Climate protection and adaptation Archives - Page 2 of 2

Urban energy efficiency and energy community

“Our cooperation with the city of Szolnok goes back many years, and with this agreement we have taken another big step towards an even more sustainable future. This investment is particularly important for us, not only because we are implementing a unique, forward-looking community solution, but also because we have found a partner in the municipality who, like us, wants to actively fight climate change and is leading the way. We work every day for these shared successes and we want to be an example to others.”
Zsolt Jamniczky, deputy CEO

Company name:

E.ON Hungária Group

Implementation Year:

From 2022

Focus Areas:

Climate protection and adaptation, Alternative energy use and energy efficiency, Stakeholders, local communities, Consumer awareness

Program Objective:

Energy communities are community, non-profit organisations made up of individuals, public institutions and businesses that offer a stable and environmentally friendly solution to energy supply.

The aim of the Szolnok Smart Municipal Energy Model is to build a complex, energy-efficient, innovative energy system that can simultaneously meet the needs of consumers, producers and the grid connected to the municipal network, and optimise the energy distribution and use processes between the different units.

Under the cooperation, 9 solar power plants with a total capacity of 330 kW will be set up at 6 locations to serve Szolnok’s energy needs, and energy communities will be established to further help use the energy generated efficiently. The investment will provide an environmentally friendly and forward-looking energy supply solution, helping to operate more cost-effectively and reduce energy expenditure.

Program Measures and Commitments:

The modernisation of the buildings of the institutions of the municipality has a significant impact on reducing energy demand and thus on maintenance costs. The project will therefore:

we are replacing facade doors and windows in 3 apartment buildings and 6 other institutional buildings (nursery, kindergartens, doctor’s office, nursery management office), as well as
we perform facade thermal insulation on approximately 4,883 m2 of wall surface and
slab thermal insulation on 3022 m2.

In these buildings we will also upgrade the heating, replacing around 82 boilers with new, modern, energy-efficient condensing gas boilers, including chimney restoration and replacement of radiators.
To meet energy needs, new decentralised solar PV systems will be installed on the roofs of 9 buildings with an installed capacity of 331.75 kWp, in the form of small household-scale power plants. We are also installing an innovative solar covered carport, which will provide covered parking for 15 cars in addition to generating electricity. We will also install five AC car chargers, each with a capacity of 1×22 kW, and a DC charger with a capacity of 75 kW. This will ensure access and development of electromobility for the population.

Both the municipality and E.ON are committed to maintaining and further developing the energy efficiency and innovative improvements created by the project. The current phase includes the integration of the designated buildings into the energy community and the maximisation of the members’ consumption of locally produced renewable energy. Future plans include the inclusion of other buildings in the municipality and the inclusion of consumers living in the municipality’s rental housing in the energy community. In addition, the continuous monitoring of consumption will provide the opportunity to balance consumption and generation in the future by using storage, which through further optimisation will provide the opportunity to increase local energy supply and thus cost-effective maintenance.

Program Impact and Results:

The project is in the construction phase, so final results are not available. Based on our calculations, the installation of nearly 5,000 m2 of modern insulation and the replacement of windows and doors will significantly reduce the heating demand of the consumers living in the apartments, while modern gas boilers will result in reduced gas costs and lower emissions. The more than 330 kW of solar PV systems to be installed will generate at least 400 MWh of electricity per year: a saving of nearly 100 tonnes of CO2. The 5 fast chargers and 1 electric charger to be installed will make a significant contribution to supporting the spread of e-mobility.

The project will have an impact on the entire population of Szolnok, reaching nearly 70 000 people.

Key words:

energy communities, energy efficiency, energy supply, partnership

11.12.2024

Raising biodiversity to a strategic level

Biodiversity, Climate protection and adaptation, Corporate strategy, Water usage

„When we were founded in 2008, we made a clear commitment that has remained unchanged: we understand that the choices we make today will affect the future of our descendants in the future, and we will always make sure that the Earth is a liveable and lovable place for generations to come. Conserving and restoring our natural diversity is a priority area for this, and one that has been included in our strategy, with the attention and resources needed to achieve meaningful impact and systemic change.”
Attila Chikán Jr., Chairman-CEO

Company Name:

ALTEO Group

Implementation Year:

From 2022

Focus Areas:

Climate protection and adaptation, Water usage, Biodiversity, Corporate strategy

Program Objective:

Protecting natural diversity is also an increasingly important task for our company. Although our activities do not have a large direct negative biodiversity impact, we consider our direct impact important, as our facilities affect natural habitats and our emissions associated with our activities have a general impact on the living environment.

In order to assess the significant impact of our activities and services on biodiversity and to integrate biodiversity monitoring and objectives into our strategy, we have set the following targets and commitments:

Conduct a water-related risk assessment and biodiversity survey for our sites in 2023
Develop a biodiversity action plan by 2025
Investing HUF 100 million in pilot projects to support biodiversity conservation by 2030
Integrating biodiversity as a factor in corporate systems and processes

The Green Committee is responsible for the preparation and implementation of the Company’s sustainability strategy and efforts. The Green Committee is a body of senior executives and experts that reviews and approves corporate policies and long-term objectives for sustainable development and ensures that the ESG approach and climate risks are kept on the agenda. The Green Committee also ensures a consistent representation of sustainability in the ALTEO Group’s external relations.

Program Measures and Commitments:

Our infrastructure projects, such as power plants, affect large areas of land and important water bodies. We pay particular attention to keeping our environment clean and to the principles of precaution, responsible care and prevention.

Our Integrated Management Policy allows these factors to be taken into account, as it states that we will pay particular attention to them as part of our commitment to sustainable development and social responsibility:

biodiversity and land use,
conservation of natural values,
protecting our environment, and
improving our environmental performance in a consistent and systematic way.

But this commitment is only the first step towards addressing and reducing our biodiversity impacts and potential risks. The importance of this topic is not in question, but we need more information to take the right next steps and to effectively define a concrete, targeted and monitoring system. This is why we have a strategic objective for sustainability to carry out a biodiversity and water risk assessment.

Biodiversity protection has been added to the list of materiality issues, indicating that it is a topic that will receive strategic attention and play a strategic role in the future.

Of all the power plants owned or operated, only the Gibart hydroelectric power plant is included in the Natura 2000 priority sites for nature conservation and special protection areas for birds as an ecological corridor. None of our other sites is located in or in the immediate vicinity of a protected area or an area of high biodiversity value outside protected areas.

The corporate risk assessment included a separate risk analysis for water, biodiversity and climate change.

Program Impact and Results:

In our Integrated Report 2022, we reported for the first time on Biodiversity Conservation as an identified relevant topic, for which we plan to carry out further assessments and targets in the coming years in the short (2024-2025), medium (2026-2030) and long term (2030-2040). A biodiversity assessment has been carried out with the assistance of an external expert. One of the key elements is that a dedicated budget has been allocated to ensure that the projects are implemented in a meaningful way.

The biodiversity action packages identified focus on the following 4 main areas:

Ecological maintenance of sites
Protecting the biodiversity of off-site natural resources, habitats and landscapes
Improving the biodiversity of areas relevant to the operation of sites and power plants
Strengthening public benefits for biodiversity conservation

Keywords:

biodiversity, water protection, climate protection, Green Committee

05.12.2024

Bank for a Sustainable Future

Biodiversity, Climate protection and adaptation, Water usage

For a responsible company, sustainability is not only a moral imperative, but also a business imperative. By integrating ESG considerations into our strategic business activities, we strive to make our everyday actions benefit our environment. As one of the largest financiers of domestic companies and the general public, we believe it is important to contribute to our clients’ own sustainability goals. We believe that companies should not only generate profits, but also take responsibility for a sustainable environment and society.
dr. Zsolt Barna, Chairman-CEO

Company Name:

MBH Bank Nyrt.

Implementation Year:

From 2023

Focus Areas:

Climate Protection and Adaptatition, Water usage, Biodiversity

Program Objective:

MBH Bank, identifying the main challenge of our time, environmental and operational sustainability, is committed to be a key player in the creation of sustainable economic operations in the domestic financial markets. To this end, in December 2023, it established a complex ESG programme called Bank for a Sustainable Future, which spans several years.

MBH Bank has made three key commitments under the programme:

preserving biodiversity,
achieving decarbonisation, and
achieving green lending targets.

In order to achieve its decarbonisation ambitions, the Bank is joining international organisations such as the Net Zero Banking Alliance and has committed to be the first Hungarian-owned bank to join the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) in 2024, which will validate its emissions reductions on an international, scientific basis.

Program Measures and Commitments:

On 4 December 2023, at the Climate Summit event, the Bank announced the “Bank for a Sustainable Future”, a comprehensive sustainability and environmental framework programme spanning several years, with three key commitments:

have set themselves the goal of preserving biodiversity,
protect our natural habitats and species through green finance solutions and programmes, and
support Hungary’s climate goals and decarbonisation efforts.

To deliver on their first commitment, they are working with the Ministry of Agriculture to implement biodiversity support programmes in 10 national parks in Hungary. The explicit aim of the cooperation agreement is to support national projects with national organisations.

Conservation efforts related to pranticole, one of the most endangered shorebird species in the Carpathian Basin, will be expanded through the implementation of a tagging survey with the involvement of the Nature Conservation Watch of the Hortobágy National Park Directorate.
In another joint initiative with the national parks, solar-pumped water recharge based on renewable energy will be implemented in the Danube-Tisza river basin to restore disappearing wetlands that are drying up due to climate change and sinking groundwater levels.
A further conservation objective is the reconstruction of the Pannonian saltmarsh wetlands with intermittent water cover in the saltmarsh and the maintenance of their associated protected species, including the red-bellied pochard and several species of shorebirds.
In addition, wildcat conservation projects are also important. The planned studies and the expected results can provide the basis and support for the development and implementation of practical conservation strategies for the species on a comprehensive, larger scale and at local level.

Along their passive products, they help market players who are doing a lot to preserve biodiversity, through active products, credit investments and investments that increase energy efficiency. They aim to increase the stock of green credits by 4 percentage points by 2024.

Program Impact and Results:

Under the MBH Forest project, launched in 2023, nearly 30,000 trees have already been planted, and this number will increase further in 2024 to restore damaged forests in the areas of the Ipe River Forest.
The Bank will support Hungarian beekeepers with nearly one million forints per month after the sustainable card spending.
In 2023, the Bank supported the installation of 200 blood broods in the context of the green flat-rate service, of which 128 broods were flown out, and the installation of broods continued this year.

The Bank supported the national parks with HUF 34 million, and also contributed to the investments of Ipoly Forest Ltd. and Pilis Park Forest.

Keywords:

Biodiversity, forestation, decarbonisation, national park, renewable energy, green finance solutions

19.09.2024

„New Life by Auchan”

Circular economy, Climate protection and adaptation, Consumer awareness

“Auchan Hungary, as a responsible company, is aware of the need for retailers to take action for a more sustainable future. One more thing I would like to highlight in this context is education, as this is part of our sustainability goals. We are constantly working to ensure that changes are noticed by our customers and that they are comfortable with them. We also want to promote a collective change of attitude through our environmentally friendly investments and measures, as we have many people coming to us every day who see what Auchan is doing in this area.”
Viktória Lucenko, CEO

Company Name:

Auchan Magyarország Kft.

Implementation Year:

2022

Focus areas:

Climate protection, Climate adaptation, Waste management, Circular economy, Consumer education

Program Objective:

In March 2022, the retail chain also took up the fight against the polluting effects of the textile industry by launching a second-hand clothing business called New Life by Auchan. The company’s revolutionary measures to reduce electronic waste, in addition to eliminating plastic and reducing textile waste, will also include second-hand phones from July 2022. Fully refurbished mobile phones will come back with a one-year guarantee, at a much lower price than the original. This means that customers will be able to buy high-quality products at a much lower price than new, both online and in four stores.

Program Measures and Commitments:

The textile industry has a highly polluting impact on many areas, such as increasing water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and landfill saturation. The continuous production of clothes also leads to a significant increase in textile waste. Auchan wants to draw attention to this problem, which is why it has decided to include a second-hand clothing collection in its range, called New Life by Auchan.

Auchan places a high priority on sustainability and wants to encourage its customers to do the same. It is indeed important to seize these opportunities, because if we think that “it’s not up to me”, we are very much mistaken. A lot of small things can make a big difference, and the more of us who take this path, the more we can reduce the impact on our environment.

The New Life by Auchan collection is a great way to shop more consciously, and we can give new life to some second-hand items in our spring wardrobe. The new collection is accompanied by a heart-warming campaign, with posters with charming words like “I’m ready to start a new life with you” or a windbreaker that reads “Be my new companion and I’ll protect you from the wind”.

Program Impact and Results:

The pioneering initiative was launched on 16 March 2022 in seven Auchan stores: in Budaörs, Debrecen, Dunakeszi, Székesfehérvár, Miskolc, Szigetszentmiklós and Maglód. The second-hand clothes are tastefully arranged, and the selection is wide and includes quality women’s and men’s items. The carefully checked, sorted, good condition clothes arrive after thorough disinfection, packed, labelled and hung up in the stores. Prices for the New Life by Auchan collection range from 990 HUF to 3300 HUF.

Keywords:

NewlifebyAuchan, Auchan, secondhand, secondhand clothes, secondhand phone, secondchance

15.08.2024

Protein production in circulation

Circular economy, Climate protection and adaptation

„Our aim is to create a more efficient and sustainable feed production system than ever before, using environmentally friendly technologies. We are improving our processes every day to further contribute to the development of a circular biomass-based domestic economy.”
Rajmond Percze, Managing Director

Company name:

Agroloop Hungary Kft.

Implementation Year:

2017

Focus Areas:

Circular economy, Climate change, climate adaptation

Program Objective:

Agroloop Hungary Ltd. aims to reduce European protein exposure by producing feed from locally available, low feed-grade raw materials, which it converts into premium quality feed protein and fat using fly larvae. Globally, one third of all food produced for human consumption, around 1.3 billion tonnes per year, ends up as waste or is wasted. These are often industrial-scale by-products with valuable nutritional content. Agroloop has recognised the potential of these resources and, thanks to its circular operation, is able to recycle them without any pollution.

Program Measures and Commitments:

We are also investing more than €20 million to expand our black soldier fly rearing and processing operations on the outskirts of Budapest. In our circular model, we feed insect larvae to food by-products at the bottom of the feed value chain, and then use the larvae to produce premium feed ingredients for pets and livestock. Since many apples are grown in Hungary, juice producers produce a lot of pomace and fruit pomace. This is wet and does not keep very long, so it cannot be transported very far. The same is true for unused parts of maize, or even wheat bran, but it is also the raw material for packaged salads, and for insects, for example, cabbage stalks or unused parts of salads are perfect. It is from these ‘organic by-products’, which others have already discarded or burnt, that the biomass is produced to feed the black soldier fly larvae. The larvae rapidly increase their body mass, grow in an automated system, confined in thousands of crates, and eventually all the adult larvae and the compost (insect excrement) produced as by-products are used. The premium quality feed protein and oil provides an excellent feed material for pet food (dogs, cats) and livestock feed (pigs, poultry). The potting soil-like excrement of the larvae is used to produce compost that is both suitable for restoring the eviscerated soil and also provides essential nutrients for the plants. In this system, resources are used for as long as possible, waste and pollution are minimised and products are recycled, repaired or reused at the end of their life cycle.

Program Impact and Results:

Unlike feed protein from the average livestock production, insect larvae and their feedstocks can be produced on a comparatively smaller land area and using less water, with lower carbon emissions, per unit weight. Insects are cold-blooded and therefore use significantly less energy during their life cycle, requiring only 10 litres of water to produce 1 kg of high quality feedstock, compared to, for example, a water footprint of 2,000 l/kg for soy production, an average of 5,500 l/kg for pork and up to 16,000 l/kg for red meat.

Keywords:

circular economy, insect protein

15.08.2024

Reforestation at the Grundfos Székesfehérvár site

Biodiversity, Climate protection and adaptation, Corporate strategy, Employee well-being, Reduction of air pollution, Responsible corporate governance, Stakeholders, local communities

“Sustainability has always been a matter of the heart for Grundfos and is one of our core values. Therefore, we strive to pioneer solutions to the world’s water and climate challenges and improve people’s quality of life. This corporate goal is an integral part of our daily operations. The reforestation project at our Székesfehérvár site serves these goals, and following the principle of ‘think globally, act locally,’ we aim to do more for sustainability by building on local opportunities and needs.”
Olivér Szundy, Country Director / Csaba Udvar, Managing Director of the Székesfehérvár plant

Company Name:

Grundfos Hungary Manufacturing Ltd.

Implementation Year:

2022-2024

Focus Areas :

Climate Protection, Climate Adaptation, Air Pollution Reduction, Biodiversity, Employee Well-being, Stakeholders, Local Communities, Responsible Corporate Governance, Corporate Strategy

Program Objective:

The primary goal of the reforestation project implemented on a 4000 m2 area is to locally reduce CO2 emissions in the immediate vicinity of emissions. Expert estimates suggest that after 20 years, we can achieve approximately 25 tons of CO2 savings. In addition, improving the air quality in the industrial park environment and increasing biodiversity are also objectives.

Additional Goals:

Reducing noise and pollution from road traffic.
Mitigating north-northwest winds.
Returning a piece of nature to what the factory occupies.

Program Measures and Commitments:

In 2022, Grundfos initiated the biodiversity program at its Székesfehérvár plant, which will conclude in 2024. A crucial goal was to give back a piece of nature from what the factory occupies. Besides preserving and increasing biodiversity, a significant sustainability goal is to reduce CO2 emissions, which reforestation substantially contributes to on a 4000 m2 area. It’s worth emphasizing that this wasn’t merely tree planting, but a complex creation of a new ecosystem that will become self-sustainable in the long run, requiring no special care or intervention as this function is returned to nature.

Key steps and milestones:

The first step was selecting the area, designated or taken from the factory’s green areas, for the project.

The project creation was supported by a diverse team of experts, from facility management to environmental, health and safety personnel, and HR, ensuring that all necessary aspects are incorporated and applied during the program’s design and operation.

In addition to colleagues, it was essential to involve external experts, including cooperation with the Székesfehérvár City Maintenance, Vadex Mezőföld Forest and Game Management Ltd., and the University of Western Hungary.

The project concept was developed, followed by obtaining permits locally and globally.

After procurement, soil tests and preparation of the loess soil were carried out. The expertise of foresters in suggesting suitable tree species for the specific area and climatic conditions was crucial. In the end, around 3000 plants were planted, including field maple, Turkestan pear, wild pear, sessile oak, common oak, and, for the forest edge, hawthorn from domestic shrubs.

Post-care is crucial, and this will be carried out by local forestry experts under a 3-year framework contract.

In the future, we plan to establish a recreational park and communal space on the site for employees and company partners, thereby promoting the possibility of connecting with nature.

Program Impact and Results:

Key results:

Local capture of emitted CO2 on a 4000 m2 area.
Preservation and increase of biodiversity by planting 5 different tree species.
Avoidance of lawn mowing and fertilizer use to preserve the soil.
Climate adaptation – adapting to climate change (the forest has air-cleaning and cooling effects).

Keywords:

biodiversity, CO2, net zero, forest, Grundfos, climate change, climate adaptation

10.10.2023

Natural Office Park

Alternative energy use and energy efficiency, Biodiversity, Climate protection and adaptation, Employee well-being

“We believe that humans are a part of nature and feel at home where they have a direct connection with it. The Park was conceived in this spirit, and to this day, we continue to develop it based on this idea. We are building modern offices, a diverse natural environment, and a cohesive community. We believe that sustainability goes beyond green technologies and is about creating a world where everyone can thrive, recognizing the dignity and value of every human being.”
János Kocsány, CEO

Company Name:

Graphisoft Park SE

Implementation Year:

1998-2023

Focus Areas:

Climate Protection, Climate Adaptation, Alternative Energy Use and Energy Efficiency, Biodiversity, Employee Well-being

Program Objective:

The development of Graphisoft Park is a brownfield investment that started in 1996 on the abandoned grounds of the Óbuda Gas Factory. Our goal was to create real green environments for the office buildings constructed after the revitalization of the area, and to reintegrate the area into the urban fabric. We began creating biodiversity as part of the very first developments, and the natural environment has continued to evolve alongside the buildings.

The built-up area is 25%, while the green area accounts for more than 60%, with approximately 2,500 m2 of green roofs. Graphisoft Park represents a unique quality as a green and biodiverse office park in Budapest.

Program Measures and Commitments:

We don’t just provide office space for rent, but also offer an attractive green environment and a high-quality mental setting. The new business model recognizes that the natural environment of the office park is just as important as modern offices. There are three schools operating on the Park Campus. Creativity requires employees and students to be able to go outside, walk, and have communal spaces for exchanging ideas. The founders of the park saw the return on investment in high-quality work rather than just in real estate development. The creators of the park paid special attention to creating green spaces. Spacious groves surround the buildings, and the trees are taller than the houses. Multi-level underground parking lots were also built so that the surface view is defined by greenery rather than a multitude of parked cars. A lake in the center of the park and, of course, the uniquely quiet Danube riverside promenade provide unparalleled tranquility to the place. The desired result was for tenants to find a long-term home due to the uniqueness of the natural features.

Detailed landscape plans were prepared during the preparation of the office development. As a result, 14 hectares of the Graphisoft Park area were built and 8,400 m2 of land was covered with green vegetation. We acknowledged that providing parking spaces for our tenants is also an important consideration when choosing an office. Therefore, since the 2006 expansion, we have built over two thousand parking spaces underground. This allows us to create a green area ratio of over 60% in the park.

The rate of construction is only 25%, which is quite extraordinary in Budapest and even in Europe.

During the investment, approximately 300 trees were planted. In the center of the park, we created an artificial lake where we introduced fish. We also managed to lure back birds that had moved away 70 years ago.

Sustainability goes beyond environmental protection; it’s also about the human factor. Human relationships, community life, and people paying attention to each other are just as important a part of sustainable development as resource preservation. We pay attention to the health and well-being of those working in our buildings, providing them with appropriate conditions and creating communal spaces for this purpose.

Program Impact and Results:

Developed area from 1998 to 2023: 14 hectares, 82,000 m2 of office, laboratory, educational institutions
Built-up area ratio: 25%
Percentage of green area: over 60%
Number of trees: approximately 300
Number of bird species: 22 (Hungarian Ornithological Institute survey, 2021)
Number of tenants from 1998 to 2023: 180
Cumulative loyalty index (average lease duration from the start of the current tenants’ lease): 15.1 years
Number of employees/students working/studying here: 5000/1000 people
Occupancy rate: 97% (reduced by 2% due to the pandemic and home office)

Keywords:

Biodiversity preservation, brownfield investment, real estate development, communal space, community building

10.10.2023

Regenerative Agricultural Initiative in the Nestlé Pet Food Supply Chain (Bük and Surrounding Areas)

Biodiversity, Climate protection and adaptation, Stakeholders, local communities, Sustainable supply chain, Water usage

“Nestlé aims to source one-fifth of its key raw materials from areas that use soil regeneration methods by 2025. The essence of the LENS program is to eliminate the negative impacts of large-scale agricultural production, which has become widespread worldwide, and restore the exposed soil to a state where it can sustain its fertility in the long term.”
Peter Noszek, CEO

Company Name:

Nestlé Hungary Ltd.

Implementation Year:

2022-2023

Focus Areas:

Climate Protection and Adaptation, Water Usage, Biodiversity, Stakeholders, Local Communities, Sustainable Supply Chain

Program Objective:

By 2025, Nestlé aims to source one-fifth of its key raw materials from areas that use soil regeneration methods.

The essence of Nestlé’s soil renewal agricultural program in Bük is to:

Eliminate the negative impacts of large-scale agricultural production, which has become widespread worldwide.
Restore the exposed soil to a state where it can sustain its fertility in the long term.

As part of the program, Nestlé Purina seeks to promote the transition to soil renewal agricultural practices among its suppliers to:

Improve the resilience of its supply chain.
Contribute to the company’s net-zero emissions goal.

Program Measures and Commitments:

The broader adoption of regenerative agricultural practices, which supports food security, can:

Significantly sequester carbon and reduce emissions.
Increase soil water retention, improving water quality.
Enhance biodiversity.
Facilitate the inclusion of livestock grazing.
Provide long-term security for farmers.

The Landscape Enterprise Networks (LENs) methodology is used to develop private-sector ecosystem service marketplaces in specific regions. The program, developed by the British sustainability consultancy 3Keel, is running in several European countries and is managed by the international nonprofit organization Preferred by Nature, aligned with LENs principles and guidelines. In Hungary, the Nestlé Purina Petcare unit initiated the LENs program in the Western Transdanubian region in 2021. A significant portion of the raw materials supplied to the Nestlé Purina pet food factory in Bük is sourced from Hungarian farmers.

The LENs methodology is an independent mechanism based on ecosystem services. It allows businesses with a common interest in the protection and improvement of natural values and functions in a given region to jointly finance specific practices and measures.

The Impact and Results of the Program:

In 2022, the program worked with over 3 farmers on more than 200 hectares to implement soil renewal agricultural practices, financed by Nestlé Purina for over EUR 260,000.

In 2023, the program continues with 12 farmers on more than 5,000 hectares, including the measurement of results through a developed monitoring, reporting, and verification system. The program also includes farmer education and awareness-building through the Farm Network, which organizes 4-5 farmer training sessions annually.

Keywords:

Regenerative Agriculture, Soil Renewal Agriculture, Biodiversity Restoration, Climate Protection, Food Security, Supply Chain

10.10.2023

Professional Guide for Next-Generation Solar Parks

Alternative energy use and energy efficiency, Biodiversity, Climate protection and adaptation, Consumer awareness

„Our goal is not just to make the electrical energy green, but to ensure that the developed facility can be fully integrated into the local ecological cycle. That’s why we launched this initiative, which is groundbreaking in Hungary. Solar power plants have been considered environmental investments by developers before, but the aim of integrating power plant areas into nature and the comprehensive approach to this had not appeared systematically in the domestic market until now.”
Dr. Gábor Farkas, Managing Director

Company name:

SolServices

Implementation year:

2022

Focus Areas:

Climate Protection and Adaptation, Alternative Energy Use and Energy Efficiency, Biodiversity, Consumer Awareness

Program Objective:

Whatever we do, the preservation of biodiversity is our shared responsibility. Following this principle, we have developed a unique professional guide for the creation of environmentally-friendly solar parks in Europe, which we are implementing under the name ‘Lumen Park.’ Our goal is to combine the benefits of solar energy production with nature conservation and ecosystem preservation. In addition to the sustainability of social and environmental well-being, we aim to ensure the long-term sustainability and value retention of investments. With our partners, we want to set an example for players in any industry: the key is not to compromise nature for the sake of industrial production efficiency but to find solutions for the preservation of both.

Program Measures and Commitment:

Our goal was to create the country’s leading public solar parks in a way that:

simultaneously addresses the increased demand for clean energy,
meets the growing sustainability expectations of society,
maximizes biodiversity,
minimizes the implementation footprint as much as possible.

The Lumen Park professional guide was developed in collaboration with experts from seven organizations. We reached out to potential partners at the beginning of 2020, making a concerted effort to engage a broad spectrum of industry stakeholders. The following were invited:

Engineering design firms,
Contractors,
Operators,
Small and large companies,
Environmental service providers,
NGOs (non-governmental organizations),
National parks.

The English version of the professional guide was completed in 2022, and for this occasion, we invited internationally renowned ecological researcher Hannah Montag to a professional consultation. During a multi-day workshop, we shared our findings and insights. We are currently continuing our collaboration with our partners, primarily focused on promoting the publication.

The professional guide is fundamentally built upon international research findings. It serves educational purposes by presenting the expected positive environmental impacts of solar parks, thereby educating local stakeholders. However, there were no concrete recommendations or toolkits available to achieve or potentially amplify these positive results. Based on the evaluation of international research findings, the company’s experts concluded that a solar park should be viewed as a fallow agricultural field. By applying tools that have been successfully tested in ecological agriculture, such a professional guide can be created for industry use, enabling the establishment of high-value green energy investments. This approach ultimately proved to be unique on an international level, enriching the international professional community with new ideas.

Program Impact and Results:

A professional guide has been created (in English and Hungarian) that allows for the maximization of the positive ecological and environmental impacts of solar panels, thus enabling the production of truly sustainable and clean energy.

The professional guide is actively downloaded by energy and environmental experts, educators, and laypersons from Hungary and all over the world. Based on feedback, national parks are actively using the guide when granting permits for solar parks. After the completion of solar parks, ongoing monitoring continues, so within a few years, there will be precise domestic information about the impact of solar parks on biodiversity.

Keywords:

solar energy, solar park, guide

04.10.2023

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Related Links:

Keywords:

Company Name:

Implementation Year:

Focus Areas:

Program Objective:

Program Measures and Commitments:

The Impact and Results of the Program:

Related Links:

Keywords:

Company name:

Implementation year:

Focus Areas:

Program Objective:

Program Measures and Commitment:

Program Impact and Results:

Related Links:

Keywords: