80% of Romanians are willing to do more for sustainability, and the main barriers are the lack of easy access to information and personal resources, according to a study carried out by the Arctic Foundation in collaboration with Ipsos. 38% say they don't know what to do to be more sustainable, and 34% believe they don't have time to act in this direction.
More than 130,000 saplings will be planted this spring in the Dobroneagu area, announced the Conservation Carpathia Foundation. The ecological restoration of Mount Doboneagu began in 2022, with 350,000 saplings planted here. For the first time, in addition to the traditional planting of saplings, in Dobroneagu, direct sowing with jir seeds will be tested, and drones will be used in hard-to-reach areas.
An EY survey found that experts are much more likely to take concrete action by stepping up investment in sustainability. Nine out of 10 companies (90%) said they plan to increase their investments in sustainability. The survey also identified a key link between effective board sustainability governance and company business performance.
NEPI Rockcastle receives a new green financing of €200 million, for Mega Mall and Promenada Sibiu. The loan proceeds will be used to repay the revolving credit facilities used for the acquisitions of Forum Gdansk and Copernicus Shopping Centre, which were completed in December 2022. Subsequently, the Group's total revolving credit facility capacity will be restored to €620 million.
Kaufland Romania is planting a new forest, equal to the number of employees, in Scorteni (Prahova County). The K-shaped planted forest, inspired by the company's logo, comprises 16,000 saplings of 6 different tree species and covers an area of 4 hectares. Once mature, the Kaufland Forest will also be a recreational forest, where the company and its partners will carry out cultural, social, and environmental activities, thus becoming a space open to the community.
The Minister of European Investments and Projects, Marcel Boloș, together with the Minister of Research, Innovation, and Digitization, Sebastian Burduja, inaugurated the project "From Nano to Macro in Hydrogen Energy - Expansion of the National Center for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells - HyRo 2.0". The project will focus on validating and demonstrating the performance of hydrogen energy technologies, reducing costs, and identifying the most appropriate applications for these technologies.
The company Eco Partnersheep Insulation SRL, belonging to investors from Olt county, will invest over RON182 million (€36.4 million) in the largest wool processing factory in Europe. This will produce sound- and thermal-insulating wool products and will contribute to reducing the negative effects of climate change.
The city of Constanta wants to "charge" its electric buses from the sun. The CT Bus SA company is consulting the market for the creation of a photovoltaic park that will increase the energy independence of the company. It would be used to power electric buses.
A hydrogen factory will be built in Galati, on the site of the Siderurgic Complex, as a result of a project worth €32 million that would be financed directly by the European Commission. Hydrogen is seen as an alternative to fossil fuels.
Coca-Cola Romania is transitioning to plastic bottles with attached caps, to facilitate their collection and recycling. Starting in April, the first series of bottles with attached caps will be available for the brands in the non-carbonated soft drinks portfolio, namely Fuzetea, and Cappy. The new caps will facilitate the recycling of all packaging and aim to collect plastic bottles together with the attached caps.
The Sibiu County Council announces investments of RON 2.48 million (€496,000) for the energy efficiency of the Dental Clinic building, within the Sibiu County Emergency Clinical Hospital. A charging station for electric vehicles will also be installed within this project.
Romania reached 27,590 electric vehicles after as many electric cars were registered last year as in the last 10 years combined. Regarding the charging infrastructure, at the end of February, there were 3,389 public chargers in Romania.
The Minister of Finance, Adrian Câciu, signed a loan agreement with the World Bank to finance the project to prevent and reduce pollution in rural areas in Romania. The amount of the loan is €60 million, with repayment in a single instalment, the repayment date being April 15, 2035. The Ministry of the Environment specifies that it supports any initiative that contributes to reducing pollution and protecting the environment.
The Doraly Expo Market commercial park is investing €2.1 million in energy efficiency solutions, by installing photovoltaic power plants, and charging stations for electric cars and replacing all lighting fixtures with LEDs. The photovoltaic panels will produce approximately 2,700 MWh of green energy annually, representing approximately 50% of the energy consumed.
The Romanian Football Federation (FRF) is installing €400,000 in solar panels. This investment will contribute to increasing energy efficiency. FRF wants to contribute to the reduction of direct and indirect carbon emissions at the events we organize by up to 50% by 2030.
Several Romanian companies receive money from the state through PNRR for green hydrogen production. The Ministry of Energy signed financing contracts for 7 projects to build green hydrogen production capacities.
Businessman Metin Doğan is investing over €60 million in the largest golf resort in Romania, the first stage of the project to be completed this year. The buildings will be equipped with solar panels. The complex will also include a country club and a 5-star residential complex, as well as exclusive facilities.
Globalworth analyzed its performance over 3 years and set its environmental target of reducing its GHG emissions intensity by 40% by 2030 compared to its baseline 2019 levels. About 90% of the group's commercial properties are green-certified and about 98% of the energy used in the portfolio came from renewable sources at the end of 2022.
The Danish company FirstFarms announces investments in Romania both in the agricultural area and in the area of green energy production. The company installed photovoltaics in one of its warehouses in Romania, to ensure its consumption, and plans to increase its installed capacity to be able to sell the energy. The company also opened a new silo in Slovakia, where it also bought a biogas plant.
Raiffeisen Bank enters the market with the second tranche of the sustainable bond issue, which amounts to approximately RON 490 million (€98 million), for which it must pay an interest rate of 8.29% per year.
The energy transition is a central priority for ENGIE, both worldwide and in Romania.
HORNBACH Romania, a key player in the local DIY retail market, will launch reusable plant trays across all nine of its stores in the country with the start of the spring season.
Holcim has inaugurated a new solar park adjacent to its cement plant in Királyegyháza, Hungary, marking a significant advancement in the company's sustainability initiatives.
ENGIE Romania has completed the acquisition of a 54 MW wind power project located in Mereni, Constanța County.
ENEVO Group has announced the successful completion and commissioning of its photovoltaic park in Teiuș.
