Nov 23 2015
Hakan Bulgurlu, the CEO of Arçelik Group, parent company of Beko brand, spoke at the World Bank Group's first Green Competitiveness event. The discussions aimed at tackling climate change globally and scaling up low-carbon solutions to reduce emissions and enhance competitiveness.
In South Africa, only 47% of population has access to electricity grid. This triggered Arçelik to develop a refrigerator running on solar energy for provinces without electricity. This low-carbon solution has proven successful in not only producing economic benefits but also in adding value to our competitiveness in the region. (PRNewsFoto/Arcelik Group)
The Keynote panel was moderated by Alexios Pantelias, Global Lead for Green Competitiveness, Trade & Competitiveness Global Practice, World Bank Group and had panelists: Andrew Steer, President and CEO of World Resources Institute and Anabel Gonzalez, Senior Director, Trade & Competitiveness Global Practice, World Bank Group.
Hakan Bulgurlu said, "As the world becomes more populous and urbanized, demand for energy, food and water would rise. Responding to climate change requires collective action and global solidarity by actors in public and private sectors. Firms that have incorporated climate change policies into their strategies and adapted their business models in line with low carbon economy while embracing the new Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 would be at a winning position and gain competitiveness. First movers in sustainable products and practices will win market share and reap most savings."
"We always want to be the game changer in our industry. We revised our roadmap to mitigate GHG emissions. Improving life cycle of products is our new way of doing business. Our objective is not only to minimize the environmental impact of our products but also to increase energy and material efficiency from supply to distribution. We allocate extensive funds to energy and water efficient product design every year, the dishwasher that uses only 5.5 liters of water is one of our best examples."
Bulgurlu said: "Appliances are estimated to grow rapidly in the coming years due to the expected growth in GDP and urbanization. The stock of installed refrigerators is expected to increase by 70% between 2010 and 2030, while the majority of this occurs in non-OECD countries. An increased ownership of energy efficient appliances provides great benefits to consumers, while resulting in reduced GHG emissions."
Arçelik also promotes implementation of energy efficient measures via international commitments. The company supports new emerging technologies and establishment of standards and regulations in developing markets, collaborating with regulatory bodies. Arçelik is a partner of the SE4ALL initiative. We have been supporting the 'Efficient Appliances and Equipment Global Partnership Program' by UNEP in South Africa and Thailand.
For info: www.arcelikas.com, www.beko.com