In 2022, BCR granted funding of approximately €2.5 million for the development of associations and social enterprises, supporting the creation of approximately 1,800 jobs. More than 67,000 children and adults learned to build a better relationship with money through financial education workshops organized by BCR volunteers and partner associations. More than 160 NGOs were supported to develop impact programs in local communities.
Romania must invest in the rehabilitation of buildings and heating systems to reduce energy poverty, through REPowerEU, according to the Romanian Energy Poverty Observatory (ORSE) experts. The essence of the REPowerEU investments and reforms package is to reduce energy poverty and the effects of the crisis at the level of the European Union. Measures such as improving the insulation of buildings inhabited by vulnerable consumers and replacing their heating and cooling systems with modern types of equipment are the most effective way to tackle energy poverty.
An online platform calculates your personal carbon footprint over the course of a year in terms of transport, waste, and energy consumption. The calculator is available on the economiecirculara.eu platform has algorithms that are based on international standards and measurements and measure the carbon footprint within a year.
The potential of the green energy market (solar panels, heat pumps, insulation) is estimated at over €30 billion by the year 2040. The consulting company McKinsey & Company Romania shows that Romania's transition to green energy represents a financing opportunity for banks of €20 billion.
Ford presents the E Tourneo Courier, a fully electric model, which will be produced in the Ford Otosan factory in Craiova. The E-Tourneo Courier will be available from the end of 2024. The car will have five seats.
The Sustainability Academy was launched, the first social and educational platform dedicated to SMEs in Romania, with free access. The Sustainability Academy is a Sustainable Futures brand project initiated by Social Innovation Solutions together with the Coca-Cola Foundation, founding partner, and BCR, main partner. The Sustainability Academy aims to help SMEs willing to adopt sustainability strategies and aims to increase the number of sustainable businesses in Romania.
BCR gas entered the international market with the first issue of green Eurobonds, worth €700 million. The funds will be directed toward renewable energy projects, green mortgages, and green buildings.
Nokian Tyres has started construction work on its new tyre factory in Romania, the first unit with zero CO2 emissions in the tyre industry. The total value of the Oradea investment is estimated at approximately €650 million, which makes it one of the largest investments in Romania in recent years. The factory will employ 500 people.
Romanians who want photovoltaic panels can apply for the Casa Verde Photovoltaic Program, starting on May 19. The application submission period for natural persons is May 19 - June 26. The total budget allocated to the program is RON2 billion (€400 million) and the subsidy is a maximum of RON20,000 (€4,000); on the other hand, the beneficiaries must contribute at least RON2,000 (€400).
Alpla inaugurates a PET recycling unit in Târgu Mureș, an investment of €7.5 million. The plastic recycled at the factory in Târgu Mureș will be used for the production of new PET bottles. Alpla has 190 production units in 46 countries.
Poland-based Keno enters the Romanian market with solar systems, installation, and heat pumps. The company is already present in Germany, Great Britain, Norway, Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, specializing in the production of solar panels, heat pumps, switchboards, and mounting systems.
OTP Bank volunteers collected, at the end of last week, over 25 bags of waste from the Jiu River, in the Ișalnița Dam area. the 22 volunteers collected 300 kilograms of waste, representing objects such as pet bottles, bottles, canned food, etc. A new action to clean the banks and riverbeds of Jiu, the second of this year will take place in September.
The government approved the "Neutral Romania 2050" scenario, for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The Minister of the Environment, Tanczos Barna, says that the chosen option is a terminal through which Romania assumed that economic development will be practically decoupled from the increase in emissions.
The Electrolux Group reached its set targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions three years earlier. The group thus reduced its greenhouse gas emissions from direct and indirect operations by 82% and the emissions resulting from the direct use of household appliances by 25%.
The Minister of the Environment, Tanczos Barna, says that every day he travels with an electric car in Bucharest. He says that he supports the purchase of electric cars through the Rabla Plus Program, run by the Environment Fund Administration (AFM), and this year the authorities are considering a program that supports the purchase of electric minibusses.
The online store of security products Atu Tech triples its investments in photovoltaic systems, to over €1 million, and estimates that sales of such products will generate 15% of the total turnover. The company lists more than 600 products in the photovoltaic systems category, which covers a broad spectrum of demand, and shows that it decided to make such an investment due to the high demand for photovoltaic systems.
Orange circular economy program "Re" - Buy-Back, Recycling, Repair, Refurbishment completes 1 year since its launch in Romania. The company collected approximately 300,000 old phones, the equivalent of more than 29 tons, and repaired 60,000 phones. Customers who bring old phones to the store receive a €100 voucher that they can use to buy a 5G phone.
ABB E-mobility supplied Constanta with its latest fast charging technology, powering the city's electric buses and accelerating its transition to emission-free mobility. Constanta installed five 300 kW HVC-PD (Heavy Vehicle Charger Pantograph Down) and twenty 50 kW Terra 54 HV fast charging stations to power its BYD electric bus fleet. All charging stations installed in Constanta are Cloud connected through ABB Ability™, facilitating remote software upgrades.
The Bucharest Transport Company (STB) wants to buy 100 electric buses through leasing. Buses must be 12 meters long and have a RAR type approval certificate (Romanian Auto Registry) or an approval certificate granted by the competent authorities of the member states of the European Union, in the M3 category.
The European Union has reached a provisional agreement to reduce the scope and stringency of two major ESG regulatory frameworks: Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
Lidl Romania has published its eighth sustainability report for the 2024 financial year, announcing accelerated progress in reducing environmental impact. The retailer has achieved its international 2030 target for transitioning to natural refrigerants, with these now used in 100% of logistics centres and 81.7% of stores, compared to the original goal of 100% of logistics centres and 40% of stores. The company has also increased its green energy usage to 80% of total consumption.
Global law firm Dentons has advised OX2 on acquiring three wind power projects totaling 235 MW in Romania from Future Power. The projects, located in Vaslui and Vrancea counties, are expected to be commissioned between 2028 and 2030, subject to permitting.
Romania is emerging as a key destination for Turkish renewable energy investments, attracting growing interest from industrial and financial groups. Real grid connection opportunities for projects, infrastructure modernisation potential, and investment framework stability make Romania strategic for Turkish capital as Europe accelerates its transition to sustainable sources and energy independence.
51% of Romanian entrepreneurs see sustainability as a way to reduce operational costs, yet the same proportion say implementation is too expensive, according to a new study by BRD Groupe Société Générale. Conducted among micro and small-to-medium enterprises, the research outlines how Romanian entrepreneurs perceive the opportunities and challenges of transitioning to sustainable business models.
