The nature of the business activity means that the bank’s and its Group’s direct impact on the environment is limited.
Direct impact on the environment depends on the manner of consuming limited natural resources. All entities belonging to the bank’s Group monitor the consumption of such resources and engage in activities aimed at reducing their consumption. A number of entities performed energy audits in prior years (2017– the bank; 2018 – PKO Leasing, PKO Towarzystwo Ubezpieczeń, PKO Życie Towarzystwo Ubezpieczeń), on the basis of which areas with the highest energy-saving potential were identified and action plans were drawn up, which are currently being implemented. None of the entities performed an energy audit in 2019.
[GRI 303-5] For the purposes of this report, the Group’s entities tried to estimate their water consumption. Selected entities (CENTRUM HAFFNERA sp. z o.o., Merkury – fizan, PKO Leasing and KREDOBANK) consumed 65 900 m3 of water (+17% y/y), while water consumption of other entities is accounted for based on service charges.
One of the strategic goals of the bank for the years 2016-2020 is to simplify and streamline its processes by limiting the number of paper documents. The SMARTOP project for digitization of sales and support processes was launched in 2017.
Since 2019, customers could make new types of orders through iPKO internet banking, which led to an increase of such orders to 40 at year-end. Our customers have used this opportunity approx. 340 thousand times. The possibility of placing instructions through a remote channel has a positive impact on customer satisfaction and results in reducing the number of documents printed at the branch.
At the same time, we conducted works on digitization of branch processes. In 2019, we introduced the possibility of mobile authorization of orders (using the application IKO) was implemented in the whole network of branches and agencies. As a result of this and SMS authorization, which was implemented in 2018 in place of traditional signatures on paper documents, in December 2019 more than 51% of major orders made at branches or agencies were executed in a paperless form.
As a result of all actions taken by the bank (including the SMARTOP project), in 2019 the consumption of paper decreased by approx. 24% compared with 2018, which is a continuation of the permanent downward trend in paper consumption by branches since 2016.
In 2019, the bank also carried out other activities aimed at reducing its adverse impact on the environment:
The bank and the other bank’s Group entities follow the environmental protection regulations in terms of fulfilling their obligations relating to waste management, maintaining the required documentation and reporting, including keeping records of waste, on the basis of which the bank monitors the types and quantities of waste produced on an ongoing basis.
[GRI 306-2] Hazardous electrical and electronic waste is handed over to a specialist entity where it is processed and recycled (100%) in compliance with modern European standards, using the latest recycling technologies available. Paper bank documentation is collected and destroyed by a specialist entity. Moreover, in 2019 the bank’s Group entities conducted selective collection of municipal waste. In 2019, the bank produced 843 tonnes of non-municipal waste (9% more than in the previous year), and the whole Group produced 897 tonnes (15% more).
BANK | BANK’S GROUP | OTHER ENTITIES | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
Total | 783 | 850 | 773 | 843 | 824 | 894 | 782 | 897 | 41 | 44 | 9 | 54 |
hazardous | 10 | 16 | ||||||||||
other | 763 | 827 | ||||||||||
including: | ||||||||||||
bulky waste | 491 | 488 | ||||||||||
electronic and electric | 106 | 136 | ||||||||||
magnetic and optical data carriers | 0.5 | 2 | ||||||||||
paper and cardboard waste (binders) | 4 | 4 | ||||||||||
iron and steel waste | 133 | 152 | ||||||||||
equipment | 29 | 44 |
The PKO Bank Polski Group regularly improves the records of energy and fuel consumption. For the purposes of preparing this report, a comprehensive estimate of energy and fuel consumption and calculation of the carbon footprint were made in 2019 for the first time. The calculations relate to energy and fuel consumption in 2019 for 100% of the areas used and transport, and:
Since it was the first time such a comprehensive estimate has been made, the year 2019 is the base year and comparison with the previous years is not possible. The consumption of all fuels was translated into an MWh equivalent. The bank’s Group entities purchased electricity and heat; no purchases of technological steam or cooling were recorded. The vast majority of the energy purchased was from non-renewable sources.
BANK | OTHER ENTITIES | GROUP | |
---|---|---|---|
2019 | |||
Total energy consumption | 208 862.13 | 30 149.74 | 239 011.87 |
Electricity and heating energy consumption | 154 672.32 | 17 771.01 | 172 443.33 |
Electricity purchased | 84 093.77 | 11 111.85 | 95 205.62 |
Heating energy purchased | 70 578.55 | 6 659.16 | 77 237.71 |
Natural gas | 21 836.39 | 2 320.66 | 24 157.05 |
Heating oil | 3 367.59 | 132.43 | 3 500.02 |
diesel fuel | 27 567.06 | 4 109.79 | 31 676.86 |
in building | 81.47 | 16.76 | 98.23 |
in vehicles | 27 485.59 | 4 093.03 | 31 578.63 |
LPG | 0 | 5.72 | 5.72 |
Coal | 207.67 | 0 | 207.67 |
Petrol | 1 211.09 | 5 810.14 | 7 021.23 |
Electricity consumption has been monitored and reported since 2018 for the parent entity and 10 subsidiaries. Heat consumption has been monitored and reported since 2019. Changes in the consumption of various fuels (gas and fuels used in vehicles) and electricity between 2019 and 2018 were partly due to the changes (improvements) in data collection methodology implemented in 2019.
The changes in energy consumption were partly due to operational changes, such as:
[GRI 302-4] The bank is preparing a plan to implement the Energy Management System in accordance with ISO50001 in order to optimize energy consumption, introduce a single energy consumption control system and intensify the actions aimed at reducing the consumption of energy carriers. A decision in this respect is expected to be made in the first quarter of 2020.
In addition, the bank is working towards optimizing energy consumption with a simultaneous cost optimization policy. The bank regularly defines new areas in which it is possible to take actions related to limiting the consumption of energy.
The nature of the bank’s business activities (high degree of dispersion of small properties) and the accepted principle that cost-saving measures should also be economically sensible (taking into account the life cycle of the facility) means that the optimization of energy consumption is a process, which the bank is conducting in parallel with other processes, e.g. planned investment projects. The main results of the activities relating to energy consumption in 2019 include:
In the fourth quarter of 2019, the Rotunda Branch building in Warsaw was opened after modernization, in which the latest technological solutions were used. They make it possible to:
It should also be noted that the use of materials containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was minimized during all modernization and construction works. Moreover, materials with the shortest possible transport distance and partly recycled materials were used. The effect of modernization works will lead to obtaining LEED and BREEAM certificates (the certification process is under way).
A standard of the New Format of Branches (NFB) was updated in 2019. The standard defines the solutions and technologies to help serve customers at the branch, develop self-service channels and digitize sales processes. The NFB is applicable to the Retail Market and Corporate Market Areas of the bank, the Brokerage Offices and the agencies of the bank. This format takes into account the recommendations of the Integration Foundation, which at the bank’s request audited the space available for customers. The conclusions from the audit, including those regarding persons with disabilities, are taken into account at new sites for branches, as well as at the branches that are being relocated and modernized.
[GRI 305-1, GRI 305-2] Emissions of greenhouse gases resulting from the company’s operations have been monitored in the PKO Bank Polski Group since 2019. The intensity of emissions is assessed using four greenhouse gas emission factors at the bank’s Group level, which are presented further.
The organizational boundaries of the reported emissions include:
The scope of emissions reported (operational boundaries):
The emissions were calculated using the tools made available in the GHG Protocol. Detailed information on the emission calculation methodology adopted is presented in the full report of PKO Bank Polski on greenhouse gas emissions for 2019 (available in Polish).
As a result of the calculations performed, the data confidence level obtained (understood as the percentage of data obtained from sources in the total data set used in the calculations, which includes data obtained from sources and estimated data) was “good” according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol standard.
BANK | OTHER ENTITIES | GROUP | |
---|---|---|---|
2019 | |||
Scope 1 – direct emissions | 12 093.42 | 3 049.38 | 15 142.80 |
Emissions resulting from the use of fuels in buildings | 5 462.25 | 512.94 | 5 975.19 |
Emissions resulting from the use of fuels in vehicles | 6 631.17 | 2 536.44 | 9 167.61 |
Scope 2 – indirect emissions resulting from purchase of energy | 89 562.16 | 9 346.80 | 98 908.96 |
Emissions resulting from purchase of electricity | 64 331.73 | 7 008.42 | 71 340.15 |
Emissions resulting from purchase of heat | 25 230.42 | 2 338.38 | 27 568.80 |
Scope 1 + Scope 2 – total emissions | 101 655.58 | 12 396.18 | 114 051.76 |
Indicator | Unit | Value |
---|---|---|
GHG emissions Scope 1+2 per employee | Mg CO2e / person | 4.07 |
GHG emissions Scope 1+2 per Customer | kg CO2e / person | 10.94 |
GHG emissions Scope 1+2 per PLN 1 million of assets | kg CO2e / PLN 1 million of assets | 327.69 |
GHG emissions Scope 1+2 per PLN 1 million of net profit | Mg CO2e / PLN 1 million of net profit | 28.29 |
The extended environmental responsibility of the bank’s Group, including the bank, is included, among other things, in the policy of financing the activities of business and public entities. The bank has been taking initiatives with the objective of caring for the environment for years. This applies to several areas of activity:
The main assumption of the Policy for Financing the Carbon Intensive Energy Sector is a gradual change in the loan portfolio structure towards reducing the exposure to coal-based customers and transactions and increasing the exposure to entities/transactions supporting zero emission or low carbon intensive energy sources. It is consistent with the European climate policy and the market trends, associated, among other things, with the need to comply with BAT standards, the Winter Package and Paris Agreement provisions, etc.
The policy covers e.g. the following industries: mining of coal and lignite, production of mining (and similar) machinery, generation of electricity (with the exception of renewable energy sources) and supplementary activities in the power sector (transmission, distribution, cogeneration) and it assumes:
The Policy for Financing the Chemistry, Oil and Gas Sector defines, among other things, the framework for financing entities operating in the sectors of oil and natural gas extraction, production and distribution of liquid and gaseous fuels, production and trading in chemicals/ chemical products, and production and sales of rubber and plastic products. The bank adopted a strategy of reducing exposure to operations that will be covered by the EU Single-Use Plastic Directive and a prudent approach to sectors of oil and gas extraction or production of chemicals, chemical products and rubber products. The prudent approach involves, among other things, assessing compliance with environmental standards and impact on the environment and evaluating the business model with regard to the concept of sustainable business development.
The following pro-environmental products were introduced in the offer and the following initiatives were taken in 2019: