We held our second ESG Working Group meeting on 10 April, hosted by Allianz Hungária Zrt.
The issue of sustainability has also become an inescapable part of the insurance sector, emphasized Péter Török, Director of Accounting and Finance of Allianz Hungária Zrt. Anna Ötvös, sustainability and ESG expert, gave a deeper insight into the company’s sustainability objectives.
ESG-related legislative changes are in the focus of our working group meetings. We were delighted to have Gábor Csaba Molnár, ESG Director of the Regulated Activities Supervisory Authority (SZTFH), as our guest this time. He emphasized that the Hungarian ESG Act aims to support the competitiveness of Hungarian companies, to reduce the increasing information demand of external actors, to help them prepare for ESG reporting and certification, and to ensure predictable economic planning by reflecting the legislation of the European Union and the Member States. In his presentation, he also touched on the latest developments, indicating that several amendments to the ESG Act are expected in the near future, and the related implementing regulations are being prepared.
The SZTFH commentary on the amendments to the ESG Law is available here: https://sztfh.hu/az-esg-torveny-modositasa-tamogatja-a-hazai-vallalatok-versenykepesseget-kommentar/.
In the second half of the meeting, we further explored the theme of human values, the focus of the year. How important is work in the lives of Hungarian workers? How much do we like working from home? What do workers want to learn? Sándor Baja, Managing Director of Randstad Hungary Kft., gave us a presentation on the recent, and in many cases thought-provoking, results of the Randstad Workmonitor 2024 survey.
Companies can do most to reduce inequality through their employees. Andras Iljicsov, Managing Director of Spreadmonitor Ltd., invited Sara Pásztor, Managing Director of Skilly, to the meeting, who presented a new opportunity for participants in the employment of people with disabilities.
What is a life-long manager like? How to focus on people as an asset? What can managers learn from their subordinates? Zoltán Gazsi, Managing Director of Eisberg Hungary Kft., discussed these questions with Irén Márta, Director of BCSDH, in the context of her recently published book “Emberszemlélet”.
In addition to climate change and biodiversity loss, growing inequalities are our world’s most urgent sustainability challenge. Growing inequalities have become systemic risks globally, threatening not only individual communities or companies but entire economies and societies.
The insights from the professional forum, including the challenges and enabling factors that were identified, will be further processed during executive roundtable discussions in May. Our goal is to provide recommendations for companies on the topic of human value, which will be presented at the BCSDH Business Lunch in October. It is important to encourage companies to act in this area and assist them in taking the most important steps.
First, Dr Barbara Botos, Ambassador at Large for Climate of Energy Ministry, reported on the COP28 Climate Summit, which she of course attended. She confirmed that a historic agreement has indeed been reached with the decision on transition away from fossil fuels, but that much remains to be done to really achieve climate neutrality. Her presentation gave participants an overview of the achievements and challenges ahead.
On behalf of the Bay Zoltán Research Centre, Péter Chrabák, Head of the Circular Economy Research Unit, first presented the company’s unique research activities focused on sustainability, ranging from materials science, agriculture and energy to waste.
