Günsan Elektrik has combined the shopping experience with a meaningful social responsibility project. Günsan shopping boxes no longer just carry products; they also provide a warm home for stray animals and become indispensable tools for daily household repairs. Launched with the slogan "Don't Throw Away, Recycle!", this project allows users to easily transform the boxes into cat houses or repair boxes, adding value to the environment and society.

Value is Added by Reuse, Not Recycling

Orders placed through Günsan Elektrik's online sales channel, online.gunsanelectric.com, are now shipped in multi-purpose boxes. These specially designed boxes can be easily folded by users to become a cat house or portable repair kit. This creative transformation not only helps reduce environmental waste but also adds functionality to living spaces.

A Warm Home for Little Friends

Designed for animals that need a warm and sheltered space, especially during the winter months, the boxes make every Günsan purchase meaningful. This way, users not only meet their needs but also provide a warm home for a stray animal.

Repair Work Is Now More Organized

The boxes also double as portable repair kits for everyday repairs. Their durable construction and practical design allow for the organized storage of small hand tools like cables, screwdrivers, and measuring instruments. A practical tool for home users, the repair kit is more than just a box.

Meaningful Steps for a Sustainable Future

Günsan Elektrik's environmentally friendly packaging approach both enhances the user experience and contributes to a sustainable production and consumption model. This project, which embraces a reuse approach beyond recycling, aims to create small but impactful change.

Source: HORECA TREND and Gunsan Electric

We owe two out of every three breaths we take to the seas. However, the underwater ecosystems that provide that breath are becoming more fragile every day due to reasons such as the climate crisis and human pressure. In fact, according to WWF's "2024 Living Planet Report", the populations of marine species monitored in the world have decreased by an average of 50 percent in the last 56 years.

This striking data alone draws attention to the importance of protecting marine life. Individuals can also make important contributions to the future of ecosystems. The fourth phase of the “+2022 Breath to the Sea” project, which was launched in 1 in collaboration with Anadolu Efes and the Marine Life Protection Association (DYKD), was implemented with this understanding. In this new phase, the Blue Atlas application, developed by DYKD and implemented with the support of Anadolu Efes, was shared with the public.

The application, which will be Türkiye's first digital underwater biodiversity map, will be created with the participation of citizens as well as professional divers and sailors. Thanks to the application, users will be able to record their observations of marine life in the system, along with location information and visuals. Data collected from the field will be examined by experts and will take its place in the system. It is also aimed for this data to contribute to scientific and strategic studies such as climate modeling and the determination of new marine protected areas.

In addition, citizens can learn about marine life through the application. In this way, not only is underwater life documented, but also the bond established with nature is strengthened and social awareness is increased. Users are both informed and become active protectors of the seas through the application.

Onur Altürk, President and CEO of Anadolu Efes Beer Group, said the following in his statement on the issue:

“As a company born in Anatolian soil 56 years ago, today we fly our flag in more than 70 countries. We focus on projects that will create long-term value with the aim of strengthening society, the environment and our ecosystem consisting of all our stakeholders. We work to contribute to a responsible, conscious and sustainable future.

According to the World Economic Forum's 2022 data, biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse are among the top three global risks of the next decade. In our prioritization analyses, we saw that this issue has become more prominent in the eyes of our stakeholders. In this context, we decided to set out to revive the corals in Marmara with the Denize +2022 Breath project, which we launched with DYKD in 1. We took steps to create new coral gardens and also established underwater monitoring systems.

This year, we are taking our efforts even further and contributing to the mapping of underwater life by supporting the Blue Atlas application. This is not only a scientific data project, but also a journey to redefine our relationship with nature, a collective memory and a call to all of us.”

DYKD President Volkan Narcı made the following statement:

“The main purpose of the Blue Atlas application is to digitally record the creatures living in the seas and wetlands, to make areas that need to be protected visible and to increase public awareness. The reason why we care so much about this issue is that even if we look at the Mediterranean alone, the total fish population has decreased by 50 percent in the last 34 years.

Protecting marine life is a necessity for nature, climate and the future. As part of this effort, Blue Atlas aims to monitor, document and transform nature into a collective memory. This digital diary, which will track the species in our seas, reminds us all that protecting the seas is not only a scientific responsibility, but also a cultural, economic and ethical one.

The +1 Breath to the Sea project has so far carried out pioneering applications such as coral transplantation, underwater sound recordings, and monitoring systems. With the Blue Atlas, these studies will reach a wider audience, the database on marine life will be enriched, and areas that need to be protected will be revealed much more clearly.”

This project, in which the General Directorate of Fisheries and Aquatic Products of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is also a stakeholder, concretely demonstrates the role of public-private sector-NGO cooperation in the protection of marine ecosystems.

Source: HORECA TREND and Anadolu EFES, Anadolu Efes and Marine Life Protection Association (DYKD)

TEMA Foundation Board Chairman Deniz Ataç, drew attention to the fact that the proposal poses major risks not only in environmental terms but also in social and legal terms, and said:

“The Mining Law has been amended 4 times since it entered into force on June 1985, 30. Most of these amendments facilitated mining activities while weakening nature protection measures. Articles added in 2004 have largely liberalized mining. For example, with the amendment made to Article 7, many areas such as forests, national parks, and special environmental protection areas have become open to mining. The Mining Law has been positioned as a law above other environmental and nature protection laws. In addition to the amendments to the law, the Prime Ministry Circular No. 2009/7 has further paved the way for mining activities by weakening the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes. Each new regulation has increased the risk of destruction on nature and life. However, I regret to say that no amendment made to date has ever created such great pressure on natural and cultural assets. This proposal is based on a perspective that sees nature protection as an obstacle. This approach, which defines public interest in favor of companies, is completely far from protecting our natural assets, which are the source of life.”

Can 93% of its surface area be a city with a mining license?

Within the scope of the license map studies carried out by TEMA Foundation since 2019, the density of Group IV (gold, silver, coal, copper, nickel, etc.) mining licenses in 29 provinces was examined. This study revealed that an average of 67% of the surface area of ​​the provinces in question is licensed for these mines. 93% of Gümüşhane and 92% of Kütahya are covered by Group IV mining licenses.

Deniz Ataç, drawing attention to this situation, said, “In our study, we only looked at Group IV mining activities. Sand, marble, and stone quarries are not included in these rates. Only metallic mines, coal mines, and industrial raw materials are included in this group. In these licensed areas, nature is irreversibly damaged from the production process to the closure process. Even after the mine is closed and the company leaves the area, the heap leach, waste areas, and waste dams left on the site mean that the danger will continue for decades. For this reason, we repeat what our Founding Honorary President and Earth Grandfather, the late Hayrettin Karaca, said: 'If you want to live, you have to make others live.' For the integrity of the ecosystem and the continuity of life, our natural and cultural areas must be closed to mining activities by law. Because we know that if the law does not protect, the mine does not make others live.

“This Proposal Does Not Protect Nature, It Ignores It”

The bill that came to the General Assembly directly affects many regulations such as the Environmental Law, Pasture Law, Electricity Market Law and Renewable Energy Law, as well as the Mining Law. The amendments presented on the grounds of “economic stability” and “national interest” increase the pressure on our natural assets.

Stating that the bill weakens the principle of public interest and sees nature protection approaches as “obstacles” and suggests that “these obstacles” be removed, Ataç said, “This proposal does not protect nature, it ignores it. With the regulations presented, license and permit processes are accelerated in favor of investors. The period for public institutions to submit their opinions in EIA processes is limited to 3 months; opinions that are not responded to within the period are automatically considered positive. The management of all permit and license processes is gathered in a single institution, the General Directorate of Mining and Petroleum Affairs (MAPEG). The way is opened for mining activities in protected areas. EIA processes are rendered ineffective. While we demand a law that prioritizes and protects soil, water, forests and pastures, the proposal we discussed today, which passed the commission on Friday, has caused deep sadness. If this proposal becomes law, protected areas will remain as “protected” only in name. As the TEMA Foundation, we have conveyed our opinions many times. We advocate that a legal framework that protects our soil, water, forests, pastures and olives; all our natural and cultural assets should be established. We are "While we continue our work in this direction, unfortunately it is not possible to find any trace of this approach in the draft law," he said.

The Danger to Water and Food Security is Huge, We Must Defend Life!

The discussions in the TBMM Commission, which convened with such a critical agenda, continued for 25,5 hours without interruption and unfortunately the proposal was accepted in the commission. This proposal will be discussed in the General Assembly of the Parliament.

If this proposal becomes law, mining pressure on our natural and cultural assets will increase, citizens' rights of ownership and participation will be limited, and urgent expropriation practices will become widespread.

Deniz Ataç, who stated that these regulations pose a danger not only to nature but also to many areas, said, “We must defend life. The enactment of this proposal also poses serious threats to farmers engaged in subsistence farming, rural life, food and water security. The provisions in the proposed law not only undermine the integrity of the ecosystem but also endanger the right of society to live in a healthy and safe environment. As the TEMA Foundation, we call once again; this proposal, which is clearly contrary to the Constitution and the international agreements we are a party to, must be rejected; our natural assets and the right to life of future generations must be protected.”

Source: HORECA TREND and THEME Foundation