Non-financial report 2020
Non-financial report 2020
PGE Group undertakes many activities in various fields related to environmental and climate protection. In its activities, it follows the principle of sustainable development, consciously shaping relations between economic growth and care about the natural environment. PGE is increasingly investing in renewable energy sources. PGE Group's priority is to reduce the environmental impact of its operations and to protect the natural ecosystem.
PGE consciously and responsibly builds and increases its competitive advantage with respect for the natural environment by aiming to reduce pollutant emissions.
Eco-friendly investments play an important role among various projects of PGE Group. In 2020 alone, PGE Group companies incurred approximately PLN 1.6 billion in environmental protection investments, out of which more than PLN 600 million was allocated for strategic development investments in renewable energy. The remaining part of the capital expenditures comprised investments related to the adjustment of power generation assets to the requirements of the BAT Conclusions, development investments in new gas-fired units, as well as modernisation and restoration investments aimed at increasing plants’ operational efficiency.
The management of the environmental protection area is defined in the environmental protection policy of PGE Group. It defines rights and obligations, as well as processes and activities relevant to environmental protection. To ensure that the environmental policy at PGE Group is effectively implemented, administrators and coordinators of the environmental management system have been appointed in the particular companies.
The PN-EN ISO 14001:2015 standard is certified in the majority of PGE Group companies. The basic task of the ISO 14001 standard is to support environmental protection and pollution prevention in a manner that takes into account socio-economic needs, in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. The environmental management system compliant with the PN-EN ISO 14001:2015 standard identifies and monitors PGE Group’s environmental footprint, taking into account environmental impacts in the context of risks and opportunities for individual environmental aspects, internal and external factors, as well as stakeholders. The fulfilment of legal requirements for environmental protection and the volume of emissions to the environment are monitored on an ongoing basis.
Two branches of PGE Górnictwo i Energetyka Konwencjonalna, the Opole power plant and the Dolna Odra power plant complex, as well as the Wybrzeże CHP plant, a branch of PGE Energia Ciepła, have implemented EMAS PI:2999. Together with the prepared environmental declaration, it is subject to annual verification by an independent accredited examiner. It is worth noting that the Opole power plant is an organisation with the longest history of registration in the national EMAS system. It was entered in the register for the first time in 2005, and its first position there proves that the Opole power plant is the national leader in this field.