Direct environmental impact

The nature of the business activities means that the direct impact of the Bank and the Bank’s Group on the natural environment is limited.

Direct impact on the environment depends on the manner of consumption of limited natural resources. The Group monitors the consumption of such resources and engages in activities aimed at reducing their consumption. In the previous years, a number of entities of the Bank’s Group performed energy efficiency audits (in 2022, such an audit was performed by the subsidiary Sopot Zdrój sp. z o.o.). On the basis of the results of such audits, the Group entities identified the areas with the highest energy saving potential and drew up action plans which are currently being successively implemented.

In 2021, in accordance with the requirements of the Act on energy efficiency the Bank conducted an energy efficiency audit. During the audit tasks were defined the implementation of which should lead to a reduction in energy consumption. These tasks are mainly focused on the optimization of the use/ modernization of the automatic control of heat sources and technical installations in properties (HVAC, heating). Investment tasks were also defined for a few properties. Some of the tasks concern properties which may be withdrawn from use in the near future, therefore the Bank is focused on carrying out only those tasks the completion of which will bring actual savings.

The reported emission limits include:

1. in the case of data for the Bank only this entity (100% of emissions)
2. in the case of data for the Group: The Bank and all subsidiaries of the Bank according to operational control (100% of emissions of each of the entities). The reported emissions comprise Scope 1, 2, and 3. Emissions in Scope 3 were extended to include data relating to subsidiaries, WTTs and rental of business space.

Greenhouse gas emissions were calculated in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG) Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard (revised) using the market-based and location-based methods.

The Bank recalculated the base year (2019) for Scope 1 (the DEFRA emission indicators database was used) and for Scope 2 (the National Centre for Emissions Management (KOBiZE) ratios were used after taking into account transmission losses and balance sheet differences). Detailed information on the method used to calculate emissions and the comparison with the base year are presented in the Inventory of greenhouse gas emissions of PKO Bank Polski S.A. for 2022 (Greenhouse gas emissions (pkobp.pl)).

In 2022, the Bank purchased guarantees of origin of electricity from RES in the amount of 69,000 MWh, which accounted for 93% of the Bank’s electricity consumption. The purchase of guarantee of origin contributed to a reduction of emissions by 52,591.37 MgCO2e. The Bank calculated GHG emissions intensity ratios for the purpose of comparison with the market. Total 1+2 Scope emissions for the Bank’s Group were used in the calculation. In this way, a full picture was obtained of the carbon footprint generated as a result of the operating activities.

The Group purchased electricity and heat, no purchases of technological steam or cooling were recorded.

The savings expected for points c and d amount to 1,179,398.3/year in total (0.6% of the Bank’s annual consumption). Tasks b, c, d resulted from the Bank’s Energy Efficiency Audit performed in 2021.

[302-4] The Bank continues activities aimed at implementation of the Energy Management System in accordance with ISO50001. It aims to optimize energy consumption at the enterprise, introduce a single energy consumption control system and intensify the measures aimed at reducing the consumption of energy carriers.

The Bank, as a waste producer, plans its activities to prevent them from being generated in the first place or reduce the amount of waste generated. The Bank has taken the following measures to reduce the quantity of waste produced:

• repair of electronic and electrical devices instead of handing them over for scrapping,
• repair of furniture fittings,
• resale of redundant assets instead of handing them over for scrapping,
• elimination of paper correspondence in favour of electronic correspondence,
• elimination of plastic waste (discontinuation of the use of coffee capsules, bottled water, plates, cutlery and cups),
• encouraging the Bank’s customers to resign from paper correspondence in favour of electronic mail.

Paper bank documentation is collected by a specialist company and shredded.

Moreover, in 2022 the Bank and the Group conducted the selective collection of municipal waste in all own locations and a number of rented locations.

The increase in the amount of oversized waste results from the liquidation of large branches, liquidation of a training centre, and scrapping of furniture equipment in the headquarters.

In other entities of the Bank’s Group, the amount of waste generated decreased from 490 tonnes in 2021 to 373 tonnes in 2022 (wastes generated which were destroyed or transferred to landfill).

The Bank has acquired low-carbon cars. In 2022, 629 vehicles were delivered to the Bank, including 581 with a petrol engine and 48 with diesel engine. Among the 581 petrol vehicles, 189 are equipped with the Mild Hybrid engine, and 15 with a hybrid drive. Pilot use of electric vehicles in the fleet was also carried out.

As a result of the activities undertaken, the Bank reduced the area of buildings and premises of the Bank (own and leased) by 25 thousand m₂ (from 807.7 thousand m₂ as at the end of 2021 to 782.7 thousand m₂ at the end of 2022) and the area of branches by approx. 10 thousand m₂ (modernisation or transfer).

The Bank continued a project Flexidesk which is aimed at creating a new working environment and enabling work rotation/remote office work by adapting office space to a flexible working model and providing standard IT equipment. The implementation of the project resulted in reducing office space by 10.7% in the Bank’s tested location. In 2022, 411 rotating workstations were created in Lodz and the office space was reduced by 2.2 thousand m₂ . The decision was made to implement the project in 2023 in three other cities (expected reduction of space by approx. 13 thousand m₂).

In June 2021, the Bank’s Management Board and the Bank’s Supervisory Board adopted indicators to be achieved in the ESG area and included them in the Bank’s Group’s non-financial goals for the following years. The settlement of achievement of non-financial objectives is presented below.