Environmental Impact Reduction
Pursuant to the new CSR strategy, all GPW Group companies have in place a uniform environmental policy designed to reduce the companies’ environmental impact and raise environmental awareness of Group employees. As the companies operate in the financial industry, the main areas of the environmental policy include: waste management and recycling; paper consumption; water consumption; energy consumption; fuel consumption and CO2 emissions; as well as employee education through internal communications.
Furthermore, in view of its activity and role on the Polish capital and commodity market, the GPW Group may indirectly impact the environment by promoting good behaviour of issuers and investors, for instance through promotion of and education on responsible investing and through the products and services it offers. In 2017, the GPW Group relocated most of the Group companies (except GPW InfoEngine S.A.) to the head office of the parent entity. Consequently, all initiatives that reduce environmental impact at the building housing the principal offices of GPW were shared by the GPW Group subsidiaries.
WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RECYCLING
According to its Waste Management Procedure, GPW delivers solid waste for treatment by recycling or disposal. Since February 2014, the Company segregates waste. More than a third of waste produced by GPW in 2018 was segregated and recycled. Decommissioned computer hardware and other devices, such as phones, printers and office equipment, etc., is sold to the Company’s employees at auctions. Two auctions were held in 2018 and 188 pieces of equipment other than IT hardware were offered. Car auctions were also held in 2018, offering five passenger cars from GPW’s company car fleet.
CONSUMPTION OF COMMODITIES
In 2018, the Exchange continued communications targeting employees and visitors to promote environmental behaviour with regard to consumption of commodities such as water and paper.
GPW continuously monitors its consumption of commodities. The Company’s paper consumption increased by 5.78 percent year on year in 2018. The Company’s water consumption measured by fees paid increased by 4.7 percent year on year in 2018.
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
Centrum Giełdowe has in place advanced environmental solutions which reduce energy consumption. Offices are equipped only with lamps whose energy consumption is lower than that of traditional light bulbs and halogen lamps. The operation of lifts is optimised and the underground car park is heated with air pumped out of offices. GPW’s head office is equipped with a Building Management System (BMS) which controls installations within the building and consequently optimises the consumption of heat, power, water, air (ventilators) and ice water for air-conditioning. BMS supports programming of lighting in offices and corridors, which is automatically switched off at 8 p.m. throughout the building. The Company’s energy consumption decreased by 1.2% at cost year on year in 2018.
FUEL CONSUMPTION AND CO2 EMISSIONS
GPW’s car fleet only includes vehicles which conform to applicable emission standards (EURO-4 or EURO-5). According to legal requirements, GPW pays environmental fees (for business cars). A hybrid car, whose fuel consumption is more efficient compared to traditional vehicles, was added to the corporate car fleet in 2018.
Fuel consumption in the Company decreased by ca. 5% year on year at cost in 2018 (as measured by the volume of fuel consumption by company cars in the corporate fleet).
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
GPW Group companies offer products and services which indirectly support environmental efforts and impact the attitudes of participants of the markets operated by the Group companies. The RESPECT Index is such a product on the financial market.
In its core business, Towarowa Giełda Energii maintains a Register of Certificates of Origin and operates trade in property rights which are an integral element of the system of support for producers of electricity from renewable energy sources and cogeneration.
Furthermore, since November 2014, TGE operates a Register of Guarantees of Origin. Guarantees of origin of energy are an element of the EU’s environmental policy and disclose the type of source and fuel used to generate power. As power itself cannot be labelled, a system has been put in place where documents (guarantees) are generated together with power and expire when delivered to the end consumer. Guarantees of origin of energy from renewable energy sources (RES) are an additional important incentive for the growth of the sector. TGE’s Register of Guarantees of Origin is addressed to producers of energy from renewable energy sources, traders, brokers and all interested parties who need certification of the origin of electricity from renewable energy sources.