ING Bank Romania has invested €11 million in the past 11 years in environmental actions in Romania and €1.2 million were donated in 2022 alone for vulnerable groups' support, says Alexandra Maier, Sustainability Manager at ING Bank Romania.
Lack of education in terms of ESG (environmental, social, and governance) and a poor number of good practice solutions are two of the challenges in the field, says Matius Ichim, Architect at Matius Studio and owner of the retail platform www.prioretail.ro. He talked to Green Forum about the advantages of a sustainably built commercial space. He says that 15-20% of the operating networks in Romania have started implementing ESG key principles in their fit-out design and close to 5% in full sustainable standards.
At the end of 2022, 81.9 % of Nestlé's plastic packaging was designed for recycling, says Irina Siminenco, Corporate Affairs Manager at Nestlé România. She talked to Green Forum about the company's overall ESG strategy and about the investment plans in sustainability.
The banking sector in Romania has made notable progress in aligning its practices to evolving ESG standards and regulations aimed to support the EU's ambitious decarbonization targets, says Gyula Fatér, CEO of OTP Bank Romania. He talked to Green Forum about the role that ESG currently plays in the decision-making process at OTP Bank Romania.
Coca-Cola HBC Romania is the first local company, in the FMCG industry to produce a sustainability report to international standards and among the first local companies to publicly present such a report, says Alice Nichita, Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Director at Coca-Cola HBC Romania. She talked to Green Forum about the company's ESG strategy and the company's current sustainability targets and the social initiatives that the company and its employees are involved in.
Nuclearelectrica avoids the release of 10 million tons of CO2 every year by producing clean energy. 205 million tons of CO2 were avoided since the commissioning of the first reactor in 1996, says Cosmin Ghiță, CEO of Nuclearelectrica. He talked to Green Forum about Nuclearelectrica's ESG strategy and about the investment projects with a vital role in Romania's decarbonization. He also talked about the sustainable projects that the company ran last year and how Nuclearelectrica contributes to a sustainable future.
CEZ is strengthening its ESG requirements stemming from the improvement potential, set according to reporting standards and financial institutions, says Ondrej Safar, CEO and Member of the Board CEZ Romania. He talked to Green Forum about the social responsibility and health projects that the company is preparing in 2023 and about the company's energy production projects from renewable sources.
At Romanian private equity fund ROCA Investments, ESG considerations are gradually turning into a critical part of the investment and portfolio management processes, says CEO Rudolf Vizental
TeraPlast, a Romanian manufacturer of construction materials, has pipes for external sewers made of 100% recycled PVC and uses approximately 20%-30% recycled material in the production of PVC pipes, says Alexandru Stânean, CEO TeraPlast. He talked to Green Forum about the company's key sustainability objectives and investment plans in 2023.
Romanian state-owned company Hidroelectrica is focused on the development of energy production projects exclusively from renewable sources, says Bogdan Badea, CEO of Hidroelectrica. He talked to Green Forum about its plans for this year regarding sustainability and the social responsibility projects that the company is involved in.
Over 80% of Kaufland's suppliers are from Romania, and this percentage is growing year by year, says Valer Hancaș, Director of Communication and Corporate Affairs, Kaufland Romania.
OMV Petrom aims to reduce the carbon emissions from its own operations by 30% by 2030, compared to 2019 and the company's ambition for 2050 is to reach carbon neutrality from its own operations, says Christina Verchere, CEO of OMV Petrom.
Recovery and capitalization of waste stand out as a priority in Profi's strategy for environmental protection, says Gabriela Sirbu, Sustainability Director at Profi. She talked to Green Forum about Profi Romania's ESG strategy, the goals for this year and the investments in the community.
Zuzanna Kurek, Investor Relations Manager and ESG Committee Member of One United Properties, spoke to Green Forum Forum about the ESG agenda of the Romanian developer and its role in growing the value of the company.
Alicja Kuczera, CEO of the Polish Green Building Council (PLGBC) talked to Green Forum about the impact of the energy crisis on the local property market, the development of a circular economy and environmental awareness in Poland.
Some of the key components of the necessary framework to support sustainability and attract additional investment for companies are transparency, monitoring and reporting, says Ilinka Kajgana, Executive Vice President Risk, Member of the Executive Committee at BCR.
Ingka Investments, the investment arm of the Ingka Group – the largest IKEA retailer, has inaugurated its first solar park in Poland, reinforcing the commitment to the renewable energy transition.
Hidroelectrica has signed a contract for the purchase of its first Li-ion battery energy storage system, which will be deployed at the Crucea Nord Wind Farm.