Türkiye's top business association promotes efficiency in new report

Turkey's leading business association, together with a research foundation, presented a comprehensive report on Wednesday highlighting the importance of waste reduction and more effective use of resources for sustainable economic development.

The Independent Association of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (MÜSIAD) and the International Foundation for Technological, Economic and Social Research (UTESAV) have published the report entitled “From the Consumption Economy to the Economy of Modesty – Report on a Sustainable Economy”, which focuses in particular deals with the negative impact of overconsumption and consumption trends at the individual and household levels on the economy and the environment.

The report identifies the roles of all economic actors and divides them into three main categories: individuals, companies and government institutions.

Recommendations in the report include reducing food waste, promoting smart home technologies and controlling household consumption in areas such as energy consumption.

At the same time, the report also highlights the need for the real sector to move to a circular economy model by avoiding waste of resources. It also points to measures in areas such as waste management, energy efficiency and recycling that not only reduce costs for companies but also minimize the impact on the environment.

It also addresses the role of government in the economy and provides suggestions for planning public spending and implementing environmentally friendly policies while maintaining strong competition on a global scale.

At the report evaluation meeting, MÜSIAD President Mahmut Asmalı said what they meant by the Turkish term “kanaat ekonomisi”, which can be explained as a more conscious economic model based on needs and efficiency and does not represent a situation where investments and growth are slowed down , but rather a place where sustainable economic development has been achieved.

“This approach aims to maintain Türkiye’s competitive advantage over its competitors on the global stage. Transitioning the real sector to a circular economy model is a crucial step to avoid waste and use resources more efficiently,” he said.

He cited the report's findings and mentioned that food waste is one of the most concrete examples of overconsumption. 20% of the world's food is wasted, and this loss has an annual economic value of $1 trillion.

In his remarks, UTESAV President Ahmet Doğan Alperen pointed out that resources are “limited” and added: “We all have to take responsibility to leave our children a better world to live in.” He pointed to the impact of social Media content points to consumption and constant advertising, which affects people's subconscious and “manipulates the perception of personal needs”.

The report's editor and author, Professor Nurullah Gür, also emphasized that savings and efficient use of resources should be addressed with a collective, holistic approach.

At the meeting, Gür discussed the theoretical basis of the report and explained that although resources around the world are sufficient for people's lives, greed and inefficient consumption decisions have made these resources insufficient.

“Understanding the balance between limited resources and unlimited needs, taught in economics, is critical for economic agents to make informed decisions,” he said.

Gür emphasized that there are two fundamental keys to sustainable development: saving and efficient use of resources. “We need to focus on how we can create a system in which sustainable growth and resources are properly used without causing the economy to shrink,” he concluded.