Value to Our Future: Sustainable and Livable World
Carbon Management
Ziraat Bank addresses the environmental, economic, and financial impacts of climate change with a holistic perspective and positions the monitoring, reduction, and management of greenhouse gas emissions arising from its operations as a core component of its sustainability strategy. The Bank adopts a carbon management approach that encompasses not only direct and indirect emissions from its own operations but also indirect emissions arising from its loan portfolio. In this regard, the Bank implements a comprehensive approach to managing its carbon footprint across all business processes, particularly at its Head Office and branch operations.
Ziraat Bank Net-Zero
Journey
- Improving energy efficiency
- Expanding the use of renewable energy
- Designing sustainable financing products
- Investing in technologies that reduce the carbon footprint
- Providing employee training on environmentally friendly practices
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Ziraat Bank’s greenhouse gas emissions are calculated based on the internationally recognized GHG Protocol Standard; the calculations use references from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and DEFRA, as well as the Global Warming Potential (GWP) coefficients included in the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report.
In order to enhance the accuracy and scope of the emission calculations, up-to-date methodologies approved by the Turkish Standards Institution (TSE) and the latest emission factors are used. Greenhouse gas emission data are subject to independent third-party verification in accordance with the ISO 14064-3 Standard.
As of 2025, the Bank’s location-based total greenhouse gas emissions inventory was calculated as 62,079.5 tCO2e. Within the scope of emission management, Scope 1, Scope 2, and limited Scope 3 emissions are monitored. In 2025, Scope 2 emissions accounted for 42.51% of total emissions, and market-based Scope 2 emissions were offset through renewable energy certificates.
In line with its scope expansion efforts, the largest component of Ziraat Bank’s total climate impact consists of Scope 3 - Category 15 (financed emissions). In this context, the Bank calculates emissions arising from the activities of customers within its loan portfolio based on the PCAF methodology. As of 2025, Scope 3 Category 15 emission calculations have been conducted to cover the Bank’s entire loan portfolio, rather than being limited solely to carbon-intensive sectors. In addition, analysis and modeling studies are ongoing for sectors with significant portfolio weight and high emission intensity, and by closely monitoring national and international regulations as well as sector practices, the Bank aims to further expand the scope in the coming periods.
Ziraat Bank aims to increase the use of renewable energy in order to reduce indirect greenhouse gas emissions arising from energy consumption. In this context, as in previous years, the Bank continued to offset emissions resulting from energy consumption in 2025 through renewable energy certificates. Thanks to renewable energy certificates, market-based Scope 2 emissions have been neutralized.
Within the scope of monitoring energy-related indirect greenhouse gas emissions, purchased electricity consumption and the associated emissions are regularly tracked, and changes in energy consumption and emissions are analyzed over the years.
Emission Reduction
Total Scope 1-2 emissions represent the change in emissions compared to the previous year. Through the monitoring of its greenhouse gas emission inventory and intensity analyses, Ziraat Bank aims to continuously improve its carbon management performance and contribute to the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Emission Reduction Projects
Ziraat Bank implements concrete investments and initiatives to reduce its operational emissions. In this context:
- Three SPP established in Kayseri were commissioned as of March 2025 and began generating electricity.
- From their commissioning date until the end of 2025, approximately 93% of the Bank’s total electricity demand was met from renewable sources through these facilities.
In 2025, Ziraat Bank certified the electricity generated under the Ziraat SPP project commissioned in the same year through I-REC. In addition, in 2025, the Bank procured YEK-G certificates and reduced its Scope 2 emissions by 100% on a market-based basis. This practice represents an important step in managing the Bank’s indirect emissions arising from energy consumption.
Within the scope of managing the Bank’s Scope 2 emissions, in 2024, through the use of YEK-G Certificates, Scope 2 emissions, which accounted for 43.38% of total emissions, were offset, and market-based Scope 2 emissions were reduced to zero. In 2025, efforts to offset Scope 2 emissions through renewable energy certificates continued. In this context, Scope 2 emissions, which accounted for 42.51% of total emissions, were fully offset, and market-based Scope 2 emissions were reduced to zero.
The Bank also carries out carbon emission reduction initiatives in line with the circular economy approach, including practices aimed at recycling micro-waste. Detailed information on this subject can be found in the Developments in 2025 section.
Scope 2 Emissions and Net Interest Income Intensity
The table below presents Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions for the years 2023, 2024, and 2025, along with net interest income intensity figures. In 2025, the greenhouse gas emission intensity relative to Ziraat Bank’s net interest income was 0.000000257.
Ziraat Bank’s 2025 greenhouse gas inventory amounted to 83,923.54 tCO2e. Despite the expansion of the Scope 1, 2, and 3 boundaries in 2025, improvements in the emission calculation methodology and the use of YEK-G certificates for Scope 2 emissions resulted in a 10.81% decrease in the 2025 greenhouse gas inventory compared to the previous year.