Turkey’s leader construction materials company Akçansa organized the “Biodiversity Project Contest”, which is organized by its affiliate HeidelbergCement for long years in the countries that it operates in and aiming to increase the biological values of the mine sites, for the first time in Turkey.

Total 15 projects from 8 universities applied for the contest and Cemal Onur Alpay and Hülya Karadoğan from the Ege University took the first place, while Habib Güçlü, Mustafa Tokoğlu and Onur Vardar from the Middle East Technical University took the second place. Serra Örey from the Sabancı University ranked third, and Sevda Cengiz from the Hacettepe University received the honorable mention award.

Winners of the Biodiversity Project Contest organized by Akçansa with the aim of allowing the university students to generate projects increasing the biological values of the mine sites and increase the awareness on this matter are announced.

Organized by Akçansa’s partner HeidelbergCement for long years in the countries it operates in and organized for the first time in Turkey, results of the Biodiversity Project Contest were announced during the award ceremony held at Wyndham Grand Istanbul Levent.

Akçansa General Manager Mehmet Hacıkamiloğlu, Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning Assistant General Manager Ali Rıza Tanas, Ministry of Transportation, Maritime Affairs and Communication Assistant Undersecretary Mehmet Hamdi Yıldırım, and UNDP Turkey Portfolio Manager Dr. Katalim Zaim, as well as Biodiversity Project Contest jury members, academicians, and the students making it to the finale have attended to the ceremony.

Organized for the students studying in mine and environmental engineering, landscape engineering, biology and ecology departments of the universities with the theme “Increase biodiversity, add value to natural life”, 15 projects from 8 universities applied to the contest and 4 projects made it to the finale.

First place award is set as € 5.000
Projects submitted to the contest were evaluated by Prof. Dr. Levent Turan from the Hacettepe University, UNDP Turkey Climate Change and Environment Portfolio Manager Dr. Katalim Zaim, REC Turkey Director Rıfat Ünal Sayman, Miners Union of Turkey Chairman İsmet Kasapoğlu, Ministry of Transportation, Maritime Affairs and Communication Assistant Undersecretary Mehmet Hamdi Yıldırım, Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning Assistant General Manager Ali Rıza Tanas, and Sabancı Holding Cement Group Chairman Hakan Gürdal.

With their project “Natural Life Campus\”, Cemal Onur Alpay and Hülya Karadoğan from the Ege University won the Biodiversity Project Contest, where the university students attend with their innovative and creative ideas. The students received the check worth € 5.000 from the Ministry of Transportation, Maritime Affairs and Communication Assistant Undersecretary Mehmet Hamdi Yıldırım.

Habib Güçlü, Mustafa Tokoğlu and Onur Vardar Bozalan from the Middle East Technical University ranked second with their project “Biodiversity Oriented Rehabilitation Plan in Mine Sites”, while Serra Örey from the Sabancı University ranked third with her project “Activate and Learn for Nature”. The honorable mention award was presented to Sevda Cengiz from the Hacettepe University with her project “Modern Trojan”.

The students ranked second received their check worth € 3.000 from the Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning Assistant General Manager Ali Rıza Tanas, while the third place award was presented by the Union of Chambers and Stock Exchanges of Turkey Mining Assembly President İsmet Kasapoğlu. Akçansa General Manager Mehmet Hacıkamiloğlu presented an iPad Mini Air to Sevda Cengiz awarded with the honorable mention.

All projects accepted to the Biodiversity Project Contest competed for both national and international awards. Contestants succeeded in the international area will receive a money prize of € 10.000. Winner of the great prize of € 30.000 of the international contest will be announced during the ceremony to take place at Prague, Czech Republic in December.

Akçansa’s third Sustainable Report is published with GRI G4 certification
In his speech stating that they, as Akçansa, consider sustainability with social, environmental and economical aspects, Akçansa General Manager Mehmet Hacıkamiloğlu said, “We are trying to integrate sustainability into our management understanding and our work culture. There are various studies and projects we launched and pioneered the industry in this journey.”

Stating that they share all works and project performances of Akçansa with the public in the Sustainability Report they prepare transparently, Hacıkamiloğlu said, “We are proud to be the first company publishing a sustainability report in the Turkish cement industry.”

Mehmet Hacıkamiloğlu stated that Akçansa completed the Sustainability Report containing the performance for the years 2012-2013 and shared this with their stakeholders, and highlighted the importance of Akçansa Sustainability Report by saying, “Our third Sustainability Report is prepared and certified according to the new G4 principles published by GRI. Thus, it\’s become one of the first reports published according to G4 principles in the cement industry.”

Mehmet Hacıkamiloğlu: “Akçansa set biodiversity management as one of six prioritized topics within the scope of its sustainability strategy, and taken it among the sustainability targets for the year 2020″
In his speech during the award ceremony, Mehmet Hacıkamiloğlu stated that they have taken it as a duty for themselves to support the ideas and creativities of the young people, and that he believes the contest will contribute to a sustainable world.

Hacıkamiloğlu stated that the steps taken from today for protecting the biodiversity are related to the future of both humanity and industry, and completed his speech as follows, “Working by being aware of this, Akçansa set biodiversity management as one of six prioritized topics within the scope of its sustainability strategy, and taken it among the sustainability targets for the year 2020. Within this scope, we are aiming to obtain the approval of the competent authorities by preparing reclamation projects, and to rehabilitate the mine sites where the production has ended.”