Sustainability vision of Assan Panel, one of the affiliates of Kibar Holding group of companies as the leading industrial enterprises based in Turkey, has been in the core of its activities for the last decade. While contributing to construction of sustainable buildings by environmentally-friendly applications with its range of products, Assan Panel performs all production processes using environmentally-friendly methods and green technologies. Assan Panel provides a wide variety of services and solutions to various industries with its products respecting both the environment and human health. The company also takes all necessary steps to complete its end-to-end digitalization processes in all management processes in addition to adopting a sustainability approach involving its employees, suppliers, customers, and all stakeholders.
WE BUILD A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
The foundations of Kibar Holding's sustainability approach is based on integrity and reliability principles, defined as the core values of Kibar Group by Asım Kibar, the founder and honorary president of Kibar Holding. Developed in line with long-established corporate management tradition, innovative perspective, business ethics, corporate social responsibility culture, and the principles of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) as a signing party, our sustainability approach constitutes the business culture of Kibar Group. Having adopted the UN Global Compact, Kibar Group provides its employees with a workplace environment in which human rights are protected, occupational health and safety measures are prioritized, career development is supported, fair treatment and equal opportunities are ensured. As Assan Panel, we comply with the principles of the UN Global Compact, aiming for developing a global and sustainable corporate social responsibility awareness in the business world, as well as compliance to applicable policies and strategies developed by Kibar Holding in line with these principles in the performance of all business operations. Sustainable Development Goals aim at ending poverty, protecting the environment, taking action against climatic crisis, fair share of prosperity, and world peace. As Assan Panel, we fulfill our obligations towards the environment and society within a specific plan and we aim to encourage other manufacturers as a leading player in the industry. We have determined our key development objectives based on our strategic corporate goals. In line with our sustainable development goals by 2030, we will continue to carry on our activities, gradually taking more steps along the way. As Assan Panel, we facilitate access to modern energy with our innovative, sustainable, energy-efficient products and solutions. We aim for continuous development in line with this vision and 6 key sustainable development goals and integrate our business processes accordingly. In particular, we focus on the following 6 key goals of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals:
We grow with sustainability principles
Having reached a 22,5 million m2/y production capacity, Assan Panel, one of the group companies of Kibar Holding and a leading industrial corporation in Turkey has become a pioneer in the sector through its insulation panel solutions and systems. It continues its activities in its plants in Tuzla, Balıkesir, Iskenderun, Jordan and Azerbaijan. As a leading company which carries out its plans by fulfilling its responsibilities towards the environment and society, it aims to encourage producers in this field to do the same. Thus, it contributes to the construction of sustainable and environmental buildings through its products and plants, and it ensures its growth within the framework of sustainability principles.
We empower people
Assan Panel provides its employees with a decent, fair and participative work environment that supports diversity and gives importance to continued development. To offer such a work environment, it follows international agreements, decisions and standards such as ILO Conventions and UN International Declaration of Human Rights as a guide
Gender equality
It continues to support and increase women’s employment to prevent gender inequality. To encourage women to participate in work life, it keeps on carrying out various activities which resulted in an increase of 24% in the number of its women employees in the last five years.
We innovate for the future
At Assan Panel, product safety and customer satisfaction are business priorities that are managed to the highest standards. Assan Panel aims to meet the international standards as required by the sector, and, thus, follows many quality and safety standards to meet customer expectations. Assan Panel evaluates technology and digital opportunities along with its business models and offers its customers differentiated products and services. By adopting efficient and transparent communication as a principle, it develops customer-oriented business models. It carries out the required studies and increases the added value of its products and services according to independent customer satisfaction research that is conducted each year. Its R&D and innovation strategies are based on increased efficiency, reduction of resource use and waste production, increased product quality and diversity, production of new business models and technologies that would create value for the shareholders and development of products with high added value. There are now more and more clean and environmentally sensitive products and projects to ensure sustainable growth. Thus, Assan Panel offers its customers differentiated products and services by evaluating the developing technology and digital opportunities.
R&D and innovation
Building material has been developed in our R&D labs by increasing the thermal conductivity after redesigning the polymer fillers used in building insulation materials. Fillers with an improved thermal conductivity offer 20% more heat efficiency compared to standard polymer fillers. Additionally, since they do not contain HFC, CFC or HCFC, they are environmentally friendly, and they help reduce carbon emission. Assan Panel leads other manufacturers in the construction sector with its new technologies and energy efficient solutions.
We care for next generations
Assan Panel works to reduce its carbon footprint and contribute to the fight against climate change in all of its activities from production to distribution. It has decreased its energy density through energy efficiency projects and improvement efforts. Waste reduction, recycling and environmental waste disposal are Assan Panel’s priorities. As a result of the production model based on sustainability, circular economy and innovation, it has reduced its waste rate by 33,1% in the last 5 years, and it increased its reuse rate from 91,3% in 2016 to 96,7% in 2020.
We build a sustainable future
Assan Panel turns the potential threats caused by environmental problems into opportunities by developing environmentally friendly technology and products. It contributes to low carbon economy with the environmental products in its product portfolio. It offers modern sustainable energy solutions with its natural lighting products, solar panels that are suitable for the construction of energy-producing buildings and rooftop solar panel systems.
Assan Panel received the ISO 14001 environment management system certificate in 2012 due to importance it gives to sustainability and its environmental sensitivity. Assan Panel’s quality understanding has been appreciated internationally and certified by Gost-Russia and UKR-Sepro / Ukraine quality certificates. Assan Panel also received the international FM Global certificates in 2015 and 2016 for its products resistant against fire, wind and shock. It also is the first and only company to receive UL Greenguard and Greenguard Gold certificates with its environmentally friendly products that do not ruin indoor air quality. In addition to these, Assan Panel is the first and only producer to get the REI180 result for protecting its load bearing capacity and insulation functions for 3 hours 49 minutes in the fire resistance tests done with 100 mm mineral wool roof panels.
We encourage our stakeholders
Assan Panel’s sustainability understanding covers not only its own practices but also all its shareholders’. Accordingly, it considers its shareholders’ (i.e. suppliers, producers, distributors, retailers, customers) activities in relation with human rights, environment and society within its relations with them across all stages of interaction from raw material supply to distribution to the end user.
Supply chain management
Assan Panel has defined in written the rules that all the shareholders are required to respect in the following fields: Work Ethics Principles, Anti-corruption and Antibribery policies, Child Labour, Forced Labour, Harassment, Compensation, Work Hours, No Discrimination, Work Health and Safety, Biological Diversity, Integrity, Quality, Constant Development and Information Security. Thus, Assan Panel asks its supply chain to meet the requirements concerned.
We share for the communities
Assan Panel contributes to the Kibar Volunteers Project, which was put into practice by the Group with a focus on “children” and “education”, with its … employees. In this context, it has reached around 4,000 children to this day, through the volunteering activities carried out in three different regions within the scope of the project “Support to Disadvantaged Schools”.
Assan Panel employees and their families have actively participated in the project “We are taking steps towards goodness”, which was organised with the cooperation of Kibar Volunteers, Help Steps and Haçiko (Association for the Protection of Animals from Helplessness and Indifference).