Beko has showcased its latest product innovations in its ‘Zero Impact’ booth at EuroCucina, designed by architect Martino Berghinz and aptly named ‘Sustainability on Stage’.
The materials used to create the booth were collectively more than 95% reusable. Beko partnered with reforestation project specialist, ZeroCO2, to carry out an in-depth Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis of Beko’s participation in the event, and a subsequent offsetting operation.
The operation involves a social fruit-planting project that will not only offset the CO2 emitted but support local farmers by donating the planted fruit to contribute to their economic and food wellbeing.
Arçelik CEO, Hakan Bulgurlu was on the stand discussing the current state of the climate, food social sustainability and how failure to act on climate change may drive a global food crisis. The discussion also covered how companies should place sustainability at the heart of their business strategy, drawing on examples of projects that Arçelik is pursuing.
“The amount of time left to avoid an increase of 1.5°C in temperature is incredibly small and the current state of the planet is, unfortunately, dire,” Bulgurlu said.
Arguing that pursuing a sustainable business model is urgent, achievable and ultimately rewarding for companies, Arçelik is committed to reaching net zero by 2050.
The discussion also examined the impact of climate change on food security worldwide. “The rising heat has already damaged agricultural capacity in many countries, which forces governments to limit or even ban exports of various crops. This creates a food shortage and leads to more and more people going to bed hungry, each night,” Bulgurlu said.
Arçelik’s decarbonisation roadmap and plans to offset carbon emissions led to the topic of energy efficiency, in line with Arçelik’s aim to increase product energy efficiency by 50% by 2030.