We Design, Build and Live the Future, Today / 2019 Sustainability Report

In a rapidly changing world, addressing both the needs of today and anticipating those of tomorrow is a must. Now more than ever, we need to look beyond the immediate term if we are to build a better world. Fortunately, if there's one thing these months of pandemic have taught us, it's that we can change our habits even faster than we could imagine.

For us, sustainability is a business model that goes beyond conventional ways of thinking. And we believe that how we tell the story matters as much as the story itself. That is why the concept of our 2019 Sustainability Report is “This is not a report”. By placing sustainability at the heart of our business, we see an innovative product where others see waste; commit to the principle of zero accident instead of looking at it as an option;  adopt a genuine perspective of gender equality, and so on. As we build on our proud heritage and our progress so far, we envision Arçelik to be Respecting the World and to be Respected Worldwide.

To achieve this vision, we closely monitor sustainability trends and take concrete steps with the technology we develop to improve the planet, life, and our business. In the 2019 Sustainability Report, we are proud to launch our new sustainability framework, In Touch Technology, which serves as an umbrella sustainability communications strategy covering all our efforts to create smart innovation that is in touch with;

• our planet to shrink our footprint to preserve the vital resources,

• human needs to improve the lives of people,

• our business to be a progressive global citizen.

In line with our In Touch Technology framework, we have set our short-medium-long term targets towards 2030 that reflect the global trends and industry-related responsibilities, that are also aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Knowing that the need to define companies beyond financial data is vital for a thriving future, we’ve adopted sustainability as our business model and set bold targets to achieve our commitments to create value for the planet, life, and our business.

With the innovative products we offer and the improvements we make in our operations, we strive to protect natural resources in the world and to reduce our environmental footprint. To improve our efforts that are In Touch with our Planet, we push ourselves to reach even higher targets as below:

• Become a carbon-neutral company in our Turkish production plants by 2025

• Establish renewable energy systems with 15 MW capacity

• Purchase 100% green electricity in global production plants

• Reduce energy and water consumption per product by 45% in South Africa, Russia, Turkey, Romania, China, Thailand and Pakistan operations

• Release a solar roof business model in Turkish market with 50 MW capacity

• Increase the waste recycling rate in production to 99% in global operations

• Increase recycled plastic content in products to 40%, bio-based material content to 5%

By continuously pushing ourselves and the sector in which we operate, we aim to become the go-to partner to offer digital households a sustainable lifestyle. To reach a more equal and inclusive social structure, we touch the lives of people with smart products that improve their lives and empower local communities in the geographies where we operate. We are In Touch with Human Needs by committing to;

• Raise awareness amongst 80 million people about healthy living with our Beko brand

• Fight against food waste to raise awareness amongst 3.5 million people about responsible consumption and provide 1 million meals to 500,000 people by saving 1,200 tons of food, with our Grundig brand

• Support local communities with hero brands and local jewels by empowering young people with digital competencies, promoting gender equality, and raising awareness on climate crisis

We are aware that one of the conditions for improving the planet and life in general is establishing systems that maintain simple, sustainable, digital and innovative operations. With this in mind, we work together with our employees and stakeholders to build an ethical and inspiring business world of the future that is focused on creating value. We are In Touch with Our Business:

• Increasing our female manager ratio to 30%

• Ensure that over 50% of the employees participate in min. one volunteering activity per year

• Increase Sustainability Supplier Index Response Rate to 70%

• Apply for all global suppliers exceeding 500 TEP to obtain the ISO 50001 certificate 

With a new strategic approach and SDGs as our compass, we remain dedicated to improving Arçelik on all grounds. There is still a long way to go in the direction of a sustainable future, but the spirit of innovation built into our DNA puts us on the right track in creating a meaningful change across our value chain.

You can find out more in our sustainability report here.