy. We expect all our employees to comply with these rules and we follow them meticulously. If a change in the environmental policy is foreseen, we evaluate it immediately; if not, we evaluate it at least once a year at Management Review meetings.
Environmental Policy
All our Integrated Cement and Ready-Mixed Concrete facilities hold the Environmental Management System certificate within the scope of TS-EN-ISO 14001.
Environmental Management Program
Within the framework of our goals and objectives determined in accordance with the Management Policy, our Environment Department prepares the annual 'Environmental Management Program' in order to control the elements that are considered important in the process of evaluating environmental factors, to plan and monitor the activities that may arise from legal requirements and Environmental Management System practices.
Within the scope of continuous improvement, the Environmental Management Program is reviewed with changes in policies, targets and legal requirements, decisions taken at Management Review Meetings, technological needs, Environmental Management System needs, changes in working conditions, outputs of the environmental factors assessment process, suggestions from employees and related parties and benchmarking studies with other organizations, and necessary revisions are made to the program.
Follow-ups for the implementation of the Environmental Management Program and subsequent activities are carried out periodically, and the effectiveness of decisions taken and planned arrangements are monitored as indicators of system performance.
To facilitate environmental management in our facilities, job descriptions include the responsibilities of employees who manage, implement and verify work that affects environmental risks.
While the ultimate responsibility for environmental management lies with senior management, the environment is also the responsibility of all employees who manage, implement and are exposed to environmental risks in the workplace. All employees are aware of the need to make the best use of their knowledge and skills to improve environmental performance.
Combating Climate Change and Adaptation
Today, issues such as global warming, air pollution and deteriorating ecological balance, which are at the top of the world agenda, have further increased the importance of the concept of sustainability, while sensitivity to emerging risks has reached an important level. The negative impacts of climate change, which are causing loss of biodiversity and rapid depletion of natural resources, have brought to the forefront the need for sustainability to be a priority issue for all stakeholders. All parties agree that creating rational alternatives to the use of natural resources in production processes will provide companies with a significant competitive advantage. The Paris Climate Agreement ratified in 2021 and the Green Deal Action Plan published in Turkey are important milestones for sustainability. At COP27 in 2022, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change announced that Turkey's national contribution declaration increased its reduction target from 21 percent to 41 percent of the expected 1.17 billion tons of emission increase for 2030. These initiatives play a guiding role in our country's fight against the climate crisis and the transformation of the economic structure into a low-carbon structure.
Environmental Sustainability
As Çimko Cement, we are a pioneer in the sector with our business approach that aims to use natural resources rationally and effectively in production activities and to save on raw material and energy consumption. We pay special attention to making our operations sustainable by minimizing our carbon footprint. With this perspective, we realize investments and projects aimed at slowing down climate change, the impact of which is felt more and more every day, and we make the utmost effort to protect natural resources and use them in the most efficient way. We continue our activities without compromising our environmental sensitivity and sustainability by observing the requirements of national and international management systems.
We consider the 'Establishment Policy', which was created for our operations within the scope of the Integrated Management System and includes the Environmental Policy, as the most important guideline for our environmental performance. This policy is regularly reviewed, shared with employees, and proactive measures are implemented through periodic risk analyses on relevant issues.
In 2022, water consumption was reduced by 35% at the Bartın Plant and 10% at the Narlı Plant compared to the previous year with the efforts carried out to minimize natural resource consumption at Çimko Cement plants. In ready-mixed concrete plants, 34,655 tons of water was saved in 2022 compared to the previous year by using waste water recycling systems and the waste water use ratio was increased to 25%.
-
Carbon Emissions
We are taking measures to reduce our carbon emissions to support environmental sustainability. We use natural resources rationally and effectively in our production activities, prioritizing savings in raw material and energy consumption. We make special efforts to make our operations sustainable by minimizing our carbon footprint. With this perspective, we realize investments and projects aimed at slowing down climate change, the impact of which is felt more and more every day.
-
Water Management
Water, one of the most important natural resources, is vital for the sustainability of the planet we live on and for the future of all humanity. Based on this fact, as Çimko Cement, we are working meticulously to use water resources more efficiently, reduce the amount of wastewater through recycling practices, and ensure the continuity of production activities. We develop long-term strategies focusing on reducing water consumption, monitor consumption amounts to ensure savings and cost optimization, and take the necessary actions as a result of the evaluation of the data obtained.
-
Waste Management
We aim to minimize the waste generated as a result of production processes before it is disposed of, and to recover it at maximum level by separating it at its source. We work within the framework of various methods for the reduction, energy recovery, recycling and disposal of all wastes in accordance with the management hierarchy. Within the scope of waste management, we separate all waste generated in operational processes at the source, determine the amount of packaging used and deliver all of it to disposal or recycling facilities.
-
Biodiversity
We are aware that irreversible environmental and economic consequences will occur unless ecosystems and biodiversity are protected, climate change mitigation measures are taken and scarce resources are used carefully and sustainably. Accordingly, we meticulously take the necessary measures to minimize the environmental impact of our investments and activities in accordance with the obligation to protect biodiversity and natural ecosystems in sensitive conservation or development areas and in accordance with applicable national and international legislation.