The “Blue Climate Ambassadors” project, which was initiated for women working in the maritime sector, was introduced, to draw attention to climate change and find solutions to environmental problems.
The presentation of the “Blue Climate Ambassadors” project, implemented in cooperation with the Turkish Port Operators Association (TÜRKLİM), DenizTemiz Association (TURMEPA), and WISTA Turkey, was held at Altaş Ambarlı Port Facilities.
TURMEPA Chairman of the Board Şadan Kaptanoğlu said that in his speech, employment of women in maritime is 2% in the world.
Kaptanoğlu stated that they will initiate an environmental transformation movement. He stated that the project will be implemented in 3 ports at first and said,
“Mucilage was seen in the Sea of Marmara and then we struggled with the floods, last year. All these environmental crises are not the result of natural events. The inevitable consequences of human behavior. The fact that the climate crisis does not turn into a disaster depends on humanity’s making a start in its relations with nature. We plan to spread our projects in waves to all maritime sectors. Within the scope of the project, we will provide online and hybrid training to women. As a result of this training, we will have blue climate ambassadors in each port. Our ambassadors will spread this training in their ports. An institutional roadmap will be created in the fight against climate change at each port.”
“Women are the people we can entrust this project”
Nazlı Selek, Chairman of the Board of WISTA Turkey, explained that WISTA, which was established in Turkey in 2009, gathers women working in the maritime sector under its umbrella.
Selek emphasized that the main theme of the project is the fight against the climate crisis and said,
“Woman means struggle, common sense, consciousness, sensitivity. It is precisely for these reasons that we wanted women to be the ambassadors we can entrust this project. Although there are ports and coastal facilities, we aim to include professional female managers under the umbrella of WISTA, in addition to the white and blue-collar female employees serving here, to create awareness and support and ensure that all women take part in this project. We have full faith that our leading seafaring women will bring beauty to our coasts and seas with this project.”
Aydın Erdemir, Chairman of the Board of Directors of TÜRKLİM, one of the project stakeholders, said that companies should not only keep the issue of climate change on their agenda but also take action.
Erdemir stated that the climate crisis constitutes the first 15 of all important risks in the world. “To leave a world that is more protected for future generations, which we call sustainability today, and that is sufficient for everyone with its resources, we put the climate crisis on our agenda as the first item.”