ROBYG a residential developers in Poland and the only Polish developer in the European Climate Pact – has published the ESG report for 2021. 54% of electricity supplying construction sites comes from renewable energy sources, 80% of ROBYG housing estates in line with the idea of a 15-minute city, 100% of subcontractors from Poland, and women have a 58% share in the management staff – these are just a few conclusions from the report prepared according to Global guidelines Reporting Initiative (GRI), which are the benchmark for corporate responsibility and sustainable development reporting.
“We are pleased to present the first ESG report of the ROBYG Capital Group showing our goals, assumptions and activities in the areas related to the environment, society and corporate governance. For us, construction is part of the process of creating new communities in which we have been involved for 20 years. Our ambition is to be a developer welcomed and appreciated by our neighbors and local communities, and at the same time the employer of first choice in the housing sector in Poland. We believe that by acting in a sustainable manner, at the same time we meet the expectations of our partners, combining financial success with activities for the benefit of residents and their environment,” says Eyal Keltsh, Vice President of the Management Board of ROBYG S.A.
To combat climate change and reduce the nuisance caused by urban heat islands, ROBYG was the first on the market to develop a building standard known as the “Green ROBYG Standard”, i.e. introducing at least 5 low-emission and environmentally friendly solutions on housing estates. One of the elements of the standard is to provide buildings built by the developer with green energy for common areas, such as corridors, elevators or garage halls, by installing photovoltaic panels, which in 2021 already occupied an area of 2,625 sqm.
“The construction industry is responsible for about 38% of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, and therefore has a significant impact on global warming. We feel responsible for it. At ROBYG, we are convinced that we have a real influence on the fate of future generations. The confirmation of our company’s commitment to the fight against climate change is, inter alia, transition in construction processes to “green” energy. In 2021. as much as 54% of the energy supplying our construction sites came from renewable sources. Our ambition is to reach 100% in 2024,” says Anna Wojciechowska, Head of ESG from ROBYG.
A very important, ecological aspect in ROBYG’s operations is the issue of water management and small retention. There are already 2,500 sqm of rain gardens in the ROBYG estates. In 2021, as many as 72% of ROBYG housing estates contained elements protecting biodiversity, such as flower meadows, houses for insects or birds, nesting boxes, and green roofs.
The company’s goal is also to implement the concept of 15-minute cities, i.e. providing residents with access to meet the most important needs within 15 minutes of leaving home. At the end of 2021, 80% of ROBYG’s projects were in line with this idea. Thanks to this initiative, not only will the level of satisfaction of the inhabitants increase, but also their health will be improved thanks to physical exercise and walks, and CO2 emissions resulting from the use of cars will decrease.
At ROBYG, women are strength, as many as 69% of ROBYG employees are women. They constitute as much as 58% of the management staff and the pay gap in the Company is only 3% – which is significantly below the European average. In its ESG strategy, ROBYG undertook that by the end of 2025 women in the Management Board and Supervisory Board of ROBYG S.A. will be at least 30%.
A large part of the first ESG report of ROBYG Group is devoted to safety. In 2021, the developer once again achieved its goal, also presented in the ESG strategy, zero accidents at construction sites (ROBYG ZERO ACCIDENTS). In addition, in the report, he presented health and safety activities at construction sites as well as in offices, and indicated it as an important area of health protection for employees and customers during the pandemic.
The developer cares about local communities in various dimensions: through charity and sponsorship activities, increasing environmental awareness through various educational campaigns, but also by implementing infrastructure investments such as public roads or networks. 100% of ROBYG’s subcontractors are Polish companies, mostly small and medium-sized enterprises.
ROBYG wants to continue to clearly and transparently set trends on the Polish development market in the field of ESG and support the domestic economy. Implementing the provisions of the ESG Strategy, in 2022 it joined the UN Global Compact initiative, the European Climate Pact, and signed the Diversity Charter. This means operating in accordance with the 10 principles set out by the Global Compact and reporting on progress
