Akiş REIT and Greendeks Pioneer a First in Sustainability for the Shopping Mall Sector: The ESG Era Begins
Akiş REIT is breaking new ground in the shopping mall sector with a pioneering collaboration with Greendeks, marking the first initiative in Türkiye to measure the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) performance of tenants and suppliers. The project not only delivers financial and strategic advantages to business partners but also plays a vital role in advancing Akiş REIT’s decarbonization goals and ensuring compliance with upcoming sustainability regulations.
As a real estate subsidiary of Akkök Holding, Akiş Real Estate Investment Trust Inc. (Akiş REIT) is setting a new benchmark in the industry. Through its partnership with Greendeks—a sustainability platform developed by the Credit Bureau of Turkey (Kredi Kayıt Bürosu)—the company will assess the ESG performance of its tenants, suppliers, and business partners. This makes Akiş REIT the first real estate investment trust in Türkiye to produce a comprehensive sustainability assessment for the entire shopping mall ecosystem.
In the initial phase, approximately 30 business partners are expected to participate. The resulting ESG scores will not only provide transparency into stakeholders’ sustainability progress but will also create a robust, data-driven foundation for tangible actions aimed at reducing the sector’s overall carbon footprint.
İlk etapta 30’a yakın iş ortağının sürece dahil olması bekleniyor. Elde edilecek skorlar, paydaşların sürdürülebilirlik gelişimini görünür kılarken, sektörün karbon ayak izini azaltma yönündeki somut adımlarına da veri temelli bir zemin kazandıracak.
Levent Çanakçılı: “We Are Preparing the Shopping Mall Ecosystem for the Future, Today”
Levent Çanakçılı, Member of the Board and General Manager of Akiş REIT, commented:
“The process we’ve launched with Greendeks introduces an unprecedented level of transparency to the shopping mall sector. By making our tenants’ sustainability journeys visible, we are preparing the entire ecosystem for the expectations of tomorrow. Built on two decades of experience, this new phase represents our ambition to lead the sustainable transformation of our industry. Our partnership with Greendeks is an important milestone in this vision—a tangible reflection of our innovation-driven growth strategy—and is set to establish a new standard for the sector in the coming years.”
This collaboration aligns seamlessly with global developments. The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) will come into effect in 2025, while similar regulatory frameworks are expected to be implemented in Türkiye by 2026.
Shaping a Sustainable Future Through the Power of Data
Gökhan Şahin, General Manager of the Credit Bureau of Turkey, shared his perspective on the collaboration:
“At the Credit Bureau of Turkey, we view sustainability as an integral part of the financial system. With this vision, we launched our new brand, Greendeks, which enables organizations to measure and manage their ESG performance through a data-driven approach. Our partnership with Akiş REIT marks an important step toward driving transformation within the shopping mall sector with a focus on sustainability. Our goal is to expand Greendeks across various industries, establish a common sustainability language in the business world, and play a leading role in Türkiye’s transition to a green economy.”
A Landmark Step in Akiş REIT’s 20th Year
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Akiş REIT strengthens its sustainability vision with this strategic initiative, introducing a next-generation business model that unites investor confidence, customer expectations, and environmental responsibility under one framework. The collaboration with Greendeks represents not only a milestone in Akiş REIT’s long-term value creation journey but also a defining moment for the entire shopping mall sector.
New Metric in Shopping Preferences: Sustainability Ratings
Recent studies show that 70% of consumers now consider a brand’s sustainability performance when making purchasing decisions. As Türkiye’s retail sector surpasses TRY 500 billion in annual turnover, brands that align with ESG criteria have been shown to increase investor interest and customer loyalty by up to 20% in the long term.
The distinguished brands participating in Akiş REIT’s collaboration with Greendeks already stand out with practices ranging from recycling and energy efficiency to sustainable collections and carbon reduction initiatives. For the first time, these efforts will be transparently measured and benchmarked under a unified framework.
About the Project
Under the Akiş REIT & Greendeks partnership, ESG assessments will be conducted to evaluate the sustainability strategies and current performance of organizations within Akiş REIT’s value chain.
About Greendeks
Greendeks, the sustainability brand of the Credit Bureau of Turkey (Kredi Kayıt Bürosu), is a platform that measures and reports a company’s sustainability performance within the ESG framework, identifies key areas for improvement, and provides actionable recommendations.
