TSKB Nature And Biodiversity Policy
A. PURPOSE
Türkiye Sınai Kalkınma Bankası A.Ş. (TSKB) recognizes that climate change, loss of nature and biodiversity loss pose critical and interconnected risks to the financial system, and considers the protection and strengthening of natural capital, the sustainability of ecosystems and ecosystem services, and nature-positive transition as key elements for financial stability. The Nature and Biodiversity Policy hereby sets out the basic principles guiding the Bank's operations.
B. SCOPE
It covers all operations and activities of TSKB and its subsidiaries. This policy sets out the Bank's approach to the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity and its responsibilities and principles regarding its practices and strategies. The policy is implemented together with other natural and social capital policies within the overarching TSKB Sustainability Policy.
- TSKB Environmental and Social Risk and Impact Management Policy
Annex: List of activities that are not to be financed
- TSKB Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Policy
C. PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES
TSKB Nature and Biodiversity Policy includes the following basic principles and guidelines.
The Bank;
1. avoids practices that may cause irreversible damage to ecosystems and biodiversity and focuses on the principle of doing no harm in all activities and internal operations.
2. recognizes that climate change, land/marine use changes, direct exploitation, pollution and invasive alien species are driving forces in the degradation of the nature and supports ways to combat them. It addresses climate change impacts according to the principles defined in the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Policy.
3. aims to identify, prioritize and reduce its dependence on nature, its impacts, risks and opportunities through science-based analysis tools and data-driven methods, and defines targets and measurable metrics for performance monitoring and transparent reporting in line with national and international standards.
4. applies the Mitigation Hierarchy approach in credit evaluation processes as part of managing impacts on biodiversity, prioritizes the prevention of impacts, minimizes unavoidable impacts, supports the restoration of ecosystems where possible, and promotes appropriate compensation mechanisms for unavoidable residual impacts. It manages this matter according to the principles defined in the Environmental and Social Risk and Impact Management Policy.
5. incorporates the potential impacts of financed projects on nature and biodiversity into credit evaluation processes, and takes into account risks to critical habitats, protected areas, wetlands and sensitive ecosystems as well as potential impacts on human rights and local communities.
6. contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals focusing on nature and biodiversity, including SDG 14 - Life Below Water, SDG 15 - Life on Land and SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals, through lending operations and related stakeholder collaborations.
7. acts in compliance with the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity to which Türkiye is a party, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and Türkiye's National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.
8. cooperates with its customers and proactively interacts with customers in sectors with a high dependence and a substantial impact on nature to support a more effective management of nature risks. It also develops mitigation practices to support the adoption of nature-positive solutions.
9. considers the risks of deforestation and ecosystem loss for projects and clients linked to high-risk commodities (e.g. cocoa, palm oil, soy, rubber, coffee, cattle and wood/forestry products). It also supports the dissemination of good practices for traceability of risks and mitigation of impacts on natural assets.
10. takes into account -within the framework of the Sustainable Procurements Management Policy- the potential negative impacts on critical natural assets such as forests and water in procurement processes and prioritizes products and services with a low negative environmental impact in supplier evaluations, subject to applicability and market conditions.
11. strengthens cooperation with national and international stakeholders to accelerate nature-positive transition and to conserve biodiversity, collaborates with public and private sector organizations, academia and civil society organizations, supports information sharing, and contributes to the development of national policies, standards, databases and good practices.
12. highlights the continuous strengthening of in-house capacity for the effective management of matters related to nature and biodiversity. To this end, it undertakes to raise in-house awareness by following current developments, guidelines and regulations in the field of nature and biodiversity and to provide training to senior management and employees.
13. encourages the adoption of these policy principles by all business partners and supply chain parties.
14. monitors the implementation and performance of this policy under the supervision of senior management and the Board of Directors.
D. ENTRY INTO FORCE
This policy shall enter into force on the date it is approved by the Board of Directors.
