Borusan Advances Sustainability in Supply Chain Management
Launched last year, the Sustainable Procurement Policy by Borusan has been instrumental in evaluating the sustainability performance of its suppliers and guiding them towards improvements in critical areas.
As the group celebrates its 80th anniversary under the theme "We Have Just Begun," Borusan emphasizes the integration of sustainability into its business processes, with a focus on creating value-driven projects. The group's sustainable business model is built around the three core areas of Climate, People, and Innovation (i3), aiming to extend its sustainability initiatives across the entire value chain.
According to a statement from Borusan, the Sustainable Procurement Policy evaluates suppliers under the categories of environmental, social, and governance (ESG), using a comprehensive approach that includes specific sub-layers within each category. This evaluation process is conducted through the Sustainable Procurement Platform, which facilitates communication with suppliers and aims to build a more resilient supply chain that considers sustainability performance as a key factor.
To date, Borusan has received feedback from 80% of the suppliers involved in this platform regarding their sustainability performance. Based on the first phase of assessments, Borusan identified "Carbon Emission Reduction" as the area most in need of improvement, particularly in light of its significance as a key element in the green transformation. Baris Kokoglu, Borusan's Head of Finance, Accounting, and Shared Services, stated that the group prioritizes "encouraging improvements in this critical area."
Borusan is not only evaluating its suppliers but also supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within its supply chain to enhance their sustainability maturity levels, particularly in the area of carbon emission reduction. Additionally, Borusan's holistic approach to sustainability seeks to strengthen suppliers' environmental and social governance mechanisms, reduce their environmental impact, and promote social inclusivity and employee well-being, contributing to a more inclusive and sustainable future.
Nursel Olmez Ates, Borusan Holding's Group President of People, Communication, and Sustainability, highlighted the group's long-term commitment to creating value for all stakeholders by fostering a more resilient supply chain. "We encourage all stakeholders in our ecosystem to operate in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, and we aim to inspire others in our sectors with our pioneering role in supporting Turkey's sustainable development," she stated.
The Sustainable Procurement Policy is built on four main pillars: General Sustainability Understanding, Governance Layer, Environmental Layer, and Social Layer. The group adopts a sector-specific approach in its supplier evaluations, conducting extensive risk analyses tailored to the unique characteristics of different industries. These analyses are carried out with reference to nationally and internationally recognized sustainability rating and reporting criteria.
The initial findings from this comprehensive evaluation indicate that the energy sector has demonstrated the highest performance in the General Sustainability Understanding category, given its susceptibility to developments in sustainability. Similarly, in the Environmental Layer, which assesses environmental impact management, nature conservation, carbon emissions, and circularity, the energy sector again achieved the highest scores, reflecting its significant environmental footprint.
In the Social Layer, which covers topics such as human rights, occupational health and safety, equality and inclusion, and community relations, the best performances were observed in the energy and transportation and car rental sectors. Meanwhile, in the Governance Layer, which addresses issues like anti-bribery and corruption, conflict of interest, unfair competition, ethics, compliance, and data security, the information technology sector led the way.
Through these initiatives, Borusan continues to build a more sustainable supply chain, contributing to a sustainable future while enhancing the resilience of its ecosystem.
