This environmental policy sets out Semtrio Eğitim ve Danışmanlık Hizmetleri A.Ş.’s environmental mission and commitments.

1. OUR VISION

Our vision is to play a leading role in building an environmentally friendly and sustainable future. Semtrio aims to support sustainability by protecting natural resources, providing services that respect the environment, and increasing the welfare of society. Our motto is “Be Present, Think Forward.” We are committed to minimizing environmental impacts at every step and leaving a livable world for future generations.

2. OUR MISSION 

Our mission is to build bridges between business, society, and nature to promote and support environmental sustainability. As Semtrio, we contribute to a green future while integrating sustainability principles into our business processes. We strive for a cleaner, greener, and fairer world.

3. OBJECTIVE 

As a company that provides organizations with corporate sustainability consultancy, carbon footprint/ water footprint measurement support, product life cycle analysis, guidance on creating science-based targets, carbon offset, carbon management, and CDP reporting services, our policy on the environment is as follows:

1. Conservation and Sustainable Use of Natural Resources: Conserving resources by using water, energy, and other natural resources efficiently.

2. Decarbonization and Climate Change: Reducing carbon footprints to combat climate change by increasing energy efficiency, use of renewable energy, and reducing carbon emissions.

3. Waste Management and Minimization: Optimizing waste management and minimizing environmental impacts through the implementation of waste reduction strategies and the safe management of hazardous and non-hazardous waste.

4. Environmental Awareness and Education: Encouraging all our employees and business partners to gain environmental awareness, organizing training programs, and contributing to the adoption of environmental responsibilities.

4. SCOPE 

This policy covers Semtrio’s managers, employees, suppliers, customers, and business partners. Semtrio reserves the right to impose legal and economic sanctions on the relevant persons and institutions as a result of behaviors that do not comply with Semtrio’s environmental expectations and perspective and violate the relevant policy and supplier code of conduct.

5. SOURCE 

Semtrio supports ways of working that comply with all national and international standards and legislation including the organizations below:

• UN Global Compact
• UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• UN Sustainable Development Goals
• WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme. 2014, Green Office: A Guide to Running a More Cost-effective and Environmentally Sustainable Office.)
• World Green Building Council, 2014, Health, Wellbeing & Productivity in Offices.

Additionally, our company policy is aligned with the standards of B-Corp (Benefit Corporation) and the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), which are globally-recognized standards in the field of sustainability and corporate responsibility. B-Corp is a comprehensive certification system that evaluates the social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability of companies. By meeting high standards in this assessment process, our company has proven its commitment to ethical business practices, environmental responsibility, and the benefit of society. Furthermore, by complying with the UNGC’s ten principles in the areas of human rights, labor standards, environment, and anti-corruption, we demonstrate that we have adopted sustainable and responsible business practices on a global level. This reflects our company’s commitment and dedication to making a social and environmental impact both locally and globally.

6. RESPONSIBLE PERSONS, MONITORING and REVIEW 

This policy has been developed by Semtrio’s Environmental Committee in consultation with the organization’s employees, suppliers, customers, and business partners. 

The Environmental Committee has tasks such as monitoring environmental targets, performance indicators and revisions, annual training, creating proactive awareness, measuring and reducing the environmental footprint of the organization, and working on risks and opportunities. The work of the committee will be reviewed annually at management review meetings, with the approval of the chair of the board of directors and board members, taking into account stakeholder feedback, continuous monitoring, innovative approaches, research and data analysis. Necessary revisions will be made in cases such as organizational changes or changes in local and international legislation.

7. IMPLEMENTATION 

7.1. Energy Consumption and the Greenhouse Gas Effect 

7.1.1. Energy Use: 

Semtrio attaches importance to increasing energy efficiency and organizes its practices accordingly. The company continuously monitors electricity consumption and implements reduction strategies. It adopts a commitment to switch to renewable energy sources to reduce its carbon footprint and increase energy efficiency.

• Semtrio takes actions to transform energy consumption habits, accounting for the environmental damage and climate crisis caused by fossil fuels.
• To reduce carbon emissions from transportation, Semtrio organizes transportation routes accordingly and prefers alternatives such as video conferencing. During site visits, they plan accordingly, considering the emission risk, and encourage the use of shared vehicles.
• The building where business activities are carried out is equipped with modern thermal insulation and energy-efficient LED lighting systems. This reduces energy consumption. Water footprint offsetting activities are carried out by using water-saving automatic sensor faucets.

7.1.2. Carbon Offset Incentive/Emission Offset-Reduction Target 

Semtrio contributes to carbon offset projects, considers and works to achieve carbon neutrality targets set by international committees, and prefers clean/renewable energy when purchasing energy resources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

7.1.3. Innovative Technology and Process Optimization 

Knowing the positive impact on the ecosystem and weather conditions, Semtrio optimizes processes to reduce greenhouse gases. In this context, the company develops all its processes to provide the same or higher efficiency with lower energy use. Semtrio also replaces outdated and energy-intensive technological and mechanical equipment with more efficient models and technologies.

7.2. Product, Waste Management and Recycling

7.2.1. Waste Reduction, Recycling, and Recovery Measures 

Semtrio optimizes waste management, contributing to the safe management and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste. The company promotes the use of sustainable materials and sustainable chemicals. Semtrio provides training to all employees on waste management and environmental responsibilities. It organizes awareness-raising programs on waste reduction and separation. The company bases waste management strategies on efforts for waste reduction and transformation. It notifies and monitors hazardous and non-hazardous waste in accordance with the legislation.

Semtrio begins physical waste separation by ensuring the active use of different types of waste bins located in offices actively used by employees and encourages its employees to act with the same awareness and dedication in remote working practices.

7.2.2. Product Use and End of Product Life Cycle 

Semtrio encourages its customers and business partners to use sustainable products. Design and communication styles are also organized to reduce environmental impact. At the end of the product’s life cycle, opportunities for recycling or reuse are evaluated.
 
7.2.3. Recycling 

Semtrio supports and contributes to recycling practices and is committed to the efficient use of resources. In office and remote working practices, it pioneers the themes of limitation and waste separation, collecting hazardous wastes such as batteries, etc., accumulated at home and transferring them to the appropriate recycling companies and thus recycling them.
 
7.2.4. Eco-Friendly and Bio-based Products 

Semtrio adopts the commitment to use eco-friendly and bio-based products made from sustainable materials and produced with sustainability awareness, and purchases are made accordingly.

 
7.2.5. Ocean Ecosystems 

Semtrio recognizes the risks of rising water temperatures, rising water levels, acidification, habitat loss, species extinction, changes in water currents and oxygen depletion. Accordingly, it supports the goal of increasing the impact of internationally-recognized and implemented activities on ocean heritage. 
 

7.3. Environmental Services and Advocacy 

7.3.1. Environmental Services and Promoting Sustainable Consumption

Semtrio contributes to organizations’ environmental protection measurements and projects, local communities’ environmental awareness and support, and environmental advocacy activities. The company monitors the carbon footprints that organizations leave on nature and creates outputs that enable them to take meaningful actions. Semtrio supports them in creating sustainability awareness and consciousness, setting targets based on scientific data, and sharing all these commitments with society transparently. It raises awareness, which is of one of their duties to society. Semtrio calculates the amount of water consumed and acts as an educator in conveying water consumption’s connection to climate change. The company organizes public, free awareness-raising and training programs on sustainability and encourages sustainable production and sustainable consumption.

Furthermore, Semtrio promotes the sustainable use of water resources and implements water conservation measures. It supports water conservation and treatment practices. The company purchases or upgrades equipment to use water more effectively. It follows new technologies. It also offers water footprint calculation, AWS (Alliance for Water Stewardship), and life cycle assessment services to its customers. It is effective in direct and indirect uses and reductions.
 
7.3.2. Health and Security of Business Partners 

The company cares about comfortable working environments for its customers, where occupational health and safety measures are taken, and ensures that its products make a positive contribution to customers’ environmental cycles. The provided corporate sustainability consultancy service identifies environmental, social, and governance priorities, raises awareness, and supports the integration of these into processes. Semtrio revises its services by taking customer feedback into account. At the same time, it reminds its stakeholders of the positive/negative impacts on the awareness of labor and human rights and people’s right to live in a clean and green environment and contributes to social awareness.
 
7.3.3. Climate Change and Risks 

Semtrio takes a proactive role in combating climate change by adopting sustainable practices and providing services such as carbon footprint calculation and corporate sustainability consultancy.

The company monitors issues such as climate change, loss of green areas, rising ocean and sea levels, and frequency of extreme weather events, and measures to address these issues from the perspective of international standards. Semtrio declares that it will fulfill its commitments with the responsibility to leave a healthy and livable world for future generations and aims to create impact locally and globally. 

7.3.4. Biodiversity 

Recognizing that the protection of biodiversity is vital for the planet and living beings, Semtrio takes important steps for a sustainable future by increasing nature-friendly practices, environmental impact analyses, and cooperation with communities. The company also emphasizes that the institutions it serves should act with biodiversity awareness, respect their land rights, and follow efforts to prevent deforestation. It acknowledges changes in soil and water cycles and their impact on biodiversity, social and economic life.
 
7.3.5. Training and Awareness 

Semtrio organizes training to support individuals to be more aware of environmental issues and to shape their behaviors accordingly and aims to create a broader and more comprehensive level of awareness of social benefit, climate crisis, work that can be done for future generations, and innovative and green perspectives. 

The company also provides annual training and encourages employees to act in line with energy efficiency and responsible purchasing (purchasing and using environmentally friendly products or partnering with environmentally conscious institutions and organizations) in their out-of-office activities
 
7.3.6. Local Pollution / Accidental Pollution 

Semtrio is aware of the risk of pollution from industries, urbanization, and agricultural practices causing water and regional pollution and the risk of accidental spills such as oil and chemicals and supports efforts to minimize these risks.

8. OBJECTIVES 

Zero-Waste: We are happy to carry the Climate Positive Business title awarded by Co2nsensus and minimize our impact on nature, and we are committed to achieving the zero-waste target by 2030. We plan to reduce our waste, accelerate recycling activities, and revise all our policies, actions, and perspectives according to the goal of a sustainable future. We aim to minimize our environmental impact and share this with the public at regular intervals in a transparent manner.

A Sustainable Supply Chain: By improving the services we currently provide and the range of products we offer, we aim to raise awareness among our employees, then our customers, suppliers, stakeholders, and business partners that every step they take includes practices that will have a positive impact on sustainable life and to minimize environmental impact. Accordingly, we aim to prioritize compliance with environmental sustainability practices in stakeholder selection criteria. In 2024, in our work with our customers, we aim to conduct a risk analysis of their environmental sustainability awareness and to make discounts in contracts for the services we provide to companies with high awareness.

Our Contribution to Society and the Planet: We are aware of our responsibility to society and our planet. We aim to optimize the use of resources, increase social welfare, and integrate waste reduction and green energy use into all our strategies. In addition, we aim to continue the donation activity organized on behalf of the winner of the competition organized among our employees in our reporting year in social responsibility projects in 2024. At the same time, in addition to the institutions we serve, there are plans to provide at least 3 trainings on legal environmental processes, new practices due to changes in regulations and international environmental expectations without being affiliated to any organization.

Carbon-neutral Businesses: By 2030, we are committed to becoming a carbon-neutral business and will transition to fully renewable energy sources and optimized processes. We expect our business partners to care about carbon emissions and follow sustainable practices to reduce them. 

Competence on International Platforms: Our ideal is to remain active in international platforms such as B-CORP and UNGC and to continue to be a role model for our suppliers by achieving high results. 

Training and Awareness: In 2024, we aim to provide environmental sustainability training in all areas to 100% of our employees and stakeholders with whom we share the same office and to organize activities for the benefit of nature. 

Process Improvement: We minimized the use of waste napkins, paper, and plastic. We focused on our material recovery practices, and computers, chargers, etc., are recycled in IT equipment. 

Documentation: We are updating environmental risk analyses and environmental emergency action plans in 2024 and conducting root cause analyses.

Revision Number: 1.1
Date of Revision: 17.08.2023
Date of Preparation: 15.06.2023