Green and responsible companies are gaining in value

- In fact, every element of ESG, every letter, i.e. E – for environment, S – for social responsibility and G – for corporate governance, plays a key role as a factor in the long-term construction of a company’s value, stressed Dominik Januszewski, Head of Strategic Consulting at JLL Poland, co-leading a debate on the subject during the Economic Forum in Karpacz.

Corporate sustainability in line with the ESG concept implies that companies should not only emphasise their own interests, but also care about activities that benefit all stakeholders, including customers, business partners, employees, the community, or the environment.

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Biznes

Firmy zielone i odpowiedzialne zyskują na wartości

Dla biznesu zysk i wynik finansowy przestaje być jedynym wyznacznikiem sukcesu, coraz ważniejsze są działania przynoszące korzyści wszystkim interesariuszom.

- For us, as the leader of private health care in Poland, operating under the ESG formula is somewhat natural, said Anna Rulkiewicz, CEO of Lux Med. - For a long time, we have realised that it is impossible to talk about human health without a healthy environment; that a polluted environment shortens our lives. We are aware that the value of a company is not only its profits, but also what we do to make the future better, she explained.

Lux Med Group has decided to reach climate neutrality in 2040. Achieving the zero-carbon goal is a huge challenge, involving, among other things, finding clean energy sources for all hospitals and facilities. - The current situation of the energy crisis will undoubtedly make it more difficult for us to implement the programme, but we will certainly not give up, Rulkiewicz stated. Furthermore, she expressed the hope that private health care services, like those in the public sector, would not be affected by power outages in autumn and winter, according to government assurances.

For Rafał Rudzki, ESG director at Żabka Polska, this idea is an important factor in building the company’s value, too. - Above all, we are listening to the voice of stakeholders, for whom care for the environment, social responsibility, and transparency of operations are increasingly important, Rudzki noted. - We are implementing more and more solutions in this area, which are appreciated by 3 million customers who visit us every day, he added.

The elimination of plastic bags from stores, for example, saving 100 tons of plastic, can be cited as an example of such noticeable actions, making life easier for customers. More challenging for the industry may be the requirements of the circular economy or the new extended producer responsibility rules for packaging management. - But we are preparing for it, Rudzki said.

In the real estate development industry, the implementation of ESG policies can be demonstrated by, among other things, attention to solutions that fit into the goal of zero-carbon buildings and enable residents to save energy.

- We are using more and more proposals of this type in our offer, said Iwona Sroka, Member of Murapol Management Board. -There is growing interest in these solutions among customers due to, among other things, drastically rising energy prices. Nevertheless, when choosing an apartment, the price plays the most important role, she admitted.

At the same time, Iwona Sroka emphasised that there is no turning back from ESG. - Over the past decade, we have undergone a revolution in the attitude from “nice to have” to “must have.” The companies used to pride themselves on doing “something” for the environment or as part of their social responsibility. Then, we had the era of ESG-compliant strategies, and now comes the era of requiring these activities to be reported according to certain comparable standards because that’s what financial institutions will require. This is the biggest game changer for all industries and markets, Sroka pointed out.

A new EU directive on corporate sustainability reporting is set to take effect in 2024. This will systemise the companies’ reporting on the subject. Financial markets, however, have for some time now considered precisely meeting the ESG requirements as one of the criteria when financing companies (financial investors also expect this), and now the process is becoming more regulated.