The Coca-ColaCompany will release its new, environmentally friendly NaturAqua PlantBottle made of herbal components for the first time in Hungary, the company reported in a press release today. According to the announcement, 25% of the PlantBottle is made from plants and the packaging is 100% recyclable. Since first being introduced in 2009, Coca-Cola has sold approximately 35 billion PlantBottles in 40 countries.
“Iʼm happy that our company is the first in the country to introduce this innovative, PlantBottle technology,” said Ágnes Vass, brand activation manager at Coca-Cola Hungary. Vass added that the new packaging will lessen the environmental impact both on the part of the company and its customers. The report also noted that in spite of the new bottle design, the mineral water it contains will remain the same.
Source: www.bbj.hu
00adminhttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngadmin2015-06-16 13:39:062015-06-16 13:39:06NaturAqua introduces environmentally friendly water bottle
In May 2015 a new chapter of the Action 2020 Hungary program kicked off with serious intellectual energy within the walls of program sponsor KPMG. The Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH) introduced its major sustainability program which calls the Hungarian business sector to action. After having identified the goals it is now time for companies to contribute to implementation by making commitments and identifying business solutions.
In five groups of experts more than 60 representatives from the civil, scientific and business sector discussed the effect of the measurement indices and started to identify exemplary business solutions.
‘Work based on live discussions between each sphere and immediate feedback ensured the creation of an inspiring and creative framework for the successful fulfilment of the tasks that were undertaken. It would make sense to continue with that kind of directness and method of cooperation. It could also create value for the other working groups of BCSDH’ – explained Attila Chikan Jr., Action 2020 Hungary Working Group Leader and CEO of ALTEO.
During the workshops, the experts tried to identify forward-looking stimulus measures which could be employed to meet all the planned objectives. Mandy Fertetics, Head of Corporate Programs BCSDH, added: ‘The most difficult task is to identify indicators and metrics since we have to take into consideration different business sizes, industries and activities, but we also have to make it possible to summarize the results. In addition, the reference base year, the measurement of changes in units, the investment of the enterprises’ resources (on the input side) and the selection of result and impact indicators also represents a challenge.’
Dr. László Pintér, professor at the Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy at CEU and Senior Fellow and Associate of The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) praised the uniqueness of the consultation process: ‘This Hungarian process is also unique in terms of its international cooperation and the way that the business sector is playing such a proactive and forward-looking role in initiating cooperation with prominent scientific and civil experts to develop national sustainability goals. The participatory process itself creates exemplary and important benefits, not to mention the significance of addressing the upcoming questions: the integration of macro level risks into business, the measurement of effects and the identification of business solutions that go beyond business as usual.’
Exciting issues arose from the discourse at the thematic workshops, including the question of the use of fresh water, the contradiction between the capacity utilisation of fresh water supply and the efficiency of water usage, methodological difficulties with measuring carbon footprints, the need to integrate the concept of the circular economy, the difficulties of assessing ‘fair wages’ and the business solutions concerning non-ownership models of consumption.
The result of this process is a Tool Kit which can help companies to make commitments that can be monitored, in addition to identifying related business solutions or inspiring companies to find their own business solutions. Through this we may inspire even more companies outside BCSDH’s membership circle to contribute with business solutions to serious Hungarian social, environmental and economic challenges.
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Action 2020 Hungary:
The Action 2020 Hungary program is the Hungarian adaptation of the global Action 2020 program of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development – WBCSD.
Action 2020 Hungary is a platform for calling the business sector to action and for identifying the most important social, environmental and economic facts, trends and goals.
In contributing to these goals, business solutions are identified and concrete action is taken on the path to sustainable development. Food and Feed, Employment, Sustainable Lifestyles, Climate Change and Water are five focal areas for Hungary where sustainability challenges can be identified on a macroeconomic level that may have great impacts on social and economic welfare and the competitiveness of the business sector.
More than 100 scientific and civil experts and business CEOs actively contributed to defining the goals for Hungary.
00adminhttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngadmin2015-06-12 10:51:122015-06-12 10:51:12The Civil, scientific and business experts around the table – Action 2020 Hungary reloaded
The paper consumption of Coface over the past three years has decreased by almost 70,000 kgs. In 2012, Coface group used around 199,000 kgs of paper, this decreased to approximately 140,000 kgs in 2013, and this downward trend continued in 2014 to an overall consumption of 129,000 kgs. This tendency also represents cost savings for the Group while being environmentally aware. For every 40kgs of paper saved, a tree is saved.
00adminhttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngadmin2015-06-12 09:47:272015-06-12 09:47:27Coface has managed to save around 1,750 trees in two years
With a high level of corruption, can a country competitive? Can transparent operations increase the value of a company? Can having a dominant position be legitimate? Is being listed on the stock exchange a burden or blessing? Can publishing a sustainability report help to develop a company? Is it possible to operate ethically in an unethical environment?
The answers to such questions were sought out by ‘Future Leaders’ on the third professional training day, hosted by Richter Gedeon Plc.
József Péter Martin, Director of Transparency International Hungary, despite presenting shocking data about corruption in Hungary also stated that corruption can never be eliminated entirely but that decreasing it to an ‘optimal’ level should be a basic goal. Maintaining a good business and institutional environment in terms of transparency and a low level of corruption are essential to fostering long term sustainability and to the long term profitability of a company.
Let’s have an end to seeing stakeholders as enemies
Attila Chikan Jr., CEO of Alteo presented details about the pros and cons of transparent corporate operations from his own corporate experience. If we compare companies, ceteris paribus, those which are listed on the stock exchange are rated as being more valuable than non-listed ones: this is based on the advantages of liquidity and on their more transparent way of operating which is important to maintain investor confidence.
According to Attila, business success depends on seeing stakeholders as ‘friends’, not as enemies – of course, within reason. Such transparency does not mean sharing business secrets. The most important thing is compliance with the principle of ‘essentiality’: companies should not desire to ‘talk’ about everything, but only about important things – however, communicating about relevant information, processes and stories must be the responsibility of every company.
Passive participation in a cartel could mean committing a felony
Lawful operations and ethical business are closely-related issues – believes Dr. Orsolya Fazekas, legal counsel. Having a dominant position in a field of business is not legally forbidden and there may sometimes be a reasonable business explanation for this, but the abuse of a dominant position may have legal consequences. The following fact may be surprising, but passive participation in a cartel could have also legal consequences.
Walk around and look at the business context
Participants talked with Barbara Jánosa about the ethical business practices of Telenor. They discussed its value-based business roots, their form of realisation and the programs which can help to improve the ethical operations of small and medium sized companies.
Risk analysis and quick reactions
Zsuzsa Beke introduced the participants to the details of exchange advice / stock market reports through the example of Richter: this included an overview of expectations, benefits, risks, disadvantages and opportunities. Related corporate governance needs and their correspondence with ethical business were detailed using pharmaceutical industry practices, in doing so highlighting some interesting ethical dilemmas. In a case study about a competitor’s acquisition of an unethical market position a decision dilemma arose concerning ‘immediate reaction, high risk taking’ vs. ‘less impactful reaction, but risk minimization’.
How could we improve without revealing our situation?
István Szabó, KPMG’s CSR regional manager, gave an introduction and general overview of non-financial/sustainability reporting, which is increasingly expected by the public. He stressed that a report is not a ‘result’, but a description of a process which can really help a company develop.
Should we report about this?
We visited a fictitious management meeting in the afternoon where a CEO and Communication and Corporate Relations Director set out their stall against sustainability reporting with various objections and a great deal of scepticism. Every team (and their facilitator) had to offer up an HR, a financial and a marketing director to convince the sceptical management to publish detailed company data and information.
Is it possible to operate ethically in an unethical environment?
Closing the day, Erik Bogsch, CEO of Richter spent one hour with us in informal conversation. According to him, in spite of ethical challenges in industry in Hungary and in general it is possible to operate ethically even if this means creating a competitive disadvantages in the short term. Taking the ethical path is an ‘easy decision’ for the sake of long term success and sustainability. Decisions are needed and must be followed through, even if they seem difficult. While most Hungarian companies and their leaders say that they ‘ Could not plan further than one year due to the unpredictable environment’, the pharmaceutical industry innovates and develops using 5-15 year strategies.
00eszter.chikankovacshttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngeszter.chikankovacs2015-04-17 19:56:472015-04-17 19:56:47Competitiveness and transparency are closely linked
Thirty years of technological innovation, outstanding achievements and once-in-a-lifetime experiences mark a significant milestone in what is one of the most challenging engineering student competitions, Shell Eco-marathon Europe. 230 student teams from 30 countries throughout Europe and beyond are invited to Rotterdam from 21-24 May to push the boundaries of energy efficiency on the road.
The competition serves as a platform for students to test vehicles that they have designed and built themselves. The teams are challenged to drive as far as possible on the equivalent of 1 kWh or 1 litre of fuel.
For the first time in the history of the race, in total 7 Hungarian teams will represent Hungary in the challenge. Together with the team of Óbuda University, which is the oldest participant of the competition joining in 2008 for the first time, SZEnergy team from Széchenyi University of Győr is also an experienced contestant.
On the 30th edition of the European competition Shark and Paradicsom teams from Budapest University of Technology and Economics will take the challenge for the first time similarly to STECO team from the University of Szeged.
Besides higher education institutes, two high schools will also represent Hungary in Rotterdam. Students of Kandó Kálmán Technical School are considered as accomplished participants, members of Árpád Fejedelem Grammar School’s team, however, can test their vehicle designing skills for the first time.
Leading up to the competition in May, students are working hard to develop innovative approaches and technologies to squeeze every extra kilometre out of their vehicles. 3D-printing technology, wind tunnel testing and computerised throttle management are just a few examples of students working with state-of-the-art technology. This year, the teams can choose to race with a new energy type, CNG (Compressed Natural Gas). CNG is a low-carbon transport fuel that can be used as an alternative to petrol and diesel.
Péter Juhász, Senior District Manager of Shell Hungary says: “The 2015 season promises to be an exciting year for the European series. One of the most important aim of this competition is to look ahead at new technologies which will help us address the global challenges we face around finding new solutions for the future of energy and mobility. I can’t wait to see what the students will achieve this year.”
00adminhttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngadmin2015-04-07 16:36:472015-04-07 16:36:47Shell Eco-Marathon Europe celebrating 30 years of innovation with 7 Hungarian student teams
Regarding the financial expenses, it costs only 5% more globally for the economy to opt for the sustainable solution when it comes to development.
On March 26, 2015 Kitty van der Heijden, European Director of the World Resources Institution, one of the most influential persons dealing with sustainability hold a power speech at the business breakfast organized by the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH), the Netherlands-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
István Salgó, president of the Business Council highlighted the importance of the Action 2020 program, while H.E. Gajus Scheltema, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands emphasized the economical importance of sustainable thinking.
From the aspect of the economic growth the world has reached excellent results in the previous 20 years, in the field of social justice we can be moderately satisfied: two billion more people have access to safe drinking water, 90% of the children participate at primary education, the number of the people, who are living less than 1,25$ per day, has reduced by 50 %. Nonetheless we haven’t improved any of the ecological indicators: 3,3 million people dies due to air pollution per year, 13 million ha forest area disappears per year, the CO2 emission has increased by 50%, and what is most threatening: the negative trends are growing exponentially.
In order to secure that economic growth and environment protection go hand in hand, radical and effective changes are necessary – stressed Kitty van der Heijden in her presentation. ‘Certainly there will be losers among companies and industries – especially, if they do not begin the change of their strategy in time, however, at the same time the majority of the companies can benefit greatly from the new solutions. What is the difference if the companies, from sustainable aspect, choose the right or the wrong solution? It costs only 5% globally.’ – she emphasized.
The guests learnt how the global and environmental challenges affect directly the Hungarian economy or the future operation of their companies. It became evident for the skeptics that there are a lot of new solutions and tools available, so the core problem does not lay there. The difficulty is to leave our old, well-tried solutions and practices even if those seem more viable in short-term. Those companies who have been focusing solely on financial profit are also being more and more forced to take into consideration other, not even financial risks when they determine their strategy. ‘In the coming years we have to learn how we can optimize our strategy during our decision-making in the following four dimensions: climate change, growth of the population, vulnerability of the biosphere and economic growth.’
The internationally renowned opinion leader stressed the importance of the economic growth among the four dimensions: ‘There is no doubt, that economic growth is necessary. The unemployment has to be alleviated, the social injustice has to be reduced, pensions and health care systems are necessary etc. – to reach that, we need economic growth. The question is not that we should choose between growth or sustainable development but which green solutions we can adapt that facilitate our economic development.’
At the end of her presentation Kitty van der Heijden highlighted the importance of accountability and transparency which is nowadays not a voluntary commitment of the companies. It is becoming a constrain mainly for the global companies and their subsidiaries; so companies that take the new challenges seriously, will have more competitive advantage.
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Kitty van der Heijden is the Director of WRI’s (World Resources Institute) Europe Office. Prior to this role Kitty was the Ambassador for Sustainable Development and Director of the Department for Climate, Energy, Environment and Water in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. In 2014, she was elected as “Influencer of the Year” among civil servants, and listed as 20th in the top 100 most influential people in the Netherlands dealing with sustainability
00eszter.chikankovacshttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngeszter.chikankovacs2015-04-03 14:00:442015-04-03 14:00:44Economic growth and environment protection hand in hand – this is the sole road to sustainability
The cornerstone ceremony for Nordic Light, Skanska Property Hungary’s 7th office building in Budapest, was held on April 2nd. Located conveniently on inner Váci Road, Nordic Light is to become one of the most prestigious new office buildings in the capital of Hungary. CBRE was appointed as the exclusive letting agent of Nordic Light office building.
During the cornerstone ceremony, the building’s foundation act was signed by His Excellency Niclas Trouvé – Ambassador of Sweden to Hungary –, Mr. György Arató – Chief Architect of the 13th district –, Dr. Gergely Paulinyi, DLA – President and CEO of Mérték Group Zrt.-, Mr. Zoltán Linczmayer – Managing Director of Skanska Property Hungary – and Richard Burleigh, President of Skanska Construction Romania.
Based on its vision of today’s choice of new office accommodation and its role in corporate social responsibility, Skanska Property Hungary planned Nordic Light to be an ‘A’ class office complex, developed in line with the green building principles. The building will have a total leasable space of around 26,200 sqm and will be built in two phases. The first building consists of 6,600 square meters of modern office space, while the second phase will provide offices on 19,600 square meters. Tenants will be able to use a three-level underground car park with 404 parking spaces, as well as bicycle racks with showers and changing rooms, fitted for cyclists’ convenience. The 8-storey building will be equipped with modern sustainable solutions providing optimal indoor environment quality combined with high cost-efficiency.
The building has been pre-certified in the LEED system with a Gold rating.
‘Nordic Light is situated on Váci corridor, one of the most sought-after office locations of the city, and offers great visibility to our tenants. The technologies applied in this building represent our commitment to the energy-efficient, environmental friendly and healthy office spaces Skanska is famous for. With the design of the building, our aim was to create a workplace where people love to spend their time’, Zoltán Linczmayer, Managing Director of Skanska Property Hungary commented.
Currently, the superstructure of Phase I of the project is being developed and construction works of the underground levels of Phase II are also ongoing.
The architecture of the Nordic Light project comes from the Mérték Group, while Skanska Construction Hungary is the general contractor and Skanska Property Hungary in charge of its commercialization.
Skanska believes in developing a greener society and that by building green they do not just provide service to the customers, but just as much to the environment. With this vision, the company has been at the forefront of the office development market for many years of its Hungarian and worldwide operations. The Nordic Light development will be another prime example of how a building can be built with care for sustainability and be the heart of tenants’ business and an enjoyable place at the same time.
00adminhttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngadmin2015-04-01 08:43:192015-04-01 08:43:19Skanska laid the cornerstone for its new project, Nordic Light Offices in Budapest
The passengers of Budapest Airport donated nearly 2.5 million HUF to three charitable organizations in the space of a single year. Proceeds from the money boxes placed at the terminals of Budapest Airport are currently used to support the activities of the International Children’s Safety Service, WWF Hungary and the Hungarian Volunteer Sending Foundation. The airport operator introduced its new donation policy at the beginning of last year; a total of 6 new money boxes with a uniform appearance were placed, and an invitational tender was conducted for charitable organizations operating in Hungary, in order to receive a share of the proceeds.
During the handover of the donations collected in 2014, WWF Hungary was represented by director Katalin Sipos, the International Children’s Safety Service by deputy chairman Péter Harrach and the Hungarian Volunteer Sending Foundation by communications manager Zsolt Molnár. As agreed between Budapest Airport and the three charitable organizations, the money collected at the airport will be used in a targeted manner, i.e. on a large project by each beneficiary. Accordingly, passengers’ donations will contribute to organizing the Children’s Safety Service’s traditional equestrian therapy race held in Fót, a large international volunteer sending conference and the protection of the natural habitat of the wolves gradually re-settling in Hungary.
The donations were handed over by Gábor Szarvas, community affairs, environment, health & safety director for Budapest Airport, who thanked passengers for their unselfish support. “We are delighted to acknowledge that the new donations policy introduced last year is working well at the airport, and that our initiative seems to resonate with travelers,” he said. “We thank passengers for their generous donations. We are certain that they are happy to support the noble causes and initiatives selected as part of our policy,” he added.
00adminhttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngadmin2015-03-26 14:09:392015-03-26 14:09:39Donations continuing to gather at the terminals of Budapest Airport
Coca-Cola HBC AG (Coca-Cola HBC or the Company), the world’s second largest bottler of products of The Coca-Cola Company in terms of volume, published its 2014 Integrated Annual Report ‘It’s Good to Share on 20th March 2015.
This is the Company’s third integrated report and the first time it is reporting on all aspects of business, governance and sustainability performance in a single report, celebrating the relationships and partnerships that are key to its success.
Dimitris Lois, Chief Executive Officer, said: “We know that our success is closely linked to the vibrancy and wellbeing of our consumers and the communities we serve. For more than ten years, we have continuously refined our approach to managing our business responsibly and sustainably, ensuring that we earn trust by creating value for all our stakeholders. This value is increasingly shaped by factors beyond financial performance, such as environmental and social responsibility, reputation in the communities we serve, stakeholder engagement and investment into the development of our people – all of which contribute to the resilience of our business.”
Coca-Cola HBC endeavours to deliver value through outputs achieved with the highest level of quality, efficiency and care. In 2014, these included:
2 billion unit cases of beverages sold
589 million consumers served
2.1 million customers in 28 countries
36,362 direct employees, over 600.000 people employed in the entire value chain
€8.7 million invested in community programmes
31,296 volunteer hours invested to further social and environmental initiatives
Water footprint reduced to 18.4 billion litres
Carbon footprint reduced to 718,766 tonnes
Packaging recovery 73%
Recycled waste from operations 91%
In 2014, the Company’s sustainability initiatives focused on three key areas: promoting health and wellness, minimising environmental impact and benefitting local communities. Highlights in these areas include:
Health and wellness
1.6 million active participants in sports and fitness programmes
Low or no calorie soft drinks options available in all markets as of 2015
Voluntary front of pack calorie information on packages
Minimising environmental impact
Reducing total absolute carbon emissions by 7.8 % compared to 2013
Investing €5.8 million in water saving projects in more than 20 countries, saving more than 1.1 million cubic metres of water
Eight production plants awarded European Water Stewardship Gold certification
€4.3 million investment in energy saving programmes, reducing energy consumption by 300 million mega joules
Benefitting local communities
Investing €8.7 million (2.5% of pre-tax profit) in community partnerships and initiatives that address environmental and social issues
Investing €2.4 million in supporting the education of young people to increase chances of employment, and empowering women to become entrepreneurs
Supporting communities in need by investing over 30.000 volunteer hours combined with financial and in-kind donations at times of natural disasters
Coca-Cola HBC became the global industry leader amongst beverage companies in the Dow Jones World and Europe Sustainability Indices in 2014 and has been listed on the FTSE4Good index since the index was established in 2001. The Company was also awarded an A rating by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and a place in its Global Climate Performance Leadership Index.
‘It’s Good to Share – Building Trust, Spreading Happiness’ follows the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) framework and is in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative GRI 3.1. It fulfils Coca-Cola HBC’s commitment to communicate progress on the 10 principles of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the UN CEO Water Mandate and the UN Caring for Climate Business Forum.
Social and environmental disclosures in the Report have been independently verified by Denkstatt GmbH, including the content covering GRI requirements and UNGC communications on progress. Community investment data are verified by the London Benchmarking Group.
00adminhttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngadmin2015-03-20 13:23:312015-03-20 13:23:31Coca-Cola HBC AG continues commitment to creating shared value with 2014 Integrated Annual Report
For many years, there was an abandoned green area in the direct neighbourhood of Kispest Power Plant for whose development the Municipality of District XVIII launched a development programme. The objective of the programme was to create a leisure time park, comprising, among others, the cleaning of a lake located in the area, the construction of a walking trail, as well as grass and tree planting. Budapest Power Plant was glad to participate in the development of the area and to donate eight outdoor benches to the residents of Pestszentlőrinc. The development of the area and cooperation are planned to continue with the construction of a playground and a fitness trail.
00adminhttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngadmin2015-03-15 15:50:122015-03-15 15:50:12Municipal green area development sponsored by Budapest Power Plant