Türkiye's leading food company Ülker shared the concrete progress it has made since announcing its long-term sustainability goals in 2014, along with its goals. Ülker CEO Özgür Kölükfakı expressed , “With our waste-free corporate culture, we are working tirelessly to deliver happiness with every bite, continuing to implement projects that expand our social impact for the future of our world. Our goal is to become a net-zero company by 2050.”

Türkiye's leading food company Ülker is steadily progressing toward its “2050 Net Zero” goal through initiatives that contribute to environmental, economic, and social transformation under its sustainability vision. Stating that sustainability is a critical issue that shapes the future of the world and directly affects the development of our country and the well-being of society, Ülker CEO Özgür Kölükfakı said that success in this area is only possible by taking shared responsibility. Kölükfakı explained  that they aim to grow by conserving resources, preventing waste, and thinking long-term, adding, "2050 is not just a date; it is a critical threshold that will shape the world we leave to our children. According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), food production needs to increase by 70% by 2050 due to population growth and climate events. We are aware that despite its significant potential for change and adaptation, the food sector is among those that will be most affected by the climate crisis. This picture shows that sustainability is not a choice but a necessity."  

“We are guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals”

"The 'Waste-Free Company' culture, which protects every gram of flour, every drop of water, and the value of labor, inherited from our founder Sabri Ülker, has been in our DNA since 1944," said Özgür Kölükfakı, emphasizing that they base their sustainability efforts on the United Nations' 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure they can be monitored and audited.

Kölükfakı continued , "Our work serves 11 of these 17 goals. We have grouped our sustainability strategy under the pillars of Our World, Value Chain, Employees, and Society. Since 2014, when we announced our long-term sustainability goals, we have grown without increasing carbon emissions, reduced our water consumption per unit by 42.2%, and converted 99.5% of raw materials into finished products."

Our plastic packaging will be 100% recyclable by the end of the year.

Özgür Kölükfakı stated that as of today, they have made over 99% of their plastic packaging recyclable, reusable, or compostable, and added , "Our goal was 100%. We will achieve this by the end of the year. This will enable us to reduce our packaging-related emissions. We place sustainability at the heart of our business in every area, from production to the supply chain, from R&D to packaging, and from innovation to digital transformation. We are effectively using technology in the  regenerativeand sustainable agricultural practices we have implemented to ensure the continuity of our business and reduce the impact of climate change on our operations. With these projects, we are managing our environmental and social impact with a holistic approach, working together to increase the welfare of our farmers and raise their level of knowledge about technology and new methods."

“We are appreciated at the international level for our work.”

Kölükfakı stated that Ülker's efforts have also been appreciated on international platforms, and continued: "Our inclusion in Standard & Poor's Global's Corporate Sustainability Assessment for five consecutive years and our ranking as the world leader* in our category on the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) sustainability index demonstrate that we are on the right track. Sustainability will always be at the heart of our business. With our waste-free corporate culture and our environmentally and people-friendly production approach, we will continue to work for a more livable world, bringing happiness with every bite. We are preparing for a future where we expand our social impact and produce for tomorrow's world through our performance, without waiting for anyone. Our goal is to become a 2050 Net Zero company."

“We support sustainable agriculture”

Süheyl Aybar, Ülker Vice President of Operational Excellence, OHS, Quality, and Sustainability, stated  that while progressing toward the long-term sustainability goals they set in 2014, they have implemented leading practices. Aybar said they have developed projects that contribute to the sustainability of agricultural raw materials such as wheat, hazelnut, and cocoa, and shared the following information: "To support sustainable wheat farming, we are continuing our Regenerative Agriculture practices, new wheat variety breeding, and Biofortification projects, which enrich the wheat while growing in the field with minerals. We are continuing our “Beyond Hazelnut” project, which includes training on good agricultural practices, soil analysis and coaching, microbial fertilizer and seedling supply, and integrared pest control. With  “Beyond Cocoa” project, we are focusing on reducing the environmental impacts of climate change in the cocoa supply chain and increasing the social impact of the project on the farmers we work with. Sustainability is a holistic perspective for us. With this perspective, we have achieved significant results in the sustainability goals we announced in 2014: In 2024, we sourced all of our electricity consumption in our Turkish factories from renewable** sources. This prevented 101,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. We reduced plastic use by 140 tons and paper use by 220 tons; through our Green Route project in logistics, we prevented 4,849 tons of carbon emissions."

“Our mid-term goal is 2030”

Süheyl Aybar continued his speech by emphasizing that they aim to meet 100% of their electricity consumption in their warehouses, as well as in all their factories, from renewable energy sources by 2030: “We have goals such as reducing logistics-related carbon emissions by 30% compared to 2019, reducing unit water consumption by 45% compared to 2014 and recovering 250,000 cubic meters of water and wastewater, reducing net food losses to less than 0.5%, and increasing regenerative agriculture practices to 10,000 decares by 2030. On the path to 2050 Net Zero, we are working on innovative solutions such as electric oven conversions, green energy investments, carbon capture technologies, and electric vehicles used to transport our products. To achieve our 2050 Net Zero goal, after reaching a 90% reduction in emissions, we will invest in carbon credits and innovative technologies to offset the remaining mandatory emissions. We will continue to work for a more livable world by keeping sustainability at the heart of our business."

From Ülker's 2024 Sustainability Report

• Ülker has been growing without increasing its carbon emissions since 2014.
• Ülker, which committed in 2014 to reducing carbon emissions per unit of production by 40% and water consumption per product by 30% over 10 years, exceeded these goals by 2024, reducing carbon emissions by 51.4% and water consumption by 42.2%.
• Since 2024, I-REC certified 100% renewable electricity has been used in its factories in Türkiye. 
• In 2024, plastic use in packaging was reduced by 140 tons and paper use by 220 tons.   
• The waste recovery rate was 99.1% at factories in Türkiye and 99.9% at raw material facilities.
• Scope 2 emissions were reduced to zero at factories in Türkiye, which prevented 101,035 tons of carbon emissions.
• Invested 95 million TL in environmental and energy efficiency projects in 2024.
• Allocated a total budget of 298.3 million TL for R&D activities.
• 29% of all employees and 34.6% of senior management are women. Our 2030 goal is to increase the total number of female employees to 35% and the number in management positions to 40%.
• By the end of 2024, the number of saplings in Ülker Güzel Ülkem Ormanı (Ülker My Beautiful Country Forest) reached 178,500.
• All factories in Türkiye obtained the “Zero Waste to Landfill” certificate.
• Net food loss from production was reduced to below 1%.

2024 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT: https://www.ulker.com.tr/documents/surdurulebilirlikraporu2024.pdf

* Based on LSEG assessment as of January 2024 and January 2025.
** Renewable sources such as wind energy and biomass obtained by burning organic and similar waste.