Business that creates opportunities, Economy of the future, Green balance and Everyone’s society – these were the categories in which Effekteam has awarded the different environmental and social investment programs of companies. Economic operators that are committed to change and invest their capital and resources into projects, products, services or businesses that have a positive and measurable effect, and create value for both the investors and the communities involved, can aspire to take home one of the Effekt 2030 awards. This year’s winners were awarded during the Közösség. Hatás. Jövő. (Community. Effekt. Future) conference.

Effekt 2030 – The award of community investments aims to present exemplary programs of companies and their innovative initiatives, and by awarding these, to contribute to sustainability and CSR initiatives of the business and startup sector and inspire company decision makers to increase their professional and personal engagement in these territories. The three categories of the award were developed in line with the UN’s SDGs – companies can now apply in the categories of Economy of the future, Green balance and Everyone’s society. The jury then selected 3 companies from each category, altogether 12 participating in the finals.

“While selecting from the projects, we have considered the aspects that are reflected in the slogan of our association as well: we have analyzed the mutuality, measurable results and innovative aspects of the projects on the dimensions of effect and future. We have selected those that have measurable, positive social and environmental impacts and are in line with the company’s business operations. The future belongs to sustainable business models, but this can only be reached with sector-wide cooperation and partnerships” -said dr. Klára Molnár, director of Effekteam.

The category Business that creates opportunities was won by Tesco-Global Supermarkets, for their program Food saving at Tesco. As part of the program, workers of over 170 supermarkets’ collect food that is still consumable, but no longer available for sale, to benefit the work of the Hungarian Food Bank Association, which then delivers these to those in need. So far, they have donated over 53 million portions of meals. Numil Ltd.’s Nutricia Home service, which helps over 1500 patients in treatment and their relatives with providing eteral tube nutrition, was also on the shortlist, along with Liferay Hungary’s Employee Volunteer Program, during which the company has supported the work of InDaHouse Association that helps young people break from the circle of poverty.

In the category Economy of the future, Invitech ICT Services won the award. Their smart village program helps small municipalities with digital catch-up, thus contributing to the development of the education and healthcare sector, equal chances programs, the recovery of tourism and strengthening local businesses. The finals also included K&H Group’s Start it @K&H Incubator program, which supports startup businesses and UniCredit Hungary’s Lépj velünk! (Take a step with us!) social innovation program. The latter supports initiatives that reduce the economic vulnerability of disadvantaged groups in a sustainable way.

The category of Green balance, the jury has awarded E.ON. The company’s EnergiaKaland (Energy Adventure) program aims to help teachers in broadening children’s knowledge about energy and to develop a conscious approach to using it. The project, which was developed in alliance with the relevant governmental branches, provides learning material for teachers, pupils and students between the ages of 5 to 18. SPAR’s global program, entitled Together with consumers to protect the environment, which provides energy saving and environmentally friendly solutions, was also nominated for the finals, along with Procter&Gamble’s GoGreen initiative, which aimed to educate the company’s employees about environmental protection.

Coca‑Cola Hungary has won the category of Everyone’s society. The company’s #YouthEmpowered program helps disadvantaged young people, young parents and people living with disabilities by providing practical knowledge and motivation, in order to help them find their way on the labor market. The program’s free trainings have already involved over 6200 participants.

OTP Bank accessibility program and awareness-raising campaign was also recognized, for having equipped hundreds of their sites with „talking” ATMs and video-interpreters that help the blind and the hearing impaired with administration by offering support. Accenture Kft’s Skill2Succeed – Rajtad áll a jövőd (Your future depends on you) program, which helps disadvantaged children to cope with the challenges of everyday life, was also shortlisted.

The public vote’s winner was Tesco-Global Supermarkets, for their Food saving at Tesco program. The jury has also donated a special prize this year to OTP Bank’s accessibility developments, and for their efforts to work together closely with professionals and NGOs while executing these.

Members of the jury were: Réka Matolay, teacher of Budapest Corvinus University, Bálint Nagy, director of Pénzcentrum.hu, Agrárszektor and HelloVidék, Éda Glória Pogány, sustainable business leader of Sygenta Eastern-Europe, Gyula Szabó, president of Ökoszolgálat Hungary and Alinda Veiszer, tv and radio editor, presenter and journalist.

Please welcome our Tungsram CSR Report 2018 in which we have summarized the endeavours and successes of the first independent year (or rather 9 months) of our company in corporate social responsibility.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an important factor in maintaining the esteem and reputation of Tungsram. Integration of CSR programmes and practices into our business model provides the opportunity for us to establish a valuable and sustainable culture both within and outside the company.

“Right from the moment of the company being independent, executive decision was taken that we would conduct CSR activities with at least the same intensity as during GE times. We are working on viable, sustainable and responsible programmes, which contribute to the enhancement of the welfare of persons, organizations and communities associated with Tungsram in any form” says CSR Leader Zsuzsanna Thierry.

Click here for the digital version of the report:

https://www.flipsnack.com/tungsramgroup/tungsram_csr_2019_en_kicsi/full-view.html

ClimateSeed launched by BNP Paribas is a social business which has the objective to accelerate the fight against climate change. This digital platform helps organizations to offset their CO2 emissions and so contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Using the tool companies can come into contact with projects offering voluntary carbon credits and seeking financing. ClimateSeed will reinvest all profits in carbon footprint reduction initiatives.

Within the initiative launched in cooperation with Nobel Peace Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus companies can support sustainable projects that capture or avoid CO2 emissions by securely purchasing carbon credits. The digital platform offers more than 25 projects including fight against deforestation, energy efficiency, renewables, household devices, water and waste management in more than 19 countries. All these projects have the aim of preserving the planet and contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN. All the projects are internationally certified and analysed via a strict due diligence process. ClimateSeed’s digital tools allow to attract, retain, engage but also educate stakeholders. Organizations can offset their CO2 emissions at the corporate level but also specifically for their products, services, investments, trips or events to differentiate themselves amongst the competitors and set a great example for their industry.

More information on www.climateseed.com and in this link to an introductory video: https://youtu.be/33NGAhuS7P8 .

Earthworks were temporarily discontinued at several worksites at Liszt Ferenc International Airport to allow sand martins to start their annual journey to Africa. The small migratory birds nested in the earth walls of a trench that had been dug out for a district heating pipe and a construction pit of a cable substitution job back in the spring. The young ones also have taken wing by now. The Budapest Airport team wished them a nice trip, fully appreciating their amazing flight performance: the fragile 13-gram birds cover 4000 kilometers to reach their sub-Saharan wintering grounds.

The sand martin is the smallest swallow species in Hungary. Unlike the rest of the swallow varieties, they do not build mud nests under eaves gutters or beams, but instead drill holes into river walls, loess walls, and sand-pits. Nestlings leave the nest after 22 days on average, but their parents continue to feed them for some time subsequently, persistently collecting flies, mosquitoes, and plant louses for them. For their annual migration they form bigger groups before flying out to Africa in the middle of September.

Experts did not know for a long time where exactly our sand martins spend the winter. Rung specimens have been difficult to capture, and songbirds are too small to carry satellite tracers. It became possible only a few years ago to map their route with the help of light level geo-locators. Recorded data of Hungarian sand martins equipped with tiny backpacks showed that marked specimens wintered to the south of the Sahara, in the region of Lake Chad.

Mapping of their route and wintering grounds is quite significant from a nature conservation angle because the swallow populations have been shrinking dramatically all over Europe, and a deeper understanding the reasons behind it may support their effective protection. Climate change, intensive agriculture using insecticides, and disappearing habitats are the main factors contributing to the radical reduction of the number of swallows.

In addition to sand martins, Liszt Ferenc International Airport is also home to house-martins. About forty nests can be found under the passenger boarding bridges that were refurbished and relocated last spring, and artificial nests were also installed onto the building next to the fire water reservoir of the airport, available for the birds next year.

From the perspective of aviation safety, the presence of birds is undesired at the airport, but swallows, fortunately, live in areas that are at a greater distance from runways, thus they do not represent a safety risk.

Sand martins moved into the trench next to the Cargo City construction site back in the spring, therefore earthworks in the affected area were rescheduled for completion at the end of the summer, by the time the birds successfully brought up their nestlings.

As the operator of Liszt Ferenc International Airport, Budapest Airport is making great efforts to protect the environment, including wildlife in its area, as several protected species of animals and plants can be found at Ferihegy, whose presence is monitored on an ongoing basis.