June 2025 - BCSDH

A Response to Changes in International Regulations – Amendments to the ESG Act Enter into Force

The final days of the Parliament’s spring session were closely followed by ESG-focused professional organizations, as the National Assembly voted on the amendment to the ESG Act on 17 June.
The final text was published in the 19 June issue of the Magyar Közlöny (Official Gazette of Hungary).

What does the final text include?

Narrowed Scope of Applicability

As expected, the scope of companies subject to the ESG Act has been significantly reduced.
Following the entry into force of the amendment, according to Section 1 (1) b) of the Act, the obligations apply only to large enterprises that:

carry out their main activity in one of the sectors listed in the Annex to the ESG Act, and
have an annual net revenue exceeding HUF 90 billion, and
employ at least 500 people as of the balance sheet date of the financial year.

Public interest small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are now exempt from the Act.

Reporting Simplifications

ESG reports covering the financial years 2024, 2025, and 2026:

no certification is required,
no submission to the ESG Authority is required,
and no public disclosure is required.

However, affected companies are still obliged to prepare the ESG report during these years, which must be approved by the company’s executive body.

Data Provision Requirements

Until 30 June 2027, micro and small enterprises cannot be required to provide ESG-related data and may not commit to doing so via contracts or written declarations.
(This restriction also applies to medium-sized enterprises.)

SMEs can fulfil their ESG data provision obligations by obtaining an ESG rating from the state-appointed ESG certifier.

That said, companies subject to the ESG Act may still reach out to their suppliers using questionnaires, so it is advisable for SMEs to continue collecting ESG-related data.

Refined Corrective Measures

Instead of the previous 3-month period, companies are now only required to suspend business relations with a direct supplier for 30 days in case of failed corrective actions.

21.06.2025

The Social Capital Working Group Moves Forward as a Creative Hub

News

On 19 June 2025, Randstad Hungary hosted the latest meeting of the BCSDH Social Capital Working Group. The event also marked a new beginning: going forward, the group will operate as a creative hub — an inspiring professional community working together toward a more sustainable and human-centered world.

The meeting began with a presentation by Sándor Baja, Managing Director of Randstad Hungary, who shared the latest findings from Randstad’s recent research. In addition to highlighting current trends, he addressed some of the key challenges expected to shape the next 5–10 years.

Next, Irén Márta, Director of BCSDH, and Attila Kelemen, CEO of ProSelf Zrt. and leader of the Social Capital Working Group, presented the group’s recent professional achievements related to the theme of human value. They also introduced a five-point action plan developed last year, offering concrete recommendations for the business sector.

A találkozó második felében a résztvevők közösen gondolkodtak arról, hogy vezetőként milyen területeken tehetünk konkrét lépéseket a következő időszakban. Olyan témakörök merültek fel, mint a munkahely, mint „safe place”, a munkatársak edukációja fenntarthatósági témákban, a pénzügyi tudatosság fejlesztése vagy például a nyugdíjba vonulók tudásának bevonása.

In the second half of the meeting, participants engaged in a collaborative discussion about the areas where leaders can take tangible steps in the near future. Key topics included: the workplace as a “safe space”, educating employees on sustainability topics, fostering financial awareness and involving the expertise of retirees.

20.06.2025

The Three-Legged Stool is the most stable – How can a company, franchise partner, and supplier work together for a circular economy?

News

Progress Étteremhálózat Kft., which operates McDonald’s restaurants in Hungary, hosted our second Circular Economy Working Group meeting on June 11, which members of the Circular Economy Platform could follow in person or online.

At the working group meeting, we gained insight into McDonald’s sustainability strategy and the main findings of the 2025 Circularity Gap Report, as well as learning about the circular solutions of Master Good Kft. and Progress Restaurant Network Ltd. and the characteristics of supplier relationships that prioritize sustainability.

To kick off the meeting, Judit Szabó, Head of Communications and Sustainability, presented how McDonald’s can have a positive impact on people and the planet. She emphasized that among the solutions supporting the circular economy, the responsible and sustainable use of raw materials and waste management are key elements of the company’s sustainability strategy.

Dr. Bálint Bartha-Horváth, CBRE’s senior sustainability advisor, presented this year’s Circularity Gap Report. In addition to macroeconomic trends, the report focused on circular economy indicators, with 23 sub-indicators included in the document. The report reveals that although we have taken small steps forward, global circularity is still moving backwards due to increasing material use. The latest data shows that compared to last year’s 7.2%, only 6.9% of global material flows can be considered circular. Another important finding of the report is that recycling alone will not solve the problem: if we only recycle all waste and do not reduce material consumption, circular material use (CMU) could be increased to around 25%.

“We can use everything except chicken breath,” said Attila Szabó, innovation and sustainability manager, who presented the circular model of Master Good Kft. in detail. Thanks to the company’s efforts, Master Good became the first company in the world to receive certification from McDonald’s Flagship Farm program in 2015.

The meeting concluded with a roundtable discussion moderated by Irén Márta, director of BCSDH, with the participation of Dr. Tibor Cselényi, senior quality and product development manager at Progress Étteremhálózat Kft., and Attila Szabó, on successful supplier cooperation. McDonald’s partnerships are based on a Three-Legged Stool strategy. They believe that any party (company, franchise partner, supplier) can only grow if everyone grows. High-level partnerships are based on mutual benefits, shared values, and consistently high quality.

Thanks to our sponsors:

12.06.2025

We need to assess climate risks – The question is no longer why, but how!

News

In 2025 BCSDH’s focus topic is climate adaptation, of which risk assessment is a key part. At our Race to Zero Working Group meeting on June 4, we explored the above issue, focusing on practical knowledge and implementation. This time, ALTEO was the host and one of the speakers of the event, as a leading company in the topic.

Irén Márta, Director of BCSDH, opened the working group meeting, followed by Anita Simon, Deputy CEO for Sustainability and Circular Economy at ALTEO, who highlighted in her welcoming speech that climate change represents both challenges and opportunities in the fields of energy and waste management. The details were presented by Éva Klein-Stiller, Sustainability and IIR Manager at ALTEO, presenting the process and practical implementation of the climate risk assessment, the physical and transition risks, the methodologies and tools used, thereby providing help and ideas for other member companies.

After the practical example and answering participants’ questions, the National Adaptation Center gave a presentation. First, Pál Selmeczi, head of department, presented the organization’s activities, the basic legal background and regulatory environment, and regulations related to climate change preparedness, emphasizing the obligations this entails for companies. The methodologies used, climate scenarios, and the specific tool, NAGiS (National Adaptation Geographic Information System), which companies can use to assess climate risks along 18 layers, providing a clear basis and guidance on the main points to know about each topic area. The NATéR online system was presented step by step by Dr. Maigut Vera, senior geoinformatics expert, who described its main functions and useful tools to make it as user-friendly and effective as possible for companies.

The series of presentations was concluded by Andrea Nagy, BCSDH Race to Zero project manager, who presented the planned BCSDH recommendations on climate adaptation together with the related action plan. The programs for the coming period and related autumn events were also discussed.

We would like to thank our host for their hospitality and for sharing their practical experiences, our colleagues at the National Adaptation Center for their exciting and informative presentation and demonstration, and the participants for their many questions and constructive discussions.

We would like to thank the sponsors of our Race to Zero program:

Sponsor of our carbon-conscious events:

05.06.2025