Our ambitions have been formulated in PGE Management Board's Declaration on environmental policy, in which the company's authorities have committed to continuously improve activities related to the protection and improvement of the state of the environment and to counteract pollutions - introducing high, economically justified technological standards.

PGE Group's environmental policy is being implemented through:

• responsible fulfilment of obligations related to environmental aspects, both in terms of requirements specified by law and those resulting from the specifics of each investment,
• planning the Group's development based on modern and eco-friendly technologies that meet best-available-techniques criteria,
• identifying all environmental aspects, reviewing them periodically and continuously supervising significant aspects,
• minimising negative impact on the environment through appropriate management of water, waste water, air emissions, reducing the quantity of waste generated and their most effective usage,
• minimising negative impact on living organisms by conducting nature research prior to implementing an investment and through running post-implementation monitoring aimed at controlling the operation of the installation,
• rational and efficient use of commodities, fuels and electricity,
• reclamation and development of land transformed by mining activity and optimal use of accompanying resources,
• systematic development of renewable energy production,
• preventive actions aimed at counteracting breakdowns,
• raising employee qualifications, awareness and involvement in environmental protection,
• support and participation in the promotion of environmental protection concepts in local and national social initiatives. 

PGE Group's environmental protection policy is intended to ensure the Group's compliance with existing legal regulations concerning environmental protection, regulate rules for monitoring potential changes in this scope and ensure security in the process of introducing new regulations, whilst respecting sustainable development principles.

Since 2016, PGE Group has a Code of Ethics, which also includes the issue of managing impact on the natural environment. All PGE Group employees are obligated to respect the rule "We care about the natural environment":

• We regularly monitor and reduce any negative impact of our activities on the environment.
  We are continually trying to reduce our environmental impact in the area of technologies applied in our operations and during our everyday work.
• We use natural resources effectively.
  We reduce our environmental footprint and promote the sustainable use of the essential natural resources. We set environmental objectives for our supply chain. Our initiatives cover activities aimed at the sustainable development of electricity generation and transmission technologies, afforestation, reducing water and energy consumption and recycling. Every year, we publish information on our progress in this domain.
• We are championing innovations.
  We support innovative solutions that contribute to reducing the environmental impact of our products and services.
• We assess the impact of our activities on the natural environment.
  In making decisions regarding modernisations and new investments, environmental footprint is always an important criterion. We know that being sustainable brings benefits to both our shareholders and the society. 

MANAGING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

The Group's central unit is responsible for the entire process of managing environmental protection by supervising environmental processes at business lines through relevant environmental protection units.

Managing environmental protection is performed through the following processes: 

• monitoring the legal environment,
• supervising environmental systems,
• managing environmental factors,
• monitoring, verifying and reporting CO₂ emissions,
• managing environmental decisions and permits,
• preparing statistics and reporting related to environmental protection,
• waste management, UPS, application of chemicals. 

The Group's Environmental Management System is in compliance with the requirements of standard PN-EN ISO 14001. The key task of the Environmental Management System is to support environmental protection and the counteracting of pollution in a manner that takes into account social and economic needs.

The concept of a unified Environmental Management System is intended to harmonise documentation and improve management efficiency in the environmental protection area. Tasks include central management of environmental aspects at all PGE GiEK branches. This documentation is subject to updates during annual reviews. Additionally, at the following branches: Zespół Elektrowni Dolna Odra and Elektrownia Opole an eco-management and audit system is in place (EMAS PI:2999), which is subject to annual inspections together with an environmental declaration verified by an independent accredited inspector.

PGE GiEK branches feature laboratories accredited by the Polish Accreditation Centre in the area of quality management systems as well as coal, slug and ash research methodologies in line with the standard PN-EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005. These labs carry out essential research on coal, slug and ash, among other things.