The school supply donation campaign Joy to Give! — a joint initiative by the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta and SPAR Hungary—has successfully concluded once again this year, with countless generous shoppers joining the nationwide effort.

During the in-store collection held between 21–24 August 2025, nearly 100,000 school supplies and educational items were donated at INTERSPAR stores. In addition, shoppers wishing to help donated over 1.8 million forints through the purchase of donation cards, available since 1 August. SPAR Hungary further contributed 1 million forints to the cause, which the Charity Service will use to purchase more school supplies.

The donations will be swiftly distributed at the beginning of September: through the national network of the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta, carefully prepared packages will reach 1,800 children in need, ensuring they can begin the school year fully equipped.

“Purchasing even the most basic school supplies can be a significant burden for the poorest families. With the Joy to Give! campaign, we are not just providing notebooks, pencils, or school bags—we are giving children a fair chance, so they don’t start the school year at a disadvantage. The support of volunteers, customers, and SPAR once again provided genuine help for thousands of children” emphasised Tamás Romhányi, Head of Communications at the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta.

“Every child deserves to start the school year with joy and a sense of security. It is touching to see how generously our customers support us year after year when it comes to helping families in difficult circumstances. We are proud to contribute to the September school start each year alongside the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta” said Márk Maczelka, Head of Communications at SPAR Hungary.

The results of the donation campaign and further details can be found at www.adniorom.hu.

E.ON has commissioned a new energy storage facility in Soroksár to enhance energy network stability and allow the connection of new solar panel systems to the grid. This development was realized through a HUF 784.5 million budget, in part financed by the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility and from E.ON’s own resources.

The MNB published its annual Green Finance Report and Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD)

The MNB realised two comprehensive reports in the spirit of sustainability: in addition to its own environmental sustainability risk analysis, the Green Finance Report for the year 2024 was also published. The documents examine the economic and financial effects of climate change and natural risks. Among other things, the reports state that the share of renewable energy has reached a historic peak in Hungary, and green lending has also expanded alongside the development of the Sustainable Capital Market. The MNB’s aim is to support the adaptation to the green transition in a transparent way.

The Green Finance Report can be found here, the TCFD report is available here.

Grant Thornton research: ESG and business growth go hand in hand

According to Grant Thornton’s latest international research, mid-market companies worldwide increasingly regard sustainability not merely as a regulatory obligation, but as a strategic growth driver. Nearly 90% of the surveyed businesses plan to maintain or increase their sustainability investments over the next 12 months, while more than half of business leaders already associate ESG directly with tangible business benefits.

Across the globe, we see that sustainability initiatives are less about compliance and more about creating business and economic value, becoming key drivers of competitiveness and brand strength. Mid-market leaders have recognized that ESG is not a cost but an investment — one that simultaneously enhances operational efficiency, strengthens employee engagement, and opens doors to new markets.

The Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR) surveyed nearly 15,000 mid-market business leaders across 35 countries worldwide.

In 2025, 41.6% of companies cited staying ahead of competitors and 38% cited reputation enhancement as their primary sustainability-related business goals — both significantly stronger motivations than a year earlier.

The long-term business benefits are equally tangible: more than half of mid-market companies (54%) believe sustainability increases future profitability, while 51.3% expect it to drive revenue growth.

Key findings from the research:

• 85.9% of mid-market firms plan to maintain or increase sustainability investments this year.

• Nearly half (49.8%) say sustainability performance is key to entering international markets.

• A majority (54%) expect higher sales prices and improved profitability as a result of sustainability-related investments.

A defining strength of mid-market companies is their agility in responding to market changes. It is now clear that those who proactively integrate sustainability into their business strategy gain a competitive edge. This is not only about regulatory compliance but also about meeting the expectations of clients, investors, and employees alike.

Where are the investments flowing?

The most popular area is renewable energy (43.5%), supported by cost-efficiency and tax considerations. At the same time, commitment to diversity and inclusion has grown markedly: in the U.S., the proportion of mid-market firms investing in such programs rose from 31% to 44.8%.

In Hungary, the situation is partly similar — renewable energy continues to play a major role, while climate adaptation and internal governance measures (ethical codes, whistleblowing systems, supplier due diligence) are gaining importance, particularly as the mandatory “compliance” component of sustainability reporting gradually eases.

Reporting: a business tool, not a burden

Despite the changing regulatory landscape — including the EU’s CSRD simplifications — 72.9% of mid-market companies continue their sustainability reporting efforts. Among them, 44.8% consider transparency valuable from a business perspective, and 35.9% regard it as an integral part of their corporate mission.

Companies unable to demonstrate credible sustainability practices risk jeopardizing key business relationships. This is not merely a reputational issue — it can determine whether they remain part of critical supply chains.

It is also important to highlight the role of collaboration: costs and complexity remain shared challenges. Working together with investors, industry peers, and clients makes it easier to develop viable and broadly applicable sustainability practices.

Barriers and opportunities

The most significant barriers include costs (40.9%), regulatory complexity (35%), and administrative resource demands (32.3%). However, businesses increasingly recognize that sustainability investments can yield rapid returns and create long-term operational stability.

Currently, the greatest challenge is not cost, but economic uncertainty. The business confidence index is 26% lower than a few years ago, prompting many companies to act cautiously and scale back investments.

At the same time, the easing of regulatory pressure has opened up new opportunities: together with our clients, we can now focus more on identifying and implementing value-creating, long-term sustainable projects. These initiatives not only generate competitive advantages but also contribute to cost reduction and enterprise value growth.

Thanks to the trust of our clients, we have already prepared numerous ESG reports for first-wave obligated companies — and our experience shows that these almost invariably deliver tangible business benefits.

The SPAR Talent Expand It! succession programme has successfully concluded and continues to thrive: its third edition has given new momentum to future leaders and key experts.

SPAR Hungary has successfully completed the second cycle and launched the third edition of its Talent Expand It! succession development programme, one of the company’s most comprehensive talent management initiatives. Launched in 2021, this 15-month development journey offers participants intensive professional and personal growth through training sessions, coaching, mentoring, and an international benchmarking trip. They also take an active role in strategic projects. The programme’s goal remains the same: to prepare future leaders and outstanding experts to tackle SPAR’s organisational challenges.

“Identifying, developing, and retaining talented and conscientious employees is one of the greatest challenges in today’s business world. In a rapidly changing market environment where knowledge is one of the most important competitive advantages, our key objective is to offer our colleagues a clear development path and real career prospects. The Talent Expand It! programme not only prepares the leaders of tomorrow but also reinforces the principle that investing in internal talent development is the best long-term strategy,” emphasised Ildikó Szijjné Kállai, head of HR at SPAR Hungary.

Regarding entry into SPAR’s internal programme, a renewed, multi-stage selection process was launched last autumn. Interested candidates could initially apply through an open call — not only via leadership nomination but also independently. Those who met the professional expectations (higher education qualification, language skills, and length of service at SPAR) progressed to the next stage, where they could demonstrate their suitability through an online Development Centre process. The selection decisions were made jointly by SPAR leaders and external HR partners, based solely on the candidates’ performance on the day.

The programme participants were divided into two groups: the High Performer (HIPE) group, which included young specialists who demonstrated outstanding results in a short period, and the High Potential (HIPO) group, comprising colleagues with several years of experience who show leadership potential and are ready to take on leadership roles within the next 1 to 3 years. During the programme, members of both groups acquire competencies that ensure their long-term professional and leadership development.

The experiences of previous years have confirmed the significance of the programme: 91% of the participants have been retained within the company, and the promotion rate has reached 75%. Although the programme does not automatically guarantee a career leap, many alumni already hold responsible leadership positions. Following the completion of the latest edition, the Talent Alumni community was also established, which continues to serve as a platform for knowledge sharing and networking. In addition to talent development, SPAR operates a comprehensive internal training system. The SPAR Online Academy offers more than 150 e-learning courses available to all employees of the company. In 2024, our colleagues completed over 65,000 digital learning modules, dedicating a total of more than 34,000 training hours to online learning. The courses include professional training, onboarding, IT security, and soft skills topics. The content follows a modern, storytelling-based educational methodology and is accessible nationwide, including via mobile devices.

SPAR’s goal is not only to create opportunities for development but to actively support it — from joining the company to becoming a key expert or leader. The Talent Expand It! programme has proven that there is a path to future career goals; it simply requires giving talented individuals the chance to prove themselves.