At Zorlu Enerji, in line with Zorlu Group’s common strategy “Smart Life 2030,” we see diversity and inclusion as one of the fundamental needs for fostering an innovative and creative work culture.
Accordingly, developing a workplace culture and environment that applies diversity and inclusion criteria is one of our top priorities. We implement practices that support gender and equal opportunity not only within our company but also throughout our entire value chain.
We consider gender equality as a human right and work to create an ecosystem where women can participate in the workforce more and on equal terms. Empowered by diversity and inclusion, we build a work culture that embraces equal opportunity through our “Equal Life for All” approach, from our language to our work environment, from stakeholder collaborations to our projects.
All of our efforts are carried out under the leadership of our senior management, and in collaboration with the Gender Equality Committee and the Gender Equality Working Group.
We manage our gender equality approach based on three main pillars: discourse, work environment, and partnerships. In our workplace, we offer an equal and fair working environment without any discrimination based on gender, age, language, race, ethnicity, physical ability, nationality, sexual orientation, political opinion, philosophical belief, religion, or sect. We organize trainings and webinars on gender equality to raise awareness among our employees.
Mission Person
As we take steps toward equality, we are aware of the significant role inclusive language plays.
In line with this understanding, in 2020, we took a concrete step to eliminate gendered language and provide alternative expressions that support equality and inclusion: we created the “Equal Life for All Glossary.”
Equal Life for All
In all our activities, we are guided by Zorlu Holding’s Gender Equality Manifesto within the framework of its “Smart Life 2030” vision. Ensuring gender equality, fighting bias, empowering women in the workplace, and providing employment opportunities for disadvantaged groups are among our top priorities.
We Stand Against Violence
With our Domestic Violence Prevention Policy, developed in collaboration with the Business Against Domestic Violence (BADV) platform and the Federation of Turkish Women’s Associations (TKDF), we:
define types of violence, and identify support mechanisms that our employees can access.
We aim to increase the number of female employees by 2030 and support the “30% Club,” which advocates for increasing the representation of women in company decision-making bodies, boards of directors, and senior management. Our 2030 targets for female employee ratios are as follows:
% 40
Senior Management
% 22
Total Female Employees
% 40
Female White-Collar Employees
WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT PRINCIPLES (WEPs)
As a signatory of the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) since 2020, Zorlu Enerji views the empowerment of women in business as a key driver of socioeconomic development. We actively promote gender equality among key stakeholders, increase employment opportunities for women, and support their professional development. We publicly share our progress and activities in the field of gender equality in our annual corporate reports.
WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS ASSOCIATION
Demonstrating our commitment to inclusiveness, diversity, and equal opportunity in business and society, we were awarded the Equal Opportunity Certificate by KAGİDER in 2022 following an independent audit based on 22 criteria.
Our Human Resources department publicly shared our commitment to equal opportunity by undergoing this audit, which evaluated areas such as recruitment, training, performance evaluation, promotion, career support, feedback, and complaint management.
By receiving the KAGİDER Equal Opportunity Certificate, we officially certified our efforts in this field.
FUTUREFEM
Through the FutureFem program, Zorlu Enerji aims to support women’s development in the energy sector and the field of sustainability.
Launched in 2024, this program is designed specifically to help undergraduate women students gain competencies in these areas.
Participants benefit from a rich learning experience through both online trainings and in-person events held in Istanbul.
They also had the opportunity to meet with Zorlu Enerji’s senior executives, gaining insights and experiences to support their career growth.
In the program’s first year, 18 participants graduated with comprehensive knowledge in energy and sustainability. Additionally, 3 participants were accepted into Zorlu Enerji’s internship program thanks to their successful projects, taking their first steps into a professional career.
THE POWER OF WOMEN, THE POWER OF THE FUTURE: PROJECT TO STRENGTHEN WOMEN'S EMPLOYMENT IN THE ENERGY SECTOR
At Zorlu Enerji, we support the empowerment of women by focusing on equal opportunities. In this context, we implement projects aimed at increasing women’s employment in the energy sector.
With our program titled “The Power of Women, The Power of the Future,” which we launched in Gaziantep in December 2022, we aim to increase women's presence in technical job fields and expand their career opportunities.
This program targets female students studying in vocational high schools and colleges, and we are training 25 female technicians.
By offering participants sector experience, technical seminars, and mentoring support, as well as gender equality training, we aim to contribute to their career development.
Zorlu Enerji Experience
Through the Zorlu Enerji Experience (ZExperience) Program, which we run under the leadership of imece — the social innovation platform co-founded by Zorlu Holding — we offer personal and professional development training to our scholarship recipients, helping young people better prepare for their professional careers. To contribute to the personal and professional development of young people, we delivered 36 different training sessions in the fields of sustainability, social innovation, and project management. With the Project Competition we held at the end of the program, we gave scholarship recipients the opportunity to put their theoretical knowledge into practice. Working in groups, participants developed solutions to a social problem and presented their projects to a jury. We awarded the top three most successful projects.
Since the program launched in 2023, we have produced 145 graduates over three terms. In the new term of the ZExperience program, we are focusing on artificial intelligence technologies, aiming to go beyond merely experiencing AI and turn it into a skill that participants can integrate into their work.
Lesson Support Project (Ders Destek Projesi)
Through the Lesson Support Project, which we launched in November 2023 together with Okul Destek Derneği (School Support Association), our colleagues provide online tutoring via distance learning tools to 5th, 6th, and 7th grade students attending public schools. Volunteer instructors deliver mathematics and science classes aligned with the MEB (Ministry of National Education) curriculum for eight months, and we also organize seminars with the participation of subject-matter academics. Through this project, we both contribute to children's education and encourage employee volunteering. We integrate Zorlu Enerji volunteers into the project as "volunteer instructors" based on their areas of expertise and bring them together with students. Through the project, we have provided mathematics and science education to 500 students. With the new term's training sessions, we aim to reach even more students and support their educational journey.
AÇEV Father Support Program Collaboration (BADEP)
As Zorlu Enerji, in line with our Akıllı Hayat 2030 (Smart Life 2030) and Sustainability vision, we launched AÇEV's Baba Destek Programı (Father Support Program) in Denizli and Eskişehir. The program — designed to support working fathers' more active involvement in their children's development, raise awareness about parenting roles, and strengthen family dynamics — runs for 13 weeks between November and February, with one training session per week. Through these sessions, which focus on various topics related to the father-child relationship, we aim to strengthen role-sharing within the family and improve work-life balance.
"Our Energy for Children" Volunteer Project (Enerjimiz Çocuklar İçin)
As Zorlu Enerji Osmangazi Elektrik Perakende (OEPSAS), we launched the social responsibility project Enerjimiz Çocuklar İçin (EÇİ — "Our Energy for Children") to help children become aware of renewable energy sources and the responsible use of energy from an early age. The pilot implementation of the project began at 23 Nisan İlkokulu and Yarbay Mehmet Yaşar Gülle İlkokulu in collaboration with the Eskişehir Provincial Directorate of National Education (Eskişehir İl Millî Eğitim Müdürlüğü). As part of the EÇİ Project, volunteers from our corporate volunteering program Kıvılcımlar read books explaining energy sources in an engaging way to students using the interactive reading method. Following the readings, we held workshops to help students reinforce what they had learned. We gifted students five illustrated books on renewable energy sources, prepared by children's book authors and experts. Through the events held for 2nd and 3rd grade students, we reached more than 400 students across two schools. We aim to extend the project to Afyonkarahisar, Bilecik, Kütahya, and Uşak — the regions we serve — and through this expansion, reach approximately 1,000 students in total.
Scholarships
Since 2009, we have provided scholarships to academically successful university students with limited financial means in order to support the development of the regions where we operate. By reducing the economic barriers that affect students' education, we contribute to their academic growth.
Liderlikte Kadın Yüz'ü ("The Face of Women in Leadership")
In line with our Akıllı Hayat 2030 vision and our Eşit Bi'Hayat approach, we launched the Liderlikte Kadın Yüz'ü program in collaboration with Turkishe and Yenibirlider Derneği. The program aims to empower young women from an early age through mentorship, role-model engagement, and a multidimensional leadership experience. As part of the program, women between the ages of 18 and 30 receive training on subjects that will support them throughout their careers, while one-on-one mentoring sessions with industry leaders give them the opportunity to build their careers consciously. Through this holistic journey, we aim to develop participants into visible, impactful, and future-ready women leaders.
The program's mentoring structure is built on a broad mentor pool consisting of C-level executives and leaders from a wide range of sectors. Designed with a Mini MBA approach, the curriculum covers topics such as leadership, entrepreneurship, sustainability, technology, financial literacy, communication, and career design.
"Our Energy for Our Region" Project (Enerjimiz Bölgemiz İçin)
As part of the Enerjimiz Bölgemiz İçin Project, we support local special days and festivals through sponsorship activities. We provide access to clean water and first-aid training in villages and offer technological equipment support tailored to local needs. To promote sports in every field, we provide jersey support to female students and contribute to the renovation of schools in disadvantaged regions. By sourcing our company's needs for special occasions from women's cooperatives in the regions where we invest, we support local women's production and economic development.
Zero Carbon Footprint Forests Project (Sıfır Karbon Ayak İzi Ormanları)
As Zorlu Enerji, in line with Türkiye's decarbonization goals, we launched the Sıfır Karbon Ayak İzi Ormanları (Zero Carbon Footprint Forests) project in 2010 to combat the climate crisis and build a sustainable future, aiming to offset our carbon footprint. At every fair and summit we attend, we calculate the carbon footprint of both our booth visitors and our booth itself, and we have initiated reforestation efforts in the regions where we operate. Within the framework of the General Directorate of Forestry's Memorial Forests Regulation (Orman Genel Müdürlüğü Hatıra Ormanları Yönetmeliği), we carried out reforestation efforts comprising 692,000 saplings by the end of 2023 in our operational regions. With a final target of 1,150,000 saplings, we plant 90,000 saplings each year as part of the project.
Volunteering Activities
With the slogan "We volunteer for a bright future, a sustainable life, and social benefit," the Kıvılcımlar Movement was launched by Zorlu Holding on December 5, 2018 — World Volunteer Day. In line with our Akıllı Hayat 2030 vision and our corporate social responsibility policies, we continue our corporate volunteering efforts focused on reducing social inequalities and protecting the environment. From children to young adults, from education to environmental clean-ups, we sustain our volunteering activities across a broad spectrum and support young people's preparation for working life through mentorship programs.