in 2016, Jotun Turkey launched the “GreenSteps” campaign to build awareness and raise money for environmental sustainability projects. The initiative is grounded in a customised app that enables users to track their steps when they walk and run.

Based on distance travelled, Jotun planted a tree in cooperation with TEMA, an organisation dedicated to reforestation and the protection of natural habitats in Turkey. Over the next two years, the Jotun planted 20,000 trees!

Clean seas

In 2019, the Jotun Turkey “GreenSteps” campaign shifted focus to cleaning the seas. Working in cooperation with a nationally recognised group of divers devoted to protecting fragile marine habitats, participants in the “GreenSteps” campaign walked enough kilometres to fund the clean-up of over 100,000 square meters of seabed.

When the coronavirus emerged in 2020 resulting in lockdowns, people could not go on long walks or runs. In response, Jotun developed a game that people could play at home, where participants had to manipulate their phones to place a virtual seed the right place. Every time they succeeded, Jotun planted seeds representing different types of plants. By year end, Jotun achieved a total of 15,000 plantings of seeds selected by Turkey’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Leveraging technology

As lockdown’s lifted in 2021, participants were free to walk again, and Jotun resumed the “GreenSteps” app. Only this time, the company partnered with “e-cording”, an organisation that develops sustainable environmental technologies to fight climate change. 

To access “harder-to-reach" areas of Turkey, especially those areas damaged by forest fires, Jotun sponsored drone flights, which carried seed balls to remote locations. Once again, Jotun worked with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to select different plant types and locations. In all, Jotun distributed more than 250,000 seed balls all over Turkey.

Building long-term engagement

Jotun Turkey will continue to partner with relevant organisations and develop the environmental sustainability campaign through the “GreenSteps” app, which now has a social media reach of over four million. In addition to making a positive impact on the environment, the programme incentivises healthier lifestyles.