Category: Events

COP31 Consultation Meeting | An Impact Economy Perspective for COP31

An Impact Economy Perspective for COP31

The COP31 Consultation Meeting held on 26 February 2026 provided an important opportunity to rethink Türkiye’s climate action through the lens of financing architecture.

As EYDK, we brought an impact economy perspective to the thematic sessions on Implementation Tools: Climate Finance, Technology and Capacity Building, Climate Change Adaptation, Youth and Climate Ambassadors. 🌱

During the meeting, as the National Partner of GSG Impact, we shared how EYDK can serve as a bridge by integrating global experience in ecosystem building and capital mobilisation–developed across different countries–with our work in Türkiye. 🌐

We consider it critical to strengthen the financing dimension of the climate agenda within the COP31 process and to advance outcome-based, accountable impact investing instruments.

The success of climate action depends on mobilising the right capital with the right instruments–and on ensuring that young people are actively integrated into decision-making processes. ♻️

Chair of EYDK and Trustee of GSG Impact Şafak Müderrisgil met with Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Minister of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Türkiye.

📍Chair of EYDK and Trustee of GSG Impact Şafak Müderrisgil met with Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Minister of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Türkiye.

During the meeting held on 25 February, discussions focused on the impact economy, which is gaining momentum globally and in Türkiye and becoming increasingly embedded in mainstream markets, as well as on potential areas of collaboration and future projects. The role of impact investing and impact-oriented policy tools in strengthening the alignment between development and industrial policies was also explored.

We believe that for the impact economy to deliver meaningful results, it must gain traction not only within the private sector but also across public policy, enabling more strategic use of resources and progress toward sustainable development goals.

We thank the Minister for his kind hospitality and valuable insights.

Strategic Dialogue Towards COP31

Şafak Müderrisgil, Chair of EYDK and Trustee of GSG Impact, convened with Samed Ağırbaş, President of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High-Level Champion, for a strategic consultation on the evolving priorities of COP31.

As Türkiye prepares to host COP31, discussions focused on aligning global climate ambitions with actionable national pathways. EYDK and GSG Impact’s institutional experience from previous COP processes was shared, highlighting mechanisms that translate climate commitments into investment-ready opportunities.

The dialogue explored policy frameworks capable of generating measurable impact, strengthening climate action, advancing sustainable development, and fostering impact-driven partnerships across sectors.

At EYDK, we regard multi-stakeholder engagement as fundamental to climate-focused transformation and position impact investing as a strategic lever to mobilize private capital at scale.

EYDK and the Presidency Investment and Finance Office Reviewed the 2026 Impact Investing Agenda

Şafak Müderrisgil, Chair of EYDK and Trustee of GSG Impact held a meeting with Burak Dağlıoğlu, President of the Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye.

During the meeting, priorities for 2026, strategic directions, and potential areas of collaboration were discussed. Since 2019, the Presidency Investment and Finance Office has played an active role in shaping Türkiye’s impact investing ecosystem supporting the implementation of related policies and practices, and aligning impact investment activities in Türkiye with international investors.

EYDK Chair and GSG Impact Trustee Şafak Müderrisgil and EYDK General Secretary Tuğçe Söğüt met with Prof. Halil Hasar, Director at Climate Change Presidency of Türkiye!

Türkiye will host COP31!

We extend our sincere congratulations to Türkiye on being selected to host COP31 next year.

EYDK Chair and GSG Impact Trustee Şafak Müderrisgil and EYDK General Secretary Tuğçe Söğüt met with Prof. Halil Hasar, Director at Climate Change Presidency of Türkiye, to exchange early insights and explore potential areas of collaboration in the lead-up to COP31.

During the meeting, valuable perspectives were exchanged on how EYDK can contribute to key agendas such as climate finance, impact investing and multi-stakeholder partnerships. Prof. Halil Hasar’s visionary approach provided an inspiring framework for the preparation phase ahead.

EYDK remains committed to contributing constructively as Türkiye advances its climate diplomacy efforts toward COP31. 🌍✨

EYDK V. Members’ Meeting-“Sustainability Reporting in Türkiye: Current Landscape”

Under the KGK–EYDK cooperation protocol, we are jointly strengthening the visibility of TSRS as a best practice both nationally and internationally. This was also one of the key topics at our latest Members’ Meeting.

During the session “Sustainability Reporting in Türkiye: Current Landscape” KGK Head of Sustainability Standards Department Gülşah Günay joined us to share valuable insights. She highlighted that Türkiye, by mandating sustainability reporting, has now positioned itself among the global frontrunners, and that the upcoming steps planned for the next phase will further reinforce Türkiye’s leadership in this area.

EYDK Chair and GSG Impact Trustee Şafak Müderrisgil also noted that GSG Impact is closely following Türkiye’s progress and that TSRS is increasingly being recognized.

Witnessing how this national transformation is resonating globally has been a significant source of motivation for the ecosystem as we look ahead to 2026.

We Gathered with Our Members at the EYDK V. Members’ Meeting!

On 4 December 2025, the EYDK V. Members’ Meeting was convened in Istanbul, hosted by Enerjisa Enerji. The meeting provided a valuable platform to review the achievements of the past year and to jointly refine our strategic roadmap for 2026..

The session commenced with opening remarks by Şafak Müderrisgil, EYDK Chair and Ebru Taşçıoğlu, Head of Sustainability and Corporate Capabilities at Enerjisa Enerji.

📌 Gülşah Günay, Head of the Sustainability Standards Department at POA, shared insights on the current state of sustainability reporting in Türkiye and the next steps ahead.

The session continued with:
🔹 Reflections from our Technical Committee members,
🔹 Highlights from the Impact Network Analysis,
🔹 Preparations for EYDK’s 5th anniversary.

The shared message was clear: advancing impact investing requires strong institutional capacity, common standards, and transparency.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all EYDK members for their contributions, and to Enerjisa Enerji for their warm hospitality.

EYDK Secretary General Tuğçe Söğüt Highlighted Impact Investing at the Impact Campus Training Week!

🌿 Impact Campus Training Week began on 10 November 2025 under the theme “Innovation, Sustainability, and Inclusion in Higher Education.” Organized in collaboration with ETKİM MEB and ODTÜ TEKNOKENT, and supported by the EIT Higher Education Initiative, this 5 days program brought together more than 50 participants from universities across Eastern Europe.

Tuğçe Söğüt, EYDK Secretary General, took part as a speaker in the session titled “Green Transition Competences” held on the second day of the international training program.

In her presentation, she drew a comprehensive framework from global climate agreements to the rise of the impact economy, highlighting impact investing as one of the core competences of the green transition.

She emphasized that increasing young people’s awareness of impact investing will empower them to become the leaders of a sustainable future — because the future starts with “impact”. 💫

Learn more: https://eit-hei.eu/projects/tech2x/

EYDK Chair and GSG Impact Trustee Şafak Müderrisgil joined as a speaker at the AON Türkiye 30th Anniversary Risk Summit!

🌱Creating Impact While Managing Risks

EYDK Chair and GSG Impact Trustee Şafak Müderrisgil, joined the “AON Türkiye 30th Anniversary Risk Summit”, hosted by AON Türkiye — a member of EYDK, as a speaker in the session titled “Impact Investing and Risk Management on the Path to Sustainability.”

The session was moderated by Serdar Turan, Chief Editor of Harvard Business Review Türkiye.

Her remarks emphasized the importance of impact measurement and management in risk management, highlighting that anticipating risks and adapting operations accordingly are key to sustainable success. 

We thank AON Türkiye for organizing this insightful event that contributes to the growth of the impact investing ecosystem.

EYDK Chair and GSG Impact Trustee Şafak Müderrisgil attended the 9th Turkish Capital Markets Summit!

⚙️ Capital Markets are Evolving with Impact investing.

At the 9th Turkish Capital Markets Summit, during the panel titled “The Contribution of Impact Investing to Sustainability Goals” held on 5 November 2025, EYDK Chair and GSG Impact Trustee Şafak Müderrisgil shared her insights on the growing role of impact investments within sustainable finance on 5 November 2025.

The panel was moderated by Hakan Güldağ, Chair of Nasıl Bir Ekonomi Medya A.Ş., and featured, alongside Şafak Müderrisgil,  Prof. Dr. Güler Aras, Founding Chair of ERTA,  İbrahim H. Öztop, CEO and Board Member of the TKYB.

The discussion emphasized the importance of a shared vision and impact-driven finance in effectively mobilizing capital towards achieving the SDGs.

We extend our thanks to the Turkish Capital Markets Association (TSPB) for hosting this valuable gathering.