32583 - Plato

Who We Are
Who We Are

IFC is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in developing countries. By encouraging growth, IFC advances economic development, creates jobs and improves the lives of people.
More About Us
About IFC

Our Leadership

Development Partners
Accountability

Learn more about accountability
Annual Report

Download the Report
What We Do
What We Do

IFC advances economic development and improves the lives of people by encouraging the growth of the private sector in developing countries. We achieve this by investing in impactful projects, mobilizing other investors, and sharing expertise.
What We Do Overview
SOLUTIONS

Our products and services
OUR PRIORITIES

Climate Business

Fragile & Conflict Afflicted Situations

Gender

Mobilizing Private Capital

Sustainability
SECTORS & EXPERTISE

Agribusiness & Forestry

Creative Industries

Education

Financial Institutions

Funds

Health

Infrastructure

Manufacturing

Public-Private Partnerships

Tourism, Retail & Property

Trade & Supply Chain Finance

Venture Capital

Working Upstream
Where We Work
Where We Work

As the largest global development institution focused on the private sector, IFC operates in more than 100 countries around the globe. We apply lessons learned in one region to solve problems in another.
Overview
By Region

Africa

East Asia and Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

Middle East and Central Asia

South Asia
Our Impact
Our Impact

Our impact improves lives. IFC brings a clear set of advantages to the world’s most challenging markets. Including a history of innovation, a global mandate, and a determination to achieve measurable development impact.
Our Impact Overview
PRINCIPLES & MEASUREMENT

Impact Investing at IFC

Measuring and Monitoring (AIMM)

Evaluation

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Owned by 186 member countries and consistently rated AAA/Aaa. IFC aims to achieve our mission of promoting development by providing debt and equity to the private sector, through a range of benchmark and bespoke products.

For Partners

For Investors

Get in Touch

Environmental & Social Review Summary

Project Number

32583

Company Name

ISTANBUL AYVANSARAY UNIVERSITESI

Date ESRS Disclosed

Nov 2, 2012

Country

Turkiye

Region

Central Asia and Turkiye

Last Updated Date

Jun 12, 2021

Environmental Category

B - Limited

Status

Completed

Previous Events

Approved : Mar 18, 2013
Signed : Mar 19, 2013
Invested : May 16, 2013

Sector

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools

Industry

Health, Education and Life Sciences

Department

Regional Industry MAS MCT

Project Description

Plato is a Turkish private education provider which started operations in 2009 with two vocational education institutes: Plato College for Higher Education in Istanbul, Turkey and Plato University of Management and Design (PUMD) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Plato has grown from 70 students in academic year (AY) 2009-2010 to 1900 students in AY 2012-2013. Plato currently has eleven vocational training centers in Turkey and one university in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Of these eleven in Turkey, six are operational and the remaining will be functional in the coming few months.

Plato is implementing its 2012-15 expansion plan which constitutes: (i) expansion of its vocational learning network across Turkey, (ii) introduction of new programs in its existing university in Bishkek and establishment of vocational training centers in Kazakhstan, and (iii) entrance into the Middle East and North Africa region with offering of post secondary vocational education programs. Their physical expansion of facilities will be mainly carried out through existing structures that will be renovated and restored, but may also include construction of new facilities in the future.

Turkey Institutions
In Turkey, Plato has 3 facilities in Istanbul, and another 8 facilities outside Istanbul in state premises as described below. Among the Istanbul facilities the largest and main campus is known as the Balat Campus, which is composed of 9 buildings of 4500m2 closed spaces and 1000m2 of open spaces that are scattered around in an old historical neighborhood of Istanbul. Most of the buildings are at least 150-200 years old. Each building has been restored and renovated to fit the criteria of the institution according the Law of Renewal in Turkey. Balat in Istanbul’s Fatih district is among the city’s oldest neighborhoods, dating back to well before the Byzantine period. Part of the district is included on the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the historic areas of Istanbul, within the Golden Horn harbor area. UNESCO is regenerating the area to retain the old heritage of these historical sites. Plato in conjunction with the municipality is restoring these buildings for the expansion of the Balat Campus in this area. Most of the employees of the Balat Campus are employed from this area. The second facility is known as Fatih Campus which is composed of 1 building of 1000m2 of closed space in a commercial area that is more modern in Istanbul focusing on IT services and education with a student capacity of 200. The third facility is known as Althunizade Campus which is composed of 1 building of 800m2 of closed space in a residential area in the Asian side of Istanbul. This campus has a student capacity of 250 students but is still not yet operational.

Plato has entered into a cost sharing agreement with state-owned vocational institutions to use the state’s premises to deliver Plato’s educational services. This model is currently functioning in 8 cities outside Istanbul including Ankara, Adana, Trabzon, Bursa, Izmir, Antalya, Konya, and Samsun. Of these 8 cities, Izmir, Samsun, Konya and Antalya are near completion whilst the rest are operational.

Central Asia
The Group currently has 1 facility in Central Asia, one in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Plato University of Management and Design (PUMD) which is operational. PUMD is 1 building in Bishkek of 800m2 of closed space and 100m2 of open space. The building capacity can withstand 200 students, and offers vocational based Bachelor of Arts (BA) programs in Bishkek. Plato is in the process of establishing a regional learning center in Chimkent, Kazakhstan that delivers PUMD programs through face-to-face and distance learning modules.

Overview of IFC's Scope of Review

The review of this project consisted of appraising information provided by the Sponsor related to technical, environmental and social issues, as well as visits to the Sponsor’s existing education premises in Istanbul and Adana, Turkey as well as Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan during September 2012. IFC’s review also included meetings with top Management including the CEO and CFO, as well as the HR director, HSE and Maintenance officers and Quality assurance supervisors at Plato Group’s headquarters in Balat, Turkey. IFC reviewed relevant documents pertaining to the HR Policies and Procedures, Emergency Response and Management System, and Security system.

E & S Project Categorization and Applicable Standard

While all Performance Standards are applicable to this investment, IFCs environmental and social due diligence indicates that the investment will have impacts which must be managed in a manner consistent with the following Performance Standards.

PS 1 – Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts
PS 2 - Labor and working conditions
PS 3 - Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention
PS 4 – Community Health, Safety and Security
PS 5 – Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement
PS 8 – Cultural Heritage

If IFC’s investment proceeds, IFC will periodically review the the project’s ongoing compliance with the Performance Standards.

PS 6: Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources - Plato’s proposed expansion will not have impacts upon biodiversity or natural resources.

PS 7: Indigenous Peoples - No Indigenous People are impacted by the current locations of the facilities.

Based on the site visits to Plato’s premises in Turkey and Kyrgyzstan, and discussions with Plato management, this project will have limited potential adverse environmental and social impacts which are site-specific, reversible and easily addressable through the measures summarized below and outlined in the Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP) attached to this ESRS. This is, hence, a category B Project.

Environmental and Social Mitigation Measures

Plato Group currently does not have any Management System that runs their environmental and social (E&S) issues. Each facility has their own Maintenance Manager that ensures that E&S issues are dealt with, but is not monitored regularly or systemized. Plato Group will develop environmental, health and safety (EHS) procedures, facility guidelines and maintenance procedures that comply with IFC’s Performance Standards and host country regulations and incorporate them into an Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) for all of Plato Group. The ESMS will encompass social, occupational health and safety, human resources, and environmental management associated with the full life cycle of operations from the selection of sites for expansion, the construction and/or renovation and restoration of new facilities as well as the operation of existing facilities and associated facilities. The ESMS will be applied and implemented on the Plato Group level and be rolled out to all facilities globally. Plato will nominate an ESMS officer to be responsible for the ESMS implementation, training to staff, and roll out to all facilities of Plato Group.

The catering service and food in the Cafeteria is outsourced to a company and supplies all the facilities. This catering service is ISO 22000 certified in 2005 for food and hygiene, and ISO 9001 certified in 2008. Balat Ltd. provides services as well as service agreements for security, cleaning, catering, etc. Fatih Campus offers a cafeteria with catering services outsourced to a company called Café Quick.

Risks and Impacts Identification Process

Plato may in the future purchase a new plot of land for its university premises. Where Plato intends to develop or acquire new assets at some point in the future, the Company should document the establishment of a social and environmental due diligence process consistent with good international industry practice to ensure that risks and impacts will be adequately identified when the physical elements, assets, and facilities of future activities are reasonably understood. That process will include all the necessary steps and methods that are required to screen, identify, analyze, measure, or assess, in quantitative terms to the extent possible, the potential risks and impacts (including environmental, social, health, and safety, and labor and security) associated with the activities to be developed or acquired. Depending on whether the future activity involves development of a Greenfield facility, expansion or acquisition of an existing operating asset, the process will involve either a: (i) full-scale Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs); (ii) limited or focused environmental or and social assessments; or (iii) environmental and social due diligence audit. Appropriate terms of reference for the conduct of each of these will be developed as part of the process documentation.

Waste

Plato currently separates their paper waste from the rest of their municipal waste with separate bins for each. This is in accordance with national law in Turkey. Paper waste is collected separately on a weekly basis by the municipality, which is then recycled. Waste generation is not monitored, but estimated to be approximately 20 kg of paper waste/week at Balat Campus. An estimate for other facilities is not known. Other municipal waste is collected separately, by the municipality twice a day from the waste bins in front of the facilities. These waste bins are then disinfected once a week by the municipality to ensure hygiene. Moving forward, Plato group will develop a waste segregation system to monitor the types of waste, quantities of waste, and their method of disposal at all their facilities to account for any dangers and to be able to identify opportunities of waste minimization, recycling and/or reuse. Plato does not produce any hazardous waste at their facilities.

Energy

In the Balat and Althunizade Campuses, Plato currently purchase their energy from a private company (Cengiz) The Balat Campus has installed reactive power compensators that are able to increase energy efficiency by increase of active part of used power. There are currently no on-site generators, as Istanbul’s power supply is generally quite stable. Generators are, however, brought in during large events where additional energy supply may be required. Fatih campus utilizes energy from the national grid. GHG emissions were estimated at 402 tons CO2 equiv. /year, with electricity consuming almost 27% of the total emissions and the refrigeration/AC consuming 52% of the total emissions. Balat campus has six boilers being powered by natural gas with a capacity of 110 Kcal/hour each. The national grid supplies their natural gas. Balat Campus has an HVAC unit consisting of 3 small chillers and one larger central unit. There are a total of 26 HVAC units in all of Plato’s buildings.

Water and wastewater

Water is obtained from the national grid. There are two water storage tanks available at the Balat campus for fire fighting with a capacity of 8 tons each. Wastewater is discharged to the network and the fee is included in the price of water supply distribution.

Plato Group will establish an effective monitoring system and develop a water and energy efficiency program at all their facilities to reduce water and energy consumption. Such a program will be mainstreamed into their planning process for efficiency and reduction targets. A series of opportunities for water and energy savings will be identified with a plan of action to outline how to implement each action item in this water and energy savings plan. Internal benchmarking for each building for water and energy will be developed to ensure that targets are met. Similar provisions will be done for any new facilities in accordance with all above activities. Plato Group will also explore the feasibility
of getting LEED certification for their facilities as an option to be outlined in their Energy and Water Savings Plan.

Plato has a surveillance system for all of their Campuses that are centralized. Security personnel are outsourced to a company audited by the Police force in Turkey. In the case of an intruder, the system automatically contacts the police/fire department. This is present for all campuses in Istanbul. In addition to the surveillance system, Plato has two night guards on patrol on their payroll, in addition to six security personnel on staff. At a distance of 200m away from the Balat Campus is the fire and police department at close proximity in case of any emergency.

Plato has a newsletter where the concerns of the community and Campus members are voiced but there is no formal grievance mechanism. The neighborhood is closely connected to Plato and the school is not fenced and interaction occurs daily as the Campus is scattered throughout the neighborhood.

The restored buildings in the Balat Campus must ensure structural and material safety for students. The Balat Campus was supplied with architectural certifications from previous owners but these may not adhere to regulations and standards for school facilities with students. Many older buildings may have used materials such as asbestos, which have now been abolished as a building material for carcinogenic reasons. The Client will, hence, be required to obtain a third party certification to ensure the Balat buildings structural and material safety in adherence with international standards for school facilities for students.

The Plato premises provide for movable ramps for disabled persons in certain locations of their Balat Campus, but not in all of their premises. In 2011 Plato had enrolled 2 disabled students. Plato will ensure that all future facilities will provide for the mobility of disabled persons so that disabled people may attend.

Life and Fire Safety

Plato has an Emergency Response Plan that includes evacuation procedures for fire, earthquakes and disasters, however teaching personnel and supporting staff in Turkey facilities are unaware of this Plan and procedures are not well informed. This plan incorporates the requirements by the Ministry of Education for life and fire safety for school facilities as well as the National Fire Authority. The Ministry audits and checks the facilities for life and fire safety once a year. The National Fire Authority trains the security personnel on fire fighting every 6 months. PUMD employees in Bishkek get trained regularly on fire safety.

Moving forward, Plato will engage a qualified Fire Safety Consultant acceptable to IFC to conduct life and fire safety review of existing buildings. The findings and recommendations of the review will be used as the basis to establish the scope of work of a Corrective Action Plan, if needed, and a time frame for implementing the changes. The Consultant will also assist Plato in developing a corporate Master Plan, outlining key design criteria, in line with NFPA 101 or any other internationally
recognized Life and Fire Safety Code, to be translated into the design of future properties to be renovated or constructed in the frame of Plato’s expansion project. Upon completion of renovation or construction, Plato will provide evidence to IFC’s satisfaction that the buildings’ design and construction faithfully incorporate all elements of the corporate Master Plan.

Plato currently has an Emergency Response Plan but this needs to be developed further to account for Life and Fire safety risks and needs. The Consultant will also assist the Client in performing the above task to be in compliance with IFC’s Performance Standards.

Stakeholder Engagement

Plato has a child care program to take care of the children in the community of Balat. Plato currently does some Community development activities including education to illiterate mothers for child care programs. This is done for free for the Balat neighborhood to enhance their awareness on these issues. Plato is also currently working with local NGOs to raise awareness about children with special needs amongst their students.

The community association is similar to an NGO but with no formalized structure. Plato provides advice to the community association on social security and welfare, as well as trains them on legal issues dealing with licenses, etc. Plato is in close contact with the “Mokhtar” (head of the area), and the Imam of the mosque in the area, who are both notable persons that are respected and listened to in this community. There have been no formal consultations or stakeholder meetings with the community, but only meetings with the heads of the community. During the appraisal, IFC interviewed the Imam of the mosque and other persons living in the community. There are approximately 1,000 persons living in this area in Balat. It was determined that the community generally complains of lack of employment and poverty. Access to means and income generation is of top priority to these community members. There was much talk about transforming the community into a touristic area as it is filled with historical heritage. Plato has a significant opportunity to play a role in the enhancement of the Balat community with income generation for the community members.

There currently is no grievance mechanism for the surrounding communities, but one will be established in accordance with the attached Action Plan. Seeing that the Balat neighborhood is an especially sensitive area, Plato will hire a Communications officer to focus on community development work as well as press releases and continuous engagement with the surrounding communities of Plato’s facilities. Plato will develop a Community Engagement Plan to identify potential activities for Plato to be involved in for community development of Balat neighborhood.

Plato Group will be posting the SII, ESRS and ESAP on its website in both English and the local language of Turkish and Russian (http://www.plato.edu.tr). In addition Plato will also disclose reference to these project documents in the following newspapers (list most widely read Turkish and Kyrgyz newspapers here).

For inquiries and comments about the Project contact:
Tolga Yazici
President of the Board of Trustees
Plato College of Higher Education
Ayvansaray Caddesi No 33, Balat
Istanbul, Turkey
Telephone: +90 212 444 76 96 Fax: +90 212 6214503
Email: mailto:tolgayazici@plato.edu.tr

Broad Community Support

**Information on IFC's Policy and Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability can be found at www.ifc.org/sustainability

IFC supports its clients in addressing environmental and social issues arising from their business activities by requiring its real sector clients to set up and administer appropriate grievance mechanisms and/or procedures to address complaints from Affected Communities in relation to environmental and social issues arising from IFC's clients' business activities. Since 2012, IFC's Financial Intermediary clients applying the Performance Standards are required to develop External Communications Mechanisms to receive and review inquiries or complaints from any interested party regarding the E&S risks and impacts of their operations.

For IFC projects that are active or under consideration, individual(s), or their authorized representative(s), who allege they have been or will be adversely affected by E&S risks or impacts arising from IFC's clients' business activities, may submit a complaint to IFC directly for consideration. When receiving an E&S complaint, IFC engages with complainants and works with its clients to find solutions to E&S concerns as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Complaints can be submitted to IFC online at www.ifc.org/escomplaints or by email to EScomplaints@ifc.org.

IFC complaint response is separate from and complementary to IFC’s clients’ project level grievance mechanisms and IFC’s Independent Accountability Mechanism (CAO). Lodging a complaint directly with IFC does not, at any time, restrict access to CAO.

Affected communities have unrestricted access to the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO), the independent accountability mechanism for IFC and MIGA. CAO facilitates the resolution of complaints related to IFC and MIGA projects and sub-projects, undertakes reviews of IFC’s and MIGA’s environmental and social compliance, fosters public accountability for their commitments, and enhances the environmental and social performance of IFC and MIGA.

Independent of IFC and MIGA management and reporting directly to the IFC and MIGA Boards of Executive Directors, CAO helps resolve issues raised about the environmental and social impacts of projects through a neutral, collaborative, problem-solving approach via its Dispute Resolution function. It also reviews IFC’s and MIGA’s compliance with environmental and social policies, assesses related harm, and recommends remedial actions through its Compliance function. Additionally, CAO provides advice to IFC, MIGA, and their Boards to enhance environmental and social sustainability performance and minimize the risk of harm.

Complaints may relate to environmental and social harm regarding any aspect of the planning, implementation, or impact of a project or sub-project, and can be made by any individual, group, community, entity, or other party affected or likely to be affected by the environmental or social impacts of an IFC- or MIGA-financed business activity.

Complaints can be submitted by any of the following methods:

Online form: available at https://www.cao-ombudsman.org/
Mail/Hand Delivery to: 2121 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA
Voice mail: +1 202 458 1973
Email: cao@worldbankgroup.org
SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal: +1 202 650 2627

CAO receives and addresses complaints in accordance with the CAO Policy, which can be accessed at: https://www.cao-ombudsman.org/policies-guidelines.

This Environmental and Social Review Summary (ESRS) is prepared by IFC to disclose its findings and recommendations related to environmental and social considerations regarding potential investments. Its purpose is to enhance the transparency of IFC's activities. For any project documentation or data included or attached herein, whether prepared by the project sponsor or otherwise, authorization has been given for public release by the project sponsor. IFC considers that this ESRS is of adequate quality for release to the public, but has not necessarily independently verified all of the project information therein.
It is distributed in advance of IFC Board of Directors' consideration and may be periodically updated thereafter. Board dates are estimates only and this document should not be construed as presuming the outcome of the Board Directors’ decision. The following ESRS is disclosed in accordance with IFC's Access to Information Policy (AIP).

The map is for illustrative purposes and does not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of the World Bank, concerning the legal status of any country or territory or concerning the delimitation of frontiers or boundaries. Country borders or names do not necessarily reflect the World Bank Group's official position. In some cases, available project location information is limited to the country of the project's activities. Locations are approximate.

Projects

Environmental & Social Review Summary

Project Description

Overview of IFC's Scope of Review

E & S Project Categorization and Applicable Standard

Environmental and Social Mitigation Measures

Stakeholder Engagement

Broad Community Support

Similar Projects

Projects

Environmental & Social Review Summary

Project Description

Overview of IFC's Scope of Review

E & S Project Categorization and Applicable Standard

Identified Applicable Performance Standards

Environmental and Social Categorization and Rationale

Environmental and Social Mitigation Measures

Environmental and Social Mitigation Measures

PS 1: Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts

PS 2: Labor and Working Conditions

PS 3: Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention

PS 4: Community Health, Safety and Security

PS 8: Cultural Heritage

Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholder Engagement

Local Access of Project Documentation

Broad Community Support

IFC's Determination of BCS

Press-Release

Related SII

Similar Projects

Information on E&S Complaints and Grievance Mechanisms

Disclaimer