SKD Turkey's COP31 Sustainable Transformation Awards highlight measurable projects of the business world in the fields of climate, nature, and social development. Selected applications will gain visibility at COP31 events and will be included in the global best practice pool through the WBCSD Action Bank. Applications continue until June 30, 2026.
The application process for the COP31 Sustainable Transformation Awards, which highlight the practices of the business world in Turkey in the field of sustainability, is ongoing. Organized by the Business World and Sustainable Development Association (SKD Turkey), the COP31 Sustainable Transformation Awards aim to bring companies' measurable and scalable projects implemented in the areas of climate, nature, and social development to the attention of international stakeholders by including them in the COP31 process.
Shaped with the global framework and support of WBCSD, the umbrella organization of SKD Turkey, the program brings together good practices developed by the Turkish business world in different sectors on a common ground. Projects selected as a result of the evaluation by a special jury will have the opportunity to take part in events, panels, and international stakeholder meetings organized by SKD Turkey during the COP31 period. Selected applications will also be opened to global stakeholders via the WBCSD Action Bank, thus being included in the international good practice pool.
Turkey will have a strong story at COP31
Ediz Günsel, Chairman of the Board of SKD Turkey, stated that COP31 will offer an important visibility opportunity for the Turkish business world, and said, "In the Turkish business world, very valuable practices are being implemented, from energy efficiency to renewable energy investments, from circular economy applications to sustainable supply chains, from nature-positive approaches to fair transformation programs. With the SKD Turkey COP31 Sustainable Transformation Awards, we aim to highlight these practices in Turkey's strong story. Thus, by carrying our members' good practices to international platforms, we will contribute to making Turkey's implementation capacity visible and creating examples that will inspire globally."
Good practices of the business world will be brought to the COP31 stage
The COP31 Sustainable Transformation Awards are designed to bring companies' strong practices in the fields of climate, nature, and social development to international visibility. In addition to rewarding successful projects, the program aims to convey the transformation capacity of the Turkish business world in the field to global stakeholders through measurable results and concrete good practices. Projects that stand out in this context will have the opportunity to take part in events, panels, and international stakeholder meetings organized by SKD Turkey during the COP31 period. Companies that gain visibility as speakers, good practice owners, or corporate representatives at SKD Turkey events within the scope of COP31 will become an important part of the sustainable transformation story of the Turkish private sector.
Selected applications will also be included in the global best practice pool via the WBCSD Action Bank. Thus, implemented, measurable, and scalable projects originating from Turkey will be opened to the international sustainability ecosystem during the COP31 process.
Applications will be evaluated in six transformation areas
The COP31 Sustainable Transformation Awards are structured around six thematic areas aligned with COP31's global action agenda and WBCSD's transformation framework. In this context, applications will be accepted in the areas of energy, industry and transportation; forests, oceans and biodiversity; agriculture and food; cities, infrastructure and water; human and social development; and finance and technology transformation. The program is open to applications only from institutions that are members of SKD Turkey and have published a sustainability report, integrated report, or integrated activity report in the last two years. Applications continue until June 30, 2026.
Measurable impact, transparency, and scalability will be prioritized
Applications will be evaluated according to criteria such as impact and scalability, alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, applicability and corporate ownership, transparency and measurement, and stakeholder engagement.
In the evaluation process, not only projects with high communication power but also practices that produce data-driven results, have been implemented, integrated into the corporate structure, and have the potential to be expanded to different sectors or geographies will be prioritized.
Projects that have targets under SBTi, are compatible with international reporting frameworks such as CDP, TNFD, and ISSB, and have independent verification or external assurance elements will also gain an advantage in the evaluation process.
Business, finance, academia, and civil society come together in the evaluation process
The jury structure of the program brings together experts from business, finance, academia, civil society, nature conservation, and sustainability fields. With this multi-stakeholder evaluation approach, it is aimed to address the sustainable transformation practices of the Turkish business world from different expert perspectives.
After the preliminary evaluation process, finalist projects will make presentations to the jury. Projects that stand out as a result of the multi-dimensional evaluation will gain visibility at SKD Turkey's events, panels, and international stakeholder meetings during the COP31 period.
A portfolio of good practices extending from Turkey to COP31
The COP31 Sustainable Transformation Awards are designed to make the implementation power of the Turkish business world in sustainability visible. Projects that stand out within the scope of the program will represent Turkey's transformation story at SKD Turkey's national and international events, panels, and through the WBCSD network within the scope of COP31.
Thus, good practices originating from Turkey will become part of the global sustainability ecosystem on the COP31 stage.
