Companies’ Environmental Responsibilities Are Increasing

A project titled “Environmental Obligations of Companies in the Context of Sustainability” was carried out by the International Youth Studies Society of Selçuk University within the scope of the ÜNİDES Project, supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. 

The project, which began with a launch session at the Selçuk University Museum Building on April 10, 2026, brought together academic, legal, ethical and technical perspectives on sustainability. Project Executive Teslime Küçüksönmez stated that, “The project aimed to address sustainability not only as a corporate discourse, but also as a strategic transformation of mindset. 

Companies’ environmental obligations stand at the intersection of global market dynamics, legal sanctions and ethical responsibilities. She also noted that the project aimed to equip future managers with both legal compliance skills and a strategic perspective shaped by moral values.

During the academic sessions, several experts contributed to the project with their presentations and analyses. Research Assistant Mehmet Cemil Türk discussed the changing paradigm in company law and highlighted the growing importance of ESG criteria. Assoc. Prof. Dr. M. Raşit Akpınar addressed the moral foundations of sustainability, while Dr. Lecturer Mustafa Dolmacı examined the transformative impact of the European Green Deal on Türkiye and other trade partners. In addition, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nuray Pamuk Öztürk, Prof. Dr. Alper Ateş, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nuray Dönmez and Lecturer Fawzy Eid Bekhit Abdelaal evaluated sustainability issues from the perspectives of green development, tourism, forestry, energy, water scarcity and innovative agricultural practices.

The project was designed in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 9, SDG 12, SDG 13 and SDG 15) and topics such as green industrial transformation, circular economy, climate action, biodiversity protection and responsible production were discussed as essential priorities for Turkish companies seeking access to international markets and finance.

In the closing session, findings revealed that Turkish companies need qualified experts to guide their sustainability transformation, stronger sanctions to encourage full compliance, sustainability-related courses in secondary and higher education, and interdisciplinary action plans involving lawyers, engineers, economists and environmental scientists.