Society

Primary objectives sought by the ORLEN Group are to develop and engage local communities, provide friendly and safe workplaces, and foster consumer awareness spanning social, civic and environmental matters. The ORLEN Group leverages its significant purchasing power in the region to promote sustainability across value chains.

Overview

The ORLEN Group’s corporate social responsibility stands for informed and comprehensive management of CSR and environmental protection initiatives, which we view as our priority. CSR management at ORLEN falls within the remit of the External Relations Office, reporting directly to a member of the ORLEN Management Board. The External Relations Office is responsible for implementing CSR activities, and in particular for:

• Supervising CSR activities in line with capital market standards, including in particular arranging CSR programmes and running charitable initiatives.
• Building relations with local communities.
• Coordinating and promoting nationwide and regional CSR programmes.
• Promoting socially responsible attitudes.
• Continuing efforts to maintain a platform for cooperation and sharing experience in corporate social responsibility within the ORLEN Group.
• Implementing the ORLEN Group Sustainable Development Strategy for 2021–2023 in the social sphere.

Presented below are the Group’s own indicators concerning the social area reported on a year-on-year basis.

Presented below are the key performance indicators for the former PGNiG Group, which was integrated into the ORLEN Group on November 2nd 2022.

Former LOTOS Group for the period Aug–Dec 2022:

38 donations were made for the following causes:

In 2022, ORLEN was pursuing the ORLEN Group Sustainable Development Strategy for 2021–2023, which has outlined ambitious sustainability and CSR goals, closely aligned with the Group’s business strategy until 2030. The ORLEN Group Sustainable Development Strategy for 2021–2023 responds to the growing expectations of investors, who increasingly pay attention to ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) rankings and reports that show actual commitment of companies to sustainability goals. CSR initiatives are also undertaken based on the ORLEN Group Code of Ethics and Agenda 2030 – the UN resolution on sustainable development at the global and local level. Charitable activities are governed by the Charitable Policy of ORLEN S.A. and the Organisational Standard Regarding the Pursuance of the Charitable Policy by Companies of the ORLEN Capital Group

The loyalty discount card scheme dedicated to the Territorial Defence Forces (WOT) was also continued. As part of the project WOT soldiers are entitled to discounts at ORLEN service stations. The scheme was launched on May 1st 2020, with a total of 42,000 cards issued by the end of 2022. In 2022, WOT soldiers purchased 1.63 million litres of fuel using the cards.

Loyalty cards for volunteer firefighters registered in the National Firefighting and Rescue System, who can buy fuel at ORLEN service stations at discounted prices. In 2022, 6,000 BIZNESTANK loyalty cards were issued, enabling firefighters to purchase 7.95 million litres of fuel. A total of 113,834 BINZESTANK cards have been issued since the cooperation began.

Based on the findings of a survey titled ORLEN’s Perception among the Residents of Płock (carried out in November/December 2022 by Mind&Roses), engagement in preventive health care projects is important and well perceived by the local community. Support for healthcare services (67%) and promotion of healthy lifestyles (58%) were named as the key indicated areas of support. In addition, the local residents identified preventive health care projects as the top priority area (among the CSR activities they were asked to assess) in which the Company should engage.

Involvement with local communities in Płock

ORLEN and other ORLEN Group companies put special focus on their role as socially responsible members of their respective local communities. The Group considers both direct and indirect impacts of its activities on the social environment it operates in. It is an employer, tax payer, sponsor, charity provider, and partner for numerous suppliers, institutions, and organisations. The basic tools used to monitor the effectiveness of projects for local communities include surveys carried out by independent research institutes. The methods used include Computer Assisted Personal Interview Surveys (CAPI) on a representative sample of residents aged 18+, according to data from Statistics Poland.

Continued support was provided for activities of the Grant Fund for Płock Foundation. The Group is a founder and sponsor of the Foundation, Poland’s first initiative of this kind, which is unique in that it is based on sectoral collaboration and fosters business-local government partnerships. The Grant Fund, which in 2023 will celebrate its 20th anniversary, provides financial support to local non-governmental organisations, offering them the opportunity to carry out interesting, interdisciplinary projects that extend beyond municipal competitions. By financing Płock-based institutions, but also ideas submitted by private individuals and informal groups, the Foundation participates in projects aimed at raising the standard of living for Płock residents in all areas of life, from sports, through social welfare, to education and culture. Money is donated to projects initiated by local residents that are consistent with the Strategy for Sustainable Development of the City of Płock and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

A broad-based survey was conducted among driving school students as part of the Safe Future on the Road project, oriented towards development of an effective method for educating prospective drivers and thus reducing the number of road incidents in the 18–24 age group. The survey findings will be used by the project team to formulate a teaching concept focusing on young drivers in order to improve road safety and thus bring down road accident rates. The project is carried out in partnership with the Municipal Police Command Centre in Płock and the Provincial Road Traffic Centre in Płock within the framework of GovTech Poland, a governmental innovation programme.

To support ORLEN station personnel as part of the We Sell Responsibly campaign, materials were prepared relating to the prohibition on sale of alcohol to intoxicated customers and sale of alcohol and tobacco products to customers under 18 years of age. 

Involvement with local communities in Pomerania 

After the merger of the LOTOS Group and ORLEN on August 1st 2022, the ORLEN Gdańsk Branch continued the acquired company’s CSR projects. The Branch strives to operate in a sustainable manner in all areas of its business, with due regard to all legal requirements and in accordance with the principles of corporate social responsibility. The company supports social initiatives and projects. Its sponsorship activities focus on sports, culture and art, as well as social and environmental initiatives carried out primarily in the counties and provinces where its plants are located and in places where its marketing activities are run. 

Involvement with local communities – PGNiG Branch Complex

In its CSR activities throughout 2022 PGNiG focused mainly on the following areas of social engagement: Support for Ukraine after the outbreak of the war (providing accommodation, food and transport for refugees, ongoing assistance, support for bottomup initiatives put forward by employees, including collections of medicines, school supplies, etc.); Health promotion activities addressed to the employees (Health Days, Pink October); Environmental protection campaigns; Regular blood donation sessions; Educational campaigns and meetings. In 2022, to mark the 200th anniversary of the birthday of the Polish inventor Ignacy Łukasiewicz, a great number of educational events for children and young people were held to popularise his achievements; Active support for the local community provided by the PGNiG Operator Branch in Pakistan.

Following the merger with the ORLEN Group (November 2nd 2022), in November and December 2022 the PGNiG Central Branch and the PGNiG Branch Complex continued a range of social outreach projects that have a long tradition within the organisation. The last two months of the year were the time of recapitulation of year-round initiatives, including:

Oil Miner in the School and Kindergarten – 8th edition of the project, implemented mainly by the Zielona Góra Branch. Throughout the school year, PGNiG employees in miner uniforms met with preschool and primary school children in the Branch's area of operation to speak about the work of an oil miner. In the 13th edition, 192 employee volunteers met with more than 21,000 children.

Dwelling for Nature (October–November 2022) – the project involves providing shelter to small mammals, birds and insects living in cities. 81 hedgehog, squirrel and bird boxes and insect hotels were put up in places suggested by employees (kindergarten and school gardens, green areas in housing estates). The objective is to draw the staff’s attention to the issues of biodiversity conservation, depletion of habitats and human impact on ecosystems, by encouraging them to create space for nature and animals in their immediate environment.

Flower Meadows – maintenance of 1,100 square metres of meadows sown in 2021. In 2023, the area of flower meadows at the site of the PGNiG Central Branch at ul. Kasprzaka 25 in Warsaw is planned to be expanded.

• in Kasprzak 25 (together with the PGNiG Central Branch) – consists of 24 bee colonies (1,200,000 bees).
• in EC Siekierki (together with PGNiG Termika) - consists of 16 bee colonies (800,000 bees).

In 2022, more than 1,420 liters of harvest (that is, more than 5,500 jars of honey with a capacity of 0.25 ml) were collected from these 40 hives.

Charitable drives – in December 2022. The PGNiG Central Branch and other PGNiG Branches organised Christmas charity drives to collect gifts, which were then transferred to organisations supporting those in need.

PGNiG Library – the CSR Department of the PGNiG Central Branch operates a library, regularly buying new books to complement the existing collection in line with its profile and readers' needs. Each employee can make a suggestion about what titles should be added. In 2022, 76 books worth PLN 6,370 were bought. The PGNiG Library consists of two parts: an archival collection taken over from the library of the former Warsaw Gasworks (some 700 volumes of books and periodicals published in 1840–1945) and a contemporary collection (titles published after 1945) comprising more than 8,450 volumes.

PGNiG for Health – a project addressed to PGNiG employees, run by the PGNiG Sanok Branch in November. It takes the form of a campaign promoting preventive medical check-ups. As part of the campaign, electrocardiogram and spirometry tests, glucose checks and bone density scanning were provided to 160 employees.

Exhibitions – the PGNiG Zielona Góra Branch continued its year-round Exhibition Hall project. Hosting exhibitions that showcase not only the heritage of the Polish oil and gas industry but also works by famous local artists and art enthusiasts, PGNiG employees, senior citizens, preschoolers and people with disabilities from Zielona Góra. It also hosts workshops for PGNiG employees and their children, and educational meetings for children and youth.

Educational meetings – the Zielona Góra Branch. Continued its year-round programme of educational meetings for children and youth. They are an opportunity to communicate the Branch’s activities and present information on the industry and the hydrocarbons produced. In 2022, 17 meetings with children were held.

Honorary blood donor sessions - The Gift of Blood for St Barbara’s Day blood donation drive was held on December 8th 2022 under the slogan ‘200 litres of blood for the 200th anniversary of Ignacy Łukasiewicz’s birthday’. The event was addressed to employees of the Zielona Góra Branch and its cooperating companies as well as Zielona Góra residents. Its purpose was to collect blood and promote blood giving and taking up healthy lifestyles. In the Year of Ignacy Łukasiewicz, a pioneer of the oil industry, and on the 200th anniversary of his birthday, the blood donors’ target was to collect 200 litres of blood during several drives held in 2022. The target was successfully achieved.

Operations with significant actual and potential negative impacts on local communities

The industrial operations of the production plant in Płock and the other production sites of the ORLEN Group may occasionally cause short-term nuisance, such as noise or odour. The operating activities are carried out to the highest standards, including the ORLEN Standards of Conduct in Relations with Local Communities and the ORLEN Group Human Rights Policy. The ORLEN Group has a system in place to report grievances about any potential nuisance caused by the ORLEN Group facilities. Environmental grievances about the plant in Płock are reviewed on an ongoing basis by the Environmental Inspection System of ORLEN in Płock, and similar activities are carried out at the other plants of the ORLEN Group.

The ongoing construction of the advanced Olefins III complex near Płock, which started in 2021, is an excellent example. Since the beginning, it has entailed the risk of increased road traffic, presence of an international community of workers and cultural differences related to it. 

Grievances from local communities

In 2022, ORLEN Group companies underwent inspections by environmental authorities, which assessed their activities in terms of their impact on various components of the natural environment. A total of 158 inspections were carried out, including: 123 scheduled inspections, 15 inspections made at the request of a Group company, and 20 emergency inspections initiated on the basis of a notification from a third party. During 28 inspections, violations of the terms of applicable permits or decisions, and/or non-compliances with environmental standards were found. The respective companies were required to implement post-inspection measures. In two cases a fine was imposed.

The inspections covered a variety of areas, including waste management, wastewater management, use of natural resources, and assessment of the quality of surface water and wastewater discharges. Furthermore, the ORLEN Group companies received 36 grievances about their operations concerning, among other things, noise or odour emissions from their sites. In 2022, no grievances from external stakeholders were reported to the ORLEN Ethics Officer.

Management of material topic: Public policy

ORLEN’s charitable activities are guided by the core values embraced by the ORLEN Group: Responsibility, Progress, People, Energy, Dependability and the principles of conduct outlined in the ORLEN Group Code of Ethics. Charitable giving is just one of the forms of assistance provided by ORLEN. Employee volunteering campaigns supported by the ORLEN Foundation and sponsorship projects are also important. ORLEN’s charitable engagement is a response to the needs of its stakeholders, mainly local communities. The nationwide coverage of many initiatives makes it possible to reach areas where help is needed and the Company’s support makes a real change in the life of communities.

To create synergies across the ORLEN Group’s social initiatives, the Organisational Standard for Delivery of the Charitable Policy of ORLEN S.A. by Companies of the ORLEN Group was put in place in 2022. The standard was based on the Charitable Policy of ORLEN S.A. of Polski Koncern Naftowy ORLEN S.A., approved by the Management Board of ORLEN on September 19th 2022. 

In 2021, the ORLEN Group adopted the Organisational Standard for Supervising Foundations Sponsored or Co-Sponsored by ORLEN or ORLEN Group Companies. The standard is based on the Policy on Supervising Foundations Sponsored by ORLEN or ORLEN Group Companies, approved by the Management Board of ORLEN on December 17th 2020.

Over the past year, ORLEN was actively supporting a number of foundations of which it was the sole founder or a co-founder:

Political contributions

In line with its Charitable Policy of ORLEN S.A., ORLEN will not review requests for donations from trade unions, employers' organisations, professional self-governments, sports clubs operating as companies under commercial law, as well as political parties and their foundations or associations. No donations were made to political parties, politicians or similar institutions in 2022.

As a result of the merger with the LOTOS Group on August 1st 2022, the LOTOS Foundation commenced a process to have its name changed and update its existing documents. On September 23rd 2022, the LOTOS Foundation was renamed as the ORLEN Foundation for Pomerania and its new charter came into force. The mission of the ORLEN Foundation for Pomerania is to support events and initiatives spanning health care, culture, art, promotion of sports among children and young people and national heritage, including restoration of historical monuments.

The ORLEN Group also operates three corporate foundations – the ANWIL Foundation, Energa Foundation and Unipetrol Foundation.

Employee volunteering 

The Employee Volunteering Programme at the ORLEN Group has been developed since 2019. Since that time, employees are provided with opportunities to engage in volunteering projects offered by the ORLEN Foundation and to implement their own ideas. They can propose their own initiatives, consult and refine them with programme coordinators and receive grants to enable project execution. The ORLEN Foundation hosts an annual event called the Volunteering Week for its volunteers. 2022 was an exceptional year in that the programme was joined – with the enlargement of the ORLEN Group – by employees of the former LOTOS and PGNiG Groups.