ESG and the future of banking: Şekerbank

Zeynep Orak Erdemoglu is Sustainable Banking Lead at Şekerbank. In this interview, she discusses how the Turkish bank’s long-standing commitment to inclusive sustainability is evolving—covering its strategic ESG focus areas, transition finance approach, use of emerging technologies, and how it measures real impact beyond compliance.


Can you provide an overview of your institution and share the key ways ESG is integrated into your long-term strategy?

Founded in 1953 in Eskişehir as a cooperative bank with a mission to support sustainable development, Şekerbank is a pioneering financial institution that continues to align its founding purpose with today’s global sustainability agenda. We view sustainability not merely as a corporate goal, but as an integral and enduring component of our business model. As a pioneer in the field of social and environmental banking in Türkiye, we establish a comprehensive value chain—from mobilizing financial resources to delivering them through sustainable products and services to a broad ecosystem that includes farmers, small businesses, and SMEs. At the heart of our long-term strategy, we regard ESG principles not only as a compliance framework but also as a value-generating and development-driven approach. We develop practices that create tangible impact in areas such as rural development, climate change mitigation, sustainable agriculture, and inclusive economic growth—thereby contributing directly to the real economy. 

Our corporate governance and risk management frameworks have been restructured in full alignment with ESG principles. Climate risk management, the preservation of natural capital, and social inclusion are among our strategic priorities. In this context, we continuously enhance our Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) in compliance with national regulations and international standards. Our ESG strategy and sustainability-related matters are addressed through the Sustainable Banking Committee with the active participation of senior management. Reporting to this committee, the Climate Risk Committee works on risks related to both the bank’s operations and those faced by our clients, while the Diversity and Inclusion Working Group and the Sustainable Supply Chain Working Group focus on key social issues in coordination with relevant departments. 

Through global sustainability initiatives, we follow international developments closely and ensure alignment with standards, committing to progress that is in line with global sustainability goals. We also strengthen our internal capacity through technical assistance programs and multi-stakeholder platforms. 

We communicate our holistic approach with transparency in our annual reports and sustainability publications in alignment with international reporting standards. Our core objective is to generate long-term, sustainable, and positive impact—not only for our shareholders, but also for the communities we serve and the ecosystems in which we operate.