Anadolu Efes Highlights the Importance of Collaboration for Sustainable Development Goals at COP29

Forex - Anadolu Efes (IS: AEFES), positioning sustainability at the center of its business model, participated in the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) held in Baku, Azerbaijan. Speaking at the "Step by Step to the Future" session, which took place in the Sustainable Future Platform pavilion, Selda Susal Saatçi, Director of Corporate Communications and Relations at Anadolu Efes Group, shared the company’s efforts regarding circular economy, regenerative agriculture, and biodiversity with the attendees. The session, moderated by Aslı Pasinli, Founder of Good Future Sustainability Consultancy and Member of the Advisory Board of the Sustainable Future Platform, emphasized the importance of collaboration for sustainable development goals.

Anadolu Efes was one of the speakers in the Sustainable Future Platform pavilion at COP29, where world leaders addressed global climate change from November 11 to 22 in Baku, Azerbaijan. In the session moderated by Aslı Pasinli, Selda Susal Saatçi discussed the company’s initiatives in circular economy, regenerative agriculture, and biodiversity.

Saatçi stated, "Since our establishment, we have placed sustainability at the core of our business model. We take pride in being the first and only company from Turkey to be included in the Borsa İstanbul Sustainability 25 Index in our sector. At COP29, we had the opportunity to present our efforts in circular economy, regenerative agriculture, and biodiversity as part of our sustainability vision, along with the stakeholder collaborations we are conducting in this area."

The session emphasized the importance of partners for achieving goals. Saatçi mentioned, "Through advanced recycling methods, we have contributed functional malt fiber, a value-added raw material, to the food sector via our R&D efforts with Fazla. The first venture that emerged from Anadolu Efes’ Entrepreneurship Workshop, Malty, has produced Malty Bites, Turkey’s first advanced recycling snack, using this malt fiber. As Anadolu Efes, we are pleased to implement a practice based on circular economy, thereby reducing the water consumption and carbon footprint associated with the production of raw materials from scratch."

Regenerative Agriculture: Going Beyond Sustainability
Anadolu Efes positions itself not just as a beer producer but also as an agricultural company due to two of its main raw materials being agricultural. Saatçi described the company’s transition to regenerative agriculture practices and highlighted the projects implemented in collaboration with Anadolu Meraları, stating, "The agricultural ecosystem is becoming increasingly vulnerable to climate change. Regenerative agriculture offers a significant opportunity to enhance the ecological, social, and economic resilience of this ecosystem."

Oceans' Rainforests: Corals Facing the Threat of Extinction
Saatçi also shared details of the "Sea +1 Breath" project, conducted in collaboration with the Marine Life Protection Association, aimed at supporting biodiversity at COP29. She noted that within the scope of the project, corals that had become detached from their natural habitat were relocated to a designated area around Rabbit Island, which has been declared a strictly protected sensitive area, to create coral gardens. She highlighted the awareness-raising efforts conducted to emphasize the importance of corals, which are referred to as the rainforests of the oceans and are at risk of extinction.