Environmental impact reduction

Pursuant to the new CSR strategy, all GPW Group companies have in place a uniform environmental policy designed to reduce the companies’ environmental impact and raise environmental awareness of Group employees. As the companies operate in the financial industry, the main areas of the environmental policy include: waste management and recycling;

• paper consumption;
• water consumption;
• energy consumption;
• fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions;
• employee education through internal communications.

Furthermore, in view of its activity and role on the Polish capital and commodity market, the GPW Group may indirectly impact the environment by promoting good behaviour of issuers and investors, for instance through promotion of and education in responsible investing and through the products and services it offers, especially WIG-ESG index and the Register of Certificates of Origin and the Register of Guarantees of Origin.

West management and recycling

According to its Waste Management Procedure, GPW delivers solid waste for treatment by recycling or disposal. Since February 2014, the Company segregates waste. Decommissioned computer hardware and other devices, such as phones, printers and office equipment, etc., are sold to the Company’s employees at auctions.

No auctions of IT hardware were held in 2019. However, two auctions offered equipment other than IT hardware, where 284 objects were put for sale. Another 94 objects were recycled without being put on auction.

No company cars were sold at auction or to third parties in 2019.

A part of the air-conditioning system in the former GPW server room was recycled in 2019.

Commodity, energy, fuel consumption

In 2019, the Exchange continued communications targeting employees and visitors to promote environmental behaviour with regard to consumption of commodities such as water and paper.GPW continuously monitors its consumption of commodities.

Water and paper consumption

^*estimated data based on invoices received from the Stock Exchange Center, the increase in water consumption is correlated with the increase in employment in the GPW Group and the rental of additional office space

Energy consumption

Centrum Giełdowe has in place advanced environmental solutions which reduce energy consumption. Offices are equipped only with lamps whose energy consumption is lower than that of traditional light bulbs and halogen lamps. The operation of lifts is optimised and the underground car park is heated with air pumped out of offices. GPW’s head office is equipped with a Building Management System (BMS) which controls installations within the building and consequently optimises the consumption of heat, power, water, air (ventilators) and ice water for air-conditioning. BMS supports programming of lighting in offices and corridors, which is automatically switched off at 8 p.m. throughout the building.

Power and heat consumption

^*CO₂ emissions converted under the KOBIZE guidelines of December 2019, Wskaźniki emisyjności CO₂, SO₂, nox, CO i pyłu całkowitego dla energii elektrycznej na podstawie informacji zawartych w krajowej bazie o emisjach gazów cieplarnianych i innych substancji za 2018 rok, emissions ratio in [kg/MWh] for end consumers of electricity: CO₂ – 765 kg/MWh (also used for heat conversion)

Fuel consumption

GPW’s car fleet only includes vehicles which conform to applicable emission standards. All of GPW’s company cars in operation are EURO-6 compliant. According to legal requirements, GPW pays environmental fees (for business cars).

Fuel consumption

 ^*converted based on the following indicators: 1 l gasoline = 10 kWH, 1 l diesel = 11 kWh, 1 kWh = 0.0036 GJ; CO2 emissions converted under the KOBIZE guidelines of December 2019, Wartości opałowe (WO) i wskaźniki emisji CO2 (WE) w roku 2017 do raportowania w ramach Systemu Handlu Uprawnieniami do Emisji za rok 2020, gasoline to CO2 – 69.3 kg/GJ, diesel to CO2 – 74.10 kg/GJ

Products and services

GPW Group companies offer products and services which indirectly support environmental efforts and impact the attitudes of participants of the markets operated by the Group companies. The Respect Index was such a product on the financial market, recently replaced by WIG-ESG.

In its core business, Towarowa Giełda Energii maintains a Register of Certificates of Origin since 2005, which is a part of the support scheme for RES electricity producers. Certificates of origin certify that a quantity of power was generated from a licensed renewable energy source. Certificates of origin include certificates of origin of agricultural biogas and certificates of energy efficiency (“white certificates”).

Since November 2014, TGE operates a Register of Guarantees of Origin. Guarantees of origin of energy are an element of the EU’s environmental policy and disclose the type of source and fuel used to generate power.

As power itself cannot be labelled, a system has been put in place where documents (guarantees) are generated together with power and expire when delivered to the end consumer. Guarantees of origin of energy from renewable energy sources (RES) are an additional important incentive for the growth of the sector. TGE’s Register of Guarantees of Origin is addressed to producers of energy from renewable energy sources, traders, brokers and all interested parties who need certification of the origin of electricity from renewable energy sources.

In October 2019, TGE added cogeneration guarantees to the Register of Guarantees of Origin.