May 2020
On World Environment Day, Assan Aluminyum announced its “Protecting Biodiversity Project”, which aims to conserve biodiversity through a research partnership with the Kocaeli University (KOU) Biology Department. The company, one of the leading manufacturers in the flat-rolled aluminium industry, continues to contribute to sustainability with this project, which has begun by reintroducing the endangered endemic ‘Amsonia Orientalis’ plant back to nature.
Assan Aluminyum, a subsidiary of Kibar Holding, has partnered with the Kocaeli University Biology Department for a project with an objective of protecting and conserving biodiversity. With Assan Aluminyum’s support, the KOU Biology Department reproduces endemic plants, which are facing extinction, in the laboratory. After the reproduction phase is completed, the plants are then planted back into nature.
The project began with the ‘Amsonia Orientalis’ plant, also known as ‘Blue Star’, which has been identified by the European Commission in 2002 as a plant species that absolutely needs to be preserved in the flora. This particular endemic plant is currently known to only exist in a few locations in the Marmara Region of Turkey and is thought to have become extinct in Greece. This plant is also known to have potential to be used in the pharmaceutical sector with its anti-viral properties, as it is thought to naturally consist of antioxidant and anticancer components.
Assan Aluminyum’s vision is based on being more environmentally sustainable, as emphasized in its sustainability principle of “producing the future, without wasting it”. With the clean energy produced in its renewable energy power plant, Assan Aluminyum balances out its carbon emissions, in terms of electric energy. Additionally, with its in-house recycling facility and many energy efficiency projects carried out, the company is able to reduce its carbon footprint even further every year. The company’s General Manager Goksal Gungor states, “Sustainability is one of Assan Aluminyum’s core values, among reliability, flexibility and innovation. We are committed to restructuring our processes and investing further based on sustainability principles. We also firmly believe in the importance of industry – academia partnerships on issues effecting sustainability as a whole.”
Biodiversity was selected as the theme of the World Environment Day in 2020 to emphasize its importance for sustainability. Similarly, Blue Star iodiversity project is an important part of Assan Aluminyum’s contributions to sustainability.