What could Warsaw headquarters of Agora have in common with the famous Sydney Opera and Eiffel Tower? On 30 March 2019, all celebrated Earth Hour. In the campaign organized by WWF, the lights of public buildings, cities and lights and electrical devices in private households were switched off between 20:30 and 21:30. This way millions of people worldwide symbolically joined a shared appeal for the environment. Joining the campaign, Agora turned off the outside lighting of Czerska office in Warsaw for an hour. More information about #nieniszczedomu campaign in Poland on https://nieniszczedomu.wwf.pl/

As a provider of modern solutions for cities, AMS introduces innovative products that address environmental and social needs. In 2019 AMS continued their commitment to the mission of developing ecological solutions for cities, continued building green bus and tram shelters. So far AMS transport shelter eco-zones have been used mostly in social campaigns, although they enjoy high popularity among town dwellers who expect more to be built.

Some of the shelters were located Warsaw Wola district, where one was designed to serve also as a public spot for get-togethers, a quiet green area for rest, a place to play a game of chess. The shelter, named by the locals ‘Freedom Stop’ resembles the structures located in the historical part of Warsaw. However, shape and function are unusual. It has a vegetated roof and one of its walls is made of creepers. A ‘Lab shelter’ was also put up near the headquarters of Agora where R&D of AMS tests practical eco-solutions on two shelters.

Broader use of ecological solutions in public transport shelters requires more formal procedures and necessary permits from local governments. AMS introduces municipal officials to this idea at smart city conferences and congresses. At the Open Eyes Economy Summit in Cracow in 2019 AMS new green shelters and an ecological solar stand. The shelter had a state-of-the-art digital citylight and one of the walls was made of green creepers. Meanwhile, a shelter located near the ICE Congress Centre received a vegetated roof. Ecological solutions of AMS are appreciated by the general public and experts. AMS won SILVER INNOVATION 2019 for green shelters in Cracow with live plants that form a natural anti-smog protection.

Adoptuj pszczołę is the largest (number of participants) crowdfunding project organized by Greenpeace Polska. Funds raised from virtual bee adoptions in 2019 will be used to create urban solutions for protecting humans and bees against the consequences of climate change. Gazeta.pl joined the campaign for the fifth time: published LIVE updates from the collection, articles and a bee-themed quiz, as well as a special issue of Fridays for Climate extra focused around insects. Traditionally, like in the previous three years, the portal logo was altered to incorporate an image of a bee. The campaign was supported also by Hash.FM, a member of Agora Group, by encouraging microinfluencers via Fameshop platform to promote bee adoption. Over 140 thousand bees were adopted in the seventh campaign.

Gazeta.pl has been a vocal supporter of environment and climate protection for a long time. This attitude is expressed by long-term collaboration with the organizers of Adopt a Bee – Greenpeace Polska. Since 2019 environmental protection has become the subject of multiple campaigns and initiatives proposed by the team of Gazeta.pl, including Plaża bez peta (Beach without Fag-ends), or a series of Piątki dla klimatu (Fridays for Climate) Fridays for Climate as well as a special Environment section on the home site of Gazeta.pl.

The idea behind the summer campaign Plaża bez peta was to remind readers about ban on smoking on Baltic beaches and discourage leaving cigarette ends in the sand. Seaside towns joined the campaign and Greenpeace Polska was a partner of the campaign. Gazeta.pl published texts about beach smoking ban, negative effects of discarded cigarette ends on the environment and encouraged readers to ensure that beaches remain clean. It also promoted the campaign in the media and on sticker art. In cooperation with local governments, Gazeta.pl showed how difficult it is to clear beaches from discarded cigarette ends and developed a map of clean beaches. Fifteen seaside communities joined the campaign.

Posters by Andrzej Pągowski were displayed at entrances to the beach, highlighting the campaign slogan Papieros na plaży to obciach dla twarzy (Smoking on the Beach Makes You Look Lame). Gazeta.pl also joined the educational campaign of Greenpeace about the negative impact of leaving behind plastic waste on beaches. Additionally, on every Friday, in Fridays for Climate series, journalists of Gazeta.pl write about key challenges and present the most interesting ecological projects. In 2019 Fridays for Climate materials garnered over one million views. Gazeta.pl also celebrated the anniversary of Greenpeace Polska by presenting the organization to readers. Home site of Gazeta.pl broadcast live footage of celebrations hosted jointly by the journalists of Gazeta and members of Greenpeace. Users of Gazeta.pl could view photos and recordings from the organization’s campaigns and find out about the day-to-day activities of Greenpeace people. The team of Gazeta.pl also encouraged readers to support Greenpeace through donating via Gazeta’s portal.

A number of journalistic and marketing projects are planned for 2020, including a launch of an ecology-themed newsletter: http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/0,114916.html?tag=pi%B1tki+dla+klimatu

Gazeta Wyborcza encourages all readers to adopt pro-eco behaviours and engage in protection of the environment. Wyborcza na zielono (Green Wyborcza) was developed for readers interested in ecology. Articles with a green version of Wyborcza logo are published in printed Wyborcza and on Wyborcza.pl and are accompanied by social campaigns and new initiatives such as: Lato bez plastiku (Summer without Plastic), Nie drukuję biletu (No Printout Needed), Pokazuję na telefonie (Scan from Phone), Szanuję, nie marnuję (Preserve, Don’t Waste), eco newsletter, etc.

Gazeta Wyborcza continues to strengthen its commitment to ecological and climate issues. Early 2019 saw the launch of Wyborcza na zielono – all sections of the daily feature texts about rapid climate change in Poland. In June 2019 a water report was published, documenting the dramatic hydrological situation in Poland. Articles published in the series cover coal policy, waste management, anti-smog solutions, etc. Wysokie Obcasy launched a campaign Szanuję, nie marnuję (Preserve, Don’t Waste), with a series of articles aimed to inspire readers to change simple day-to-day habits of conscious buying in the spirit of less waste. An eco-newsletter was also developed, with texts about possible solutions for preventing climate disaster. In No Trace (Bez śladu) campaign Wyborcza.pl and Wysokieobcasy.pl collaborate with a business partner to offer internet users a possibility to enter a special ecological challenge competition.

• 20 thousand fee copies of a special issue of Gazeta Wyborcza at Pol'and'Rock Festival, developed especially for the event. 12-page magazine focusing on ecology and protection of the environment.
• 170 titles worldwide, including Gazeta Wyborcza, form Covering Climate Now – declaration of involvement of the media in climate protection and activities under Youth Strike for Climate
• Six ecological challenges for internet users in 2019 in the joint campaign of Wyborcza.pl, Wysokieobcasy.pl and a business partner No Trace – Up To You What You Leave Behind
• Klimat tworzą ludzie (People Make the Climate) campaign promoting ecological issues, including digital subscription of Wyborcza.pl.

https://wyborcza.pl/nazielono

One of the most prominent topics in Radio TOK FM and on tokfm.pl is ecology. Broadcasts and articles published on the station’s website inform about climate crisis and its consequences, such as heatwaves increasingly affecting Poland and climate related economic problems.
On 26 July 2019, all programmes of Radio TOK FM focused on the topics of changes in the environment and climate crisis, starting at dawn, from Pierwsze Śniadanie w TOKu, then through Magazyn EKG, and further through the day in consecutive broadcasts and news bulletins, also published on tokfm.pl.
While discussing ecological issues, journalists of TOK FM use terms from a new climate dictionary developed by the editorial team to reflect the attitude ‘say things clearly’. The choice of terms and phrases reflects the importance and intensity of the environmental threat and climate change. For example, according to the new dictionary – instead of global warming, we should speak about global heating. Rather than degradation of environment, we should discuss its devastation and the scale of climatic change is best described as climate crisis.

TOK FM CLIMATE DICTIONARY

DEFINITIONS

• Global warming – warming of the planet caused by increased amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere;
• Global overheating – the planet’s rapid warming caused by human activity (including overuse of fossil fuels, excessive use of natural resources, mass-scale animal breeding, etc);
• Environmental changes – disruptions in the natural environment caused by human population increase, urbanisation, increased consumption, dynamic growth of infrastructures;
• Environmental crisis – result of excessive expansion of human population and growing consumption, causing deforestation, overfishing of seas and oceans, desertification of landscape, water shortages;
• Biodiversity / species diversity – variety of plant and animal life on all levels of organization, including variety of genotype, species and ecosystems;
• Climate sceptic / denialist – a person who chooses to reject scientific proofs of climate change;
• Greenwashing – conveying a false impression or misleading information about how a company’s operations are ecologically sound. Conducting operations that only seems to be ecological;
• Green economy – conducting environmentally sound operations; introducing changes to reduce the company’s environmental impact (reducing the use of coal as fuel, recycling, reducing waste output, etc.);
• Closed-loop economy – production system in which waste or side effects of one process are used for the production of another product, without generating additional waste or impact on the environment;
• Low emission – emissions of harmful particulates and gases – all sources of emissions at the height below 40 metres, including car exhaust and chimneys of individual residential buildings;
• High emission – all sources of emissions at the height above 40 metres (such as power plant or CHP chimneys). The concentration of harmful pollutants is far lower than in low emissions while impact on the climate is much higher.

Since Wednesday, 6 February 2019, readers of 20 local issues of Gazeta Wyborcza can find air quality forecast for the day in their local newspaper. Data for the forecasts are provided by Airly, operating more than thousand innovative air quality meters.

Information about air quality is provided for all cities with local offices of Gazeta Wyborcza – Białystok,, Bydgoszcz, Częstochowa, Gdańsk, Gorzów Wielkopolski, Katowice, Kielce, Kraków, Lublin, Łódź, Olsztyn, Płock, Poznań, Radom, Rzeszów, Szczecin, Warsaw, Wrocław, Toruń and Zielona Góra.

Air quality forecast strip will be placed in a prominent place in the daily, in most of the issues on the front page, directly below the vignette. Readers can find it next to the headline ‘What you breathe in Warsaw’, ‘What you breathe in Szczecin’, etc.

Airly forecasts are based on CAQI (Common Air Quality Index), a widely recognized system for measuring air quality in European cities. Air quality is illustrated on a five-point scale, indicating level of air pollution coded in colours: very low (green), low (pale green), medium (yellow), high (orange), very high (dark red). The information is processed automatically from data received from a network of metres and weather forecasts.

Install photovoltaic panels on the roof of Warsaw headquarters of Agora (1st half 2020)

Photovoltaic system of total output 89.76 [kWp] (two micro systems 49.50 and 40.26 [kWp]).

Photovoltaic solutions enable:

• savings in the form of lower electricity bills;
• positive impact on the climate: reduced CO2 emissions translate into positive impact on the quality of local air;
• security and independence – protection against growing costs of energy;
• technology of tomorrow and education of employees and the environment about nature protection.

AVERAGE EQUIVALENT OF REDUCED CO2 EMISSIONS BY PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS INSTALLED ON AGORA BUILDING

Calculated on the basis of the official EPA/USEPA calculator (United States Environmental Protection Agency) http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/calculator.html

Agora Group has offices in multiple locations. The company’s headquarters are located in Czerska 8/10 in Warsaw. The building, owned by Agora, houses the offices of Agora S.A. and Agora TC, AMS, Adpol, Domiporta, Grupa Radiowa Agory (GRA), Doradztwo Mediowe, Inforadio, NEXT FILM, GoldenLine, Optimizers, Yieldbird some departments of Helios Helios, Foodio Concept, Step Inside. Helios and Foodio Concept have their main offices in Łódź.

Agora S.A. has 19 regional offices that also serve the employees of the group’s subsidiaries. In most cases, Agora shares the building with other organizations, which leaves the environmental aspects in the competence of the respective buildings’ administrators. It also makes it difficult to monitor water consumption, effluents and waste output, etc.

The main elements of the environmental impact management in Agora Group in building administration are reduction of:

• electricity consumption,
• water consumption,
• effluents output.

This is particularly important for Czerska 8/10 office that houses most of the entities of Agora Group.

In 2019 Agora implemented corrections in line with the recommendations from energy efficiency audit. As a result of:

• converting lighting systems to LED technology
• installation of timer system
• replacing pumps and engines in VAC systems electricity consumption Czerska 8/10 Agora headquarters was reduced by 20 percent.

Electricity consumption in office buildings of Agora

Source: data based on invoices
Due to Agora S.A. sharing the Warsaw office as well as other locations with other entities of Agora Group, the data is aggregated for locations: Białystok, Bielsko-Biała, Bydgoszcz, Częstochowa, Gdańsk, Gorzów Wlkp., Katowice, Kielce, Kraków, Lublin, Łódź, Olsztyn, Opole, Płock, Poznań, Radom, Rzeszów, Szczecin, Toruń, Wrocław and Warszawa (Czerska 8/10). No data for Tychy and Zielona Góra (amounts included in cost of rental).

Water consumption and effluent discharge in the office buildings of Agora

Source: data based on invoices
Due to sharing the Warsaw office as well as other locations by Agora S.A. and the other entities of Agora Group, the data is aggregated for locations: Bielsko-Biała, Bydgoszcz, Częstochowa, Gdańsk, Kielce, Kraków, Opole, Szczecin, Wrocław and Warszawa (Czerska 8/10). In the remaining 11 locations no data or amounts included in cost of rental.

The fleet of Agora Group includes 112 cars * and one van (Adpol). Most vehicles run on petrol, some are hybrids.

*Data for Agora, Adpol, AMS, GRA, Doradztwo Mediowe, Helios, Foodio Concept

All entities of Agora Group have signed contracts with waste collection and treatment service suppliers, ensuring that 100 percent of the waste they collect from Agora companies is properly recycled or neutralised. Each of Agora Group businesses has their own waste management system and reports on it to relevant authorities, in accordance with applicable laws and reporting regulations.
In all companies and printing plants of Agora Group, municipal waste undergoes sorting and separate collection, in accordance with the local municipal waste management policies. Therefore, the company does not monitor the weight of its waste output. Hazardous and non-hazardous waste is passed to relevant external waste-disposal contractors who are responsible for their proper handling.

Waste output in buildings managed by Agora S.A. (by weight)

Source: contracts with waste collection and treatment service providers.

Increase in the output of electronics and appliances waste was the consequence of replacing computer equipment.

• In 2019 Helios S.A. and Helios Group were registered in Waste Production Database (Baza Danych Odpadowych).
• Foodio Concepts and Step Inside signed contracts with external service providers to comply with the obligation to recycle and recover packaging waste.
• From 2020 Helios cinemas will also comply with this regulation.
• In 2019 Helios S.A. started switching from plastic to paper and wooden recyclable plates and cutlery in their restaurants.

Czerska 8/10 building houses a canteen that generates food waste.

Waste output in buildings managed by Agora S.A. (by weight)

Source: contracts with waste collection and treatment service providers.

Increase in the output of electronics and appliances waste was the consequence of replacing computer equipment.

ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS ACHIEVED IN 2019:

MONITORING OF ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION
AMS monitors advertising panels energy consumption and takes steps to improve the quality of panel lighting (backlighting), thus minimizing the environmental impact.

AMS energy consumption in 2019

Source: data based on invoices, Data applies to: advertising displays and shelters with light powered by energy suppliers and lit by street lights systems. *2018-2019 data complemented by data other sources of electricity.

Helios S.A. is holds an Energy Efficiency Certificate of 190 thousand tons. All Helios cinemas have VEMS and Enabler systems that reduce electricity consumption through intelligent management of HVAC systems. The solution produces year-to-year ecological effects of no less than:

• reduction of energy consumption by 2000 MWh/year,
• reduction of CO2 emissions by 1800 Mg/year

Electricity and water consumption and effluents discharge in Helios S.A.

Data based on invoices from 44 Helios cinemas. The calculation does not include cinemas opened in 2018 and 2019.: Helios Forum Gdańsk, Helios Libero Katowice, Helios Blue City in Warsaw, Helios Pabianice, Helios Legionowo (no comparable data for the relevant period).

In 2019 cinemas were revitalised and Helios dream theatres were opened in Łódź, Poznań, Rzeszów and Radom, which caused higher consumption of energy and water. The main factor was higher audience volume.

Through Helios cinema network Agora sells food in concession snack bars (popcorn, drinks, snacks) and Helios Cafe. Data on the impact of this activity are aggregated and included in the section on cinema operations of Agora. In 2018 Helios was joined by Foodio Concepts, a provider of restaurant services.

Environmental goals of Papa Diego restaurant chain are:

• reduce the use of plastic by 100 percent by introducing biodegradable containers,
• minimize energy, fuel and water consumption.

In 2019 Foodio Concepts opened a central kitchen in Warsaw, the effect of which was reduction of electricity, fuel and water consumption. Moving to a centralized production model also reduced the output of biodegradable waste.

Foodio Concepts introduced biodegradable containers and straws in their restaurants. To promote ecological and environmental values, we introduced a ‘zero waste’ campaign – ‘bring your own cup’ lower price on lemonade.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF FOODIO CONCEPT RESTAURANT CHAIN

Foodio Concept was launched in 2018, with three restaurants operating at the end of the year.
As of 31 December 2019, 14 Foodio Concept restaurants were in operation. Since they were opened throughout the year, it is not possible to compare their environmental impact for 2019 and 2018. Below is 2019 data.

Organic waste produced by Papa Diego restaurants are collected by the shopping centres in which the restaurants are located, and reporting on the volume is in the charge of the shopping centres.

GREEN PASIBUS

Pasibus is an iconic fast casual street food brand. The food is based on original recipes and made of excellent quality fresh ingredients from local suppliers. Pasibus menu offers a number of unique burgers, Pasi salads, kid menus (Pasi Kids), side dishes (such as fries made without palm oil) and drinks (such as Pasi Lemoniada) and alcohols (house beer brand), and vegan burgers. From its launch the brand has been committed to ecological and green solutions.

Since in 2019 seven restaurants operated by Step Inside under Pasibus label, it is not possible to compare environmental impact data for 2019 and 2018.

Pasibus introduces solutions that cut costs and reduce negative environmental impact. In 2019 the chain began eliminating plastic bottles from their restaurants. 90 percent of the water used to make Pasi Lemoniada and Pasi Ice-tea as well as available to the employees is tap water filtered through Brita filters. Pasibus kitchens also stopped using paper towels and replaced them by electric dryers and multiple use cloths. Packaging is a major challenge to the environmental impact. In 2019 Pasibus introduced products such as eco salad containers, recyclable paper burger boxes, PLA Compostable cutlery and paper straws. Straws are used only on a customer’s express demand. Since 2018 all takeaway bags are 100 percent paper.

Amount of plastic bottles used in Pasibus restaurant was reduced by nearly 85 percent in all locations. Bottled water continues to be sold by foodtrucks, because of lack of access to running water.
Reduction in paper towels consumption is estimated at ca. 3-6 thousand zł per restaurant.
In the nearest future Pasibus will introduce water filter in all restaurants and continue introducing new environmental measures – in particular educational activities addressed to customers.

Agora S.A. and Agora Poligrafia adopted a special document (Quality Management System Policy) specifying the company’s approach to managing their impact on the environment. Printing plants of Agora Group are located in Piła and Warsaw (Agora S.A.) as well as in Tychy (Agora Poligrafia) and are equipped with presses for printing newspapers, magazines and ephemera.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN PRINTING PLANTS

Key elements of the policy introduced on 24 July 2018, with respect to the environmental impact are:

• compliance with relevant environmental legal regulations,
• stimulating safe and pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours among the employees through their participation and involvement in pro-environmental activities,
• reducing the consumption of natural resources through: rational consumption of water, reduction in the consumption of electricity and heating, reduction of technological losses,
• waste segregation, reducing waste output and preventing pollution.

The policy was adopted on 24 July 2018 as a revised document was adopted by Agora Group in 2009.

CONSUMPTION OF ENERGY, WATER, MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES

In 2019 there were no major investment to reduce CO2 emissions.

Table 1. Electricity, heating and water consumption

Source: data based on invoices. GJ conversion factor 1MWh=3.6GJ.

Materials and supplies as well as technological paper loss in the production of newspapers and magazines

Paper loss was calculated on the base of the volume of sold waste paper. The value is easy to identify and verify in audit, on the basis of documentation. Source: Waste transfer documentation.

In 2019 printing plants of Agora Group reduced technological paper loss by 22 Mg, which brought paper waste in production down by 1.4 percent. This figure applies to the printing plant in Warsaw.