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CEO Letter

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CEO Letter

Dear Stakeholders,

On behalf of one of the largest and fastest growing energy groups in Poland, with a business model that covers all elements of the energy value chain – from production to direct sales to business and individual customers, I present to you the seventh CSR report of the Polenergia Group.

  • 102-14

This report has been prepared in accordance with Global Reporting Initiative guidelines and is addressed to all our Stakeholders. In this report, we present the corporate social responsibility activities that we carried out in 2021 as well as our plans for the coming years.

Last year was, for many reasons, different from others. The second year of the COVID-19 pandemic left a mark on the entire global economy, however the Polenergia Group’s business model proved to be highly resilient to such adverse macroeconomic environment. In 2021, we continued the mission of the Polenergia Group and actively supported the transition of the Polish energy market by developing low-emission, clean renewable energy sources, such as offshore and onshore wind farms, photovoltaic farms and clean hydrogen technologies. We started to supply energy from the future, which is the ecosystem of innovative technological solutions based exclusively on green renewable energy in line with the Energy 2051 standard, which is unique on the Polish market. It is 30 years ahead of the market, as it already meets the European Green Deal guidelines for delivering zero-emission energy after 2050.

One of the most significant events last year was the acquisition of Edison Energia. It was our response to the needs of the changing market where distributed energy generation is quickly gaining in importance. We are aware that the Polish energy sector cannot be effectively transformed without prosumers. That is why, as we develop our own green energy sources, we are also becoming one of the leading energy companies competing on the final customer market.

Another significant event in Polenergia’s activity was the success that Group companies achieved in RES auctions. Three projects won auctions for large new onshore wind power plants and for photovoltaic plants and they will receive support for some of the production volume. The 38 MW Szymankowo Wind Farm commissioned in the second half of 2021, six of the projects currently in construction as well as other new projects may increase Polenergia’s renewable capacity to 585 MW within the next 2 years. This will double the Group’s current RES capacity. We were also successful in the main capacity auction, as a result of which the Nowa Sarzyna Cogeneration Plant owned by the Polenergia Group concluded a capacity agreement for 2026.

Another notable event last year was the granting of the right to cover the negative balance of the so-called “contract for differences” to the companies developing MFW Bałtyk I and MFW Bałtyk III – our strategic offshore projects. It was an important step in the execution of both projects with the capacity of 1440 MW, which were thus included in the first phase of development of offshore wind energy in Poland.

In the social dimension, we are committed to our surroundings, to our stakeholders, and we pay special attention to social and environmental matters, while at the same time showing respect and care for our employees. These are the factors that form the basis for promoting corporate social responsibility and conducting a business activity while taking social and environmental needs into account.

With respect to sustainability, we are consistently implementing the assumed CSR strategy. We are the first energy sector company in Poland to launch, last year, a comprehensive interactive ESG website, which is a platform for communicating the Group’s activity from the environmental, social and governance standpoint. It provides current and accurate knowledge about activities undertaken in the corporate social responsibility area.

As a signatory of the Diversity Charter, by adopting a responsible attitude and undertaking CSR activities, we identify with its values such as diversity, inclusive organizational culture or preventing discrimination at work. We are using our potential to develop responsible business in Poland. In 2021, we were ranked among the most advanced employers in the Diversity and Inclusion area. The list prepared by the Responsible Business Forum, which is the coordinator of the Diversity Charter, included only 31 organizations in Poland that have already achieved a significant level of implementation of diversity-supporting activities and are the most advanced in diversity and inclusion management.

The declaration signed by the Polenergia Group three years ago to join the Global Compact Poland Ethics Program, drawn up on the basis of the United Nations Global Compact, confirmed our ongoing efforts to improve our involvement and build the best possible relations with our Stakeholders. In order to strengthen the Group’s ethical standards even more, we also joined the UNGC “Ethical Standard” Partnership.

Since 2019, we have also been involved in biodiversity projects that always accompany our new investments. We plant honey meadows in our photovoltaic farms, supporting the ecosystem services provided by large areas of land. Wherever we develop new wind projects, we plant new plants in local parks and squares to create spaces that integrate residents of townships surrounding our projects. We also plant native plant species, which provide a food base for animals.

We are also actively involved in the education of future workforce for the energy sector through cooperation with foundations and universities and in environmental education for children and young people.

In 2021 we also started preparing the entire Group to reporting in compliance with the TCFD requirements and CSRD requirements, as 2022 will be a watershed year for non-financial reporting. We have already shared our carbon footprint – calculated on the basis of Scenarios 1 and 2 of the GHG Protocol – with our stakeholders. This year, we are launching the work on the new ESG strategy for the coming years, in which we plan to maintain our previous sustainability commitment and extend the scope of activities associated with the environment, social activism and corporate governance.

I hope that all readers interested in our Group’s vision of responsible business will find this CSR report very satisfying.

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