Environment and Society

Odeabank demonstrates its care for the future generations and education through its activities, collaborations, donations and sponsorships, in order to create value for the whole society, especially for the disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, and to protect the nature.

TEMA Foundation Collaboration

Since 2017, Odeabank has been collaborating with the TEMA (Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion) with the slogan of “The oxygen for the future is guaranteed with the Odeabank Oksijen Hesap”.

Aiming to increase social environmental awareness, Odeabank supports children’s nature education as well as forestation, together with its customers who have an Oksijen Hesap that meet the necessary conditions. Within the scope of this cooperation, contributions are made to the nature education of children or saplings are donated on behalf of Oksijen Hesap holders who meet the necessary conditions.By the end of 2021, 32,963 saplings were donated by Odeabank on behalf of Oksijen Hesap customers, along with support for the nature education of 12,591 children.

Energy Management and Efficiency Practices

Odeabank launched the Sustainable Energy Management Platform in December 2016. With this platform, energy consumption, compensation systems, generators and UPS equipment of all Odeabank branches are monitored in real time using blockchain technology.

• The energy consumption of the branches is monitored,
• Controlled use of air conditioners and adjustment of set values were carried out,
• Different scenario analyzes were carried out in case of power cuts, ensuring that the branches are not out of service,Since the commissioning of the platform, 2,597,517 kWh of energy has been saved.
• Since the commissioning of the platform 1,150 tons of CO2 emissions have been prevented.

In addition to the Energy Management Platform, various efficiency studies are carried out within Odeabank. Odeabank continues its efforts to mitigate its direct environmental impact without losing speed.

Management of Environmental and Social Risks due to Lending Activities

Odeabank monitors the environmental and social impacts and risks of the loans it has allocated throughout the loan allocation processes. The Bank carries out its activities within the scope of sustainable development by taking into consideration the contribution of the lending process to environmental and social sustainability in the banking sector, its field of activity. In order to reduce the indirect risks arising from lending activities, the Environmental and Social Policy and the List of Prohibited Activities have been published since 2013. In 2016, major changes occurred in the systematic of assessment of environmental and social risks, and all corporate/commercial and SME loans began to be evaluated without a limit on the loan amount.

Odeabank’s Environmental and Social Risk Assessment Procedure sets out the framework in which the social and environmental risks of the loans to be allocated to corporate/commercial customers and SMEs are assessed. The procedure is based on the Odeabank Environmental and Social Policy. The practices on which the policy is based are the practices of international institutions such as the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The “Environmental and Social Risk Team” within the Bank examines the environmental and social risk assessments of customers within the framework of the Odeabank Environmental and Social Management System. The risk assessment process, which begins at Odeabank branches, is finalized with the coordination of the Environmental and Social Risk Assessment Team, Branch Marketing, Corporate and Commercial Loans Allocation, and the Credit Coordination business units, and the completion of the “Environmental and Social Management System Risk Assessment Form” in the light of the documents obtained from loan customers. With the help of the decision matrix method, necessary actions are determined and the environmental and social risk category of the sector is determined according to international standards. In addition to environmental and social risks, Odeabank also evaluates the “List of Prohibited Activities”, and any activity on this list is not financed.