Our Sustainability Journey

With an integrated perspective, we consider every project we provide loans as a contribution to the development of the country and global sustainability, rather than as a banking transaction. Today, sustainability-themed investments comprise three-quarters of our loan portfolio. The renewable energy power plants we finance at TSKB, on the other hand, correspond to 15% of Türkiye's Renewable Energy installed capacity. With all of these sustainability-themed investments, we actively contribute to the reduction of our country's carbon footprint, by 13.2 million tonnes every year.

We take responsibility for the green transformation and we measure the environmental and social risk of all investment and working capital loans, regardless of the amount.. We do not provide financing for investments with high environmental and social risks and those whose risks are difficult or impossible to manage/mitigate.

In 2016, in the first example of green bonds in Türkiye, we issued a USD 300 million Green/Sustainable Bond with a maturity of 5 years. Following this issuance, in 2017, we issued the first example of a subordinated sustainable bond in international markets in what was a ground-breaking issuance in the world, with revenues from the issuance disbursed to finance environmental and social projects. At the beginning of 2021, we realized our third sustainable bond issuance.

We also take responsibility for developing sustainability-themed instruments in our investment banking services. We recently brokered the Transition to a Low Carbon Economy bond, following the first sustainable and SDG-focused lease certificate issuances in Turkish capital markets.

We have adopted the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015. We report the direct or indirect contribution to all 17 SDGs with our social impact measurements. SDG-related financing now comprises 93% of our loan portfolio.

We further strengthen our mission of supporting sustainable development with the collaborations we maintain with international initiatives and many international commitments which we have signed up to. Finally, in 2019, we joined the UNEP-FI Principles of Responsible Banking as a founding signatory within the scope of sustainable banking activities.

Right from the very beginning, we have been approaching the sustainability process with a systemic and integrated perspective. We were the first Turkish bank to receive the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Certificate in 2006 and the ISO 14064-1 Greenhouse Gas Verification Certificate in 2012 with the sustainability management system which we established. We continue to serve as a role model in the field of zero carbon banking in our country by neutralising our carbon footprint, which we have calculated every year since 2008. We are proud that these efforts have been recognised with the ESG risk rating awarded by Sustainalytics, with our Bank ranking first in Türkiye and among the 5 best banks in the world. As the first Turkish bank to provide club loans indexed to the ESG risk rating, we enjoy the privilege of creating additional resources for sustainable development investments in our country.

Escarus - Sürdürülebilirlik Danışmanlığı A.Ş. is our subsidiary which we established in 2011 by offering our sustainability competence at international standards. Through Escarus, we share our knowledge and experience in this field with public and private sector players, and increase our concrete contribution to green economic transformation.

At TSKB, we also handle our social responsibility projects with an integrated approach through our business model. With the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) projects which we have implemented in the field of sustainability and equality of opportunity, we work unwaveringly to increase such value, to increase similar good examples in the business world, to touch the lives of more people and to create an ecosystem which produces while protecting the environment.

We published the first GRI-approved sustainability report in the financial sector in 2010, and the first Integrated Report of the private sector in 2017. In these reports, we transparently publish all value we create in our sustainability journey.

Our key Sustainability Steps

2020s

• Global Banking & Finance Awards - Türkiye's Best Bank in the Field of Sustainable Development (2023)
• Global Banking & Finance Awards - Türkiye's Best Corporate Sustainability Strategy (2023)
• World Finance - The Most Sustainable Bank in Türkiye (2022)
• ARC Awards - 2021 Integrated Annual Report Honor Award (2022)
• Global Economics - Türkiye’s Best Sustainability Practices Award in Banking (2022)
• TSKB Social Investment Declaration Signatory (2021)
• Intermediation in Türkiye’s First Low Carbon Economy Transition-themed Bond Issuance (2021)
• TSKB Ranks First in Türkiye and 6th in Global Among Its Category of ESG Risk Rating (2021)
• Syndication Loan Indexed to Sustainability Criteria (2021)
• Euromoney & World Finance Magazines - “Sustainable Bank of the Year” Awards (2021)
• The Banker - “Islamic Finance Deal of the Year” Award for TSKB’s Sustainable Sukuk Issuance Brokerage (2021)
• CSR Works - Bronze Award in the Category of “Asia Region” - Integrated Report of the Year (2021)
• TSKB General Manager Ece Börü, Listed on the CSR Works Asia Region Women Sustainability Leaders Honor List (2021)
• Brokerage of the Fisrt Sustainability and ESG-Themed Lease Certificates (Sukuk) Issuances in the Turkish Capital Markets (2021)
• TSKB’s 3rd Sustainable Bond Issuance (2021)
• The First “Climate Risk Report” in the Turkish Banking Sector, Aligned with the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) Recommendations (2021)
• Best Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Risk Score (2020)

2010s

• Highest CDP Performance Score in the Turkish Financial Sector (2019)
• IDFC Board Membership (2019)
• Signatory to UNEP-FI Principles for Responsible Banking (2019)
• The First Turkish Bank to Obtain Credit from China Development Bank with Treasury and Finance Ministry Guarantee (2019)
• Establishment of the Digital Platform “Equal Steps” Guiding Equal Opportunities in the Business World (2019)
• The First Financial Institution to Provide Funding for Private Sector Investments from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) (2018)
• Allocation & Impact Reporting (2018)
• KAGIDER and IBRD Gender Equality Certificate (2018)
• IBRD Access to Inclusive Finance Project Loan (2018)
• Tomorrow’s Women Stars Education Support Fund (2018)
• Coordination of the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Development’s Project “Türkiye’s Current Status Analysis within the Framework of Sustainable Development Goals” TSKB & Escarus Education to Production Scholarship Fund (2017)
• The First Integrated Report of the Private Sector in Türkiye (2017)
• World’s First “Capital-Like Sustainable Bond” (2017)
• Participation in the FTSE4GOOD Emerging Markets Index (2016)
• Türkiye’s First Green/Sustainable Bond Issuance (2016)
• Publication of the TSKB Climate Change Statement (2016)
• Signing of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) by UN Women (2015)
• Participation in BIST Sustainability Index (2015)
• GRI G4 Certified Sustainability Report (2015)
• Türkiye’s First Zero Carbon Concert (2014)
• Establishment of Sustainability Policy and Complemantary Policies (2014)
• Establishment of the Sustainability Committee (2014)
• Founding Membership of The European Association of Long-Term Investors (ELTI) (2013)
• GRI A+ Certified Sustainability Report (2013)
• Establishment of the List of Non-Creditworthy Sectors and Activities (Restricted List) (2012)
• Establishment of the Sustainability Management System (2012)
• The First Turkish Bank to Obtain ISO 14064 Greenhouse Gas Management Standard Certificate (2012)
• Founding Membership of the International Development Finance Club (IDFC) (2011)
• Establishment of TSKB Sustainability Consutancy Inc. - Escarus (2011)
• The First Progress Report within the Framework of the UN Global Compact (2011)
• Support for the Water Disclosure Project (WDP) (2011)
• Membership of the Long-Term Investors Club (LTIC) (2010)
• Signing of the UN Global Compact (UNGC) (2010)
• Participation in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) (2010)
• Publication of the Financial Sector’s First GRI Certified Sustainability Report (2010)

2000s

• Participation as a Corporate Stakeholder with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) (2009)
• The First Bank to Become a Member of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP-FI) (2009)
• Türkiye’s First Carbon-Neutral Bank (2008)
• Implementation of ERET (Environment Risk Evaluation Model) (2007) 
• Launching of Cevreciyiz.com Portal (2007)
• The First Turkish Bank to Obtain the ISO 14001 Certificate (2007)
• Sharing Environmental Policy with Stakeholders and the Public (2006)
• Environmental Management System (2005)
• First Renewable Energy Project Financing (2002)

1990s

• The First Environmental Loans Offered to Turkish Industry (1990)

1980s

• Incorporating Environmental Factors into Credit Evaluation Processes (1980)