Uludag Economy Summit started with the theme of 'Sustainability and the Future'

Uludag Economy Summit, the main theme of which is ‘Sustainability and the Future’, started with the opening speeches of Sedef Seckin Buyuk, Publication Director of Capital, Economist, Start Up Magazines, and Engin Aksoy, CEO of Vodafone Turkey.

MINISTER OF TRADE MUS: WE ARE AMONG THE COUNTRIES THAT INCREASED EXPORT THE MOST

Attending the summit via video Minister of Trade Mehmet Mus said that it is necessary to work hard to realize Turkey's potential in the change experienced in the world economy, speaking about the breakthroughs Turkey has made in the last 20 years in the economic, commercial, and legal fields. Stating that after the pandemic, of which global economic effects have been felt since 2019, the new opportunities waiting for the economy and the business world should be analyzed well, Minister Mus said that a strong recovery was seen in the first two-quarters of 2021 thanks to expansionary fiscal policies in the world, and it can be said that this recovery will continue, albeit at a slower pace, in 2022. Stating that there has been a deterioration in the supply and demand equilibrium due to the rapid recovery in global demand, and the increase in basic commodity prices and logistics costs, Minister Mus said that the global economy is going through a difficult process.

Mus stated that they expect to export over $211 billion worth of exports by the end of 2021, expressing that there was a recovery in the Turkish economy in the first two-quarters of 2021 and Turkey's export exceeded the expectations. Stating that they want to maximize the contribution of net exports to growth Mus said, “Our country became the country that increased its exports the most after South Africa and India among the G20 countries”

“TO CREATE A PROSPEROUS TURKEY, WE SHOULD BETTER FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY”

Drawing attention to climate change, Minister Mus said, “The climate crisis cannot be postponed, neglected, or ignored. We cannot punish ourselves and our future by spectating the end of sustainability” . Saying that every success in climate capital will also affect the trade of countries, Mus said, “To make permanent the records we broke in our country's exports of goods and services and to create a prosperous Turkey, we should better focus on sustainability.” Reminding that the Paris Climate Agreement was ratified in Turkey and a green transformation action plan was developed, Mus expressed that he believed that the burden of the climate crisis should be shared among all countries, adding that the lifestyle and consumption habits of the world's richest countries also affect climate change.

GREATER PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE, INDISPENSABLE FOR ACCELERATING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Sedef Seckin Buyuk, Publication Director of Capital, Economist, Start Up Magazines stated in her speech that the scope of the summit consisted of the ‘sustainability’ practices and targets of the leading companies of the public and business world, the greater participation of women in the workforce, which are indispensable for accelerating economic development, and the development of gender equality, as well as critical problems waiting to be solved. Buyuk expressed that she hopes that the summit, where the prominent leaders of the business world and the economic management will share their future visions, will provide clues and inspire all senior managers and audiences who make medium and long-term plans and devise a strategy, and said, “We believe that our summit will shed light on 2022 and beyond as a strong idea platform where predictions and messages regarding rearrangement, recovery and rise process in the post-pandemic world will be shared.”

“WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINABILITY AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE”

“We have been feeling the effects of climate change both in our country and in the world more in recent years. On the one hand, we see an increase in natural disasters caused by climate change, on the other hand, we see that nature is being destroyed by in the hand of human beings. It is of great importance that we all say stop to this trend and act quickly for the future of our planet. In particular, companies need to rethink their responsibilities towards society and our planet in these times. As Vodafone, we are among the first companies to understand the importance of sustainability early and take action in this direction without delay. We work with the aim of finding solutions to global and local problems by using the power of digitalization. We continue to reduce our carbon footprint through increased energy efficiency, renewable energy supply, reduction of our grid waste and new environmental criteria for supplier selection. We became the first and only operator in Turkey to purchase 100 percent of the electricity consumed in the grid and offices from renewable sources. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions originating from our own operations in terms of the sector we serve, we also contribute to reducing energy consumption and carbon footprint by managing our customers' business processes more efficiently with the IoT solutions we have developed. We expand our sphere of influence in society by implementing smart solutions in different fields such as finance, urbanization, art, sports, health, agriculture, and energy. We need a strong and urgent social will and consensus on sustainability. We call on all companies to take action now for a better future and to move both our country and our world to a better tomorrows together” CEO of Vodafone Turkey Engin Aksoy said in his speech.