Can We Really Make It?

Our planet’s climate is changing as a result of human activity. While climate change has been at the forefront of discussions at the global scale, particularly in recent years, in fact, scientists have been warning humanity against this threat since as early as the 19th century. It was the French mathematician and physicist Joseph Fourier who discovered the “greenhouse effect” in 1825, by observing the potential of atmospheric gases to increase the temperature of the Earth. In 1935, English engineer and inventor Guy Stewart Callendar published a study demonstrating that the Earth’s temperature had increased by 0.3°C in the short span of 50 years due to the use of fossil fuels. So, the knowledge that a climate crisis was at the gates was available to humanity for two entire centuries, but it is only through experiencing disasters firsthand that we are now able to fully comprehend the red flags.

Something we saw all too well with the pandemic that if people thousands of kilometers away from us are not healthy, we are not healthy as well.If millions of people are forced to flee from their own country none us is truly well.

Just imagine: 783 million people across the globe survive on less than $1.90 a day. On the other hand, rapid development has its own price tag.. A factory that pollutes ,harms not only its vicinity and endangers the lives of a locality, but pollutes the well being of all of us.Polluted air makes sick not only those who breath but leads to ?global warming, drought and catastrophic wildfires as a consequence.

TIME TO ACT

Perhaps for the first time we see more clearly that every living being on our planet share a common fate.The walls we have built to keep us safe have proved meaningless against natural disasters… It is obvious how meaningless the walls we have built to keep ourselves safe are in the face of natural disasters. We are only as strong as our weakest link. Looking at scientific data, one thing is painfully clear: the existence of our planet and humanity is under threat. The social, economic and environmental model that we have established, or in other words, our current way of life, is no longer sustainable. That is why we are worried. But concerns that do not spur us to action are of no use to anyone. Now is not the time to waste energy on doom and gloom. Now is the time to act.

WHAT IS THE GOAL?

As I started to delve more and more into the concept of sustainability, I realized something encouraging: We actually know what the solution is. 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations, in essence, aim to end poverty, protect the environment, inspire action against climate change, ensure equitable distribution of prosperity, and promote peace. This document is a road map of a balanced world order for the generations to come.what needs to be done?These are tangible goals and apply to all countries, Türkiye included. So, we have common goals, a roadmap, and a direction. We see a new type of capital emerge to finance this transformation, and we see groundbreaking business developments such as the Green Deal. Companies able to make this transformation happen will be able to benefit from future opportunities as they arise and ensure their future survival.

WHO AND HOW?

Naturally, such large-scale goals are not only concerns of governments and leaders. Sustainability is not just a government matter; it is a common issue for the entire humanity. And sustainability goals will forever remain out of reach if the business world does not shoulder its responsibility in this struggle. It is possible to create a better future, but it requires a business world that embraces sustainability, sets goals to achieve it, and collaborates with other actors in their sector to tackle common problems.

It is a team game. Success is only possible by engaging all stakeholders in our value chain, starting with employees, our most valuable capital.

WE ARE SET TO BECOME CARBON NEUTRAL BY 2030

Sustainability is not a new concept for Do?an Group. “Acting with Responsibility and Transparency” is one of our key values. Looking back at the book we published on occasion of our 60th anniversary, “Ayd?n S?zler”, a collection of over 70 philosophical ideas of our founder Ayd?n Do?an that guided him in his business life, I see numerous references to the concepts of transparency, accountability and gender equality, values that form the basis of sustainability efforts today, and values that companies of today need to embrace and uphold. One of these ideas is: “Remember your roots and pay your debt to your community.” The climate crisis we face today has necessitated a slight alteration to this tenet: “Remember your roots and pay your debt to your community and the planet.”

Of course, this is not enough on its own. We have also created the “Do?an Impact Plan”, which creates a framework for transforming the values we have embraced and cherished since our founding, transforming them into tangible goals in light of the Sustainable Development Goals. According to this strategic plan, which drives us to invest in the planet, an inclusive community, and the future, Do?an Holding will go “carbon neutral” by 2030. We will return 100% of the water we use in our operations back to nature. By 2025, women will account for at least 40% of our management. We will also create new opportunities for development and equality through responsible investments and by leveraging our strength in innovation.

WHAT TYPE OF LEADERSHIP?

The 20th century has seen charismatic leaders with a vision, who took decisions alone, and pursued their goals with passion. This approach was solely centered on winning, but failed to recognize the often-severe consequences of success, such as environmental problems and inequality. To ensure sustainability, we need a new approach to leadership that values cooperation and solidarity in all areas of life. The game-changers of this century will be the leaders who develop and implement ideas in collaboration with others... They will be role models who include women and young people in decision-making. The leaders we need today are no longer knowledgeable alone. They also need to be wise, because a sustainable future requires complex, multifaceted leaders who can temper their mind with their heart, and guide their vision with their conscience. Leaders who are committed to their values, not their egos, and believe in “us” rather than “me” can only achieve non-destructive growth and progress.

NO MATTER WHO WE ARE

Leadership is not just about being the president of a state or the CEO of a company. Real leadership is not about titles—it comes from within. Do not sit and wait for a leader to appear and lead you to sustainability. Allow your heart to lead you. Be the leader others are waiting for at home, school, or work, because, anywhere we go, “better is possible”!

Ours is a society that has been shaped by values that serve a more equal and more compassionate world for millennia. Diogenes, Rumi, and Yunus Emre are all people of these lands. The solidarity of Ahilik, the collective work of imece, and the charity of bread on a hanger are all traditions born from these lands. I believe that Turkey will be the country that will create the leaders and companies that will lead the world in this transformation. And we will achieve this together!

Now is the time to realize! Now is the time for balance and action!

Let us not forget that every day we don’t act is another day we steal from the dreams of future generations.

Yay?n: Oksijen Newspaper, Turning Points global Agenda 2022, 17.02.2021

@doganholding #betterispossible