“Civinity” takes additional measures to ensure even greater sustainability and technological development
2023.03.13
In line with the rapidly rising sustainability standards, the “Civinity” group of companies presents its Sustainability strategy, which was launched at the beginning of the second quarter of last year. The new action plan sets out priorities for sustainability activities and specific targets that will guide the company’s efforts to consistently improve its environmental, social and economic (ESE) performance. Over the next three years, it is expected to make a significant contribution to building a green future and accelerating the development of innovative business in Lithuania and globally.
In turn, the “Civinity” team carried out a significance assessment, the results of which formed the basis of the Sustainability strategy, ensuring that the company’s main goal is to prioritise the areas where the greatest positive change can be achieved. Taking into account the views and needs of the company’s employees, customers and other stakeholders on sustainability issues, it has been decided to focus on developing innovation, combating climate change, creating a sustainable working environment with the highest quality standards and improving management practices. As part of the Sustainability strategy 2023-2025, “Civinity” aims to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
“ESE principles cannot be side-lined in today’s world, they must become an integral part of a company’s strategy, and we must take ESE performance as seriously as we take operational or financial performance. We are pleased that “Civinity” Group’s employees, partners and shareholders are actively involved and promote the application of sustainability principles in the organisation, rather than seeing it as a cost line,” says Giedrius Jakubauskas, CFO of “Civinity” Group.
Reduce the use of environmentally harmful products
Based on the results of the assessment, the company will focus its environmental efforts on climate change, with a focus on energy efficiency and reducing its carbon footprint. This will reduce energy consumption in the supply of business services and goods, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions from business operations.
As part of the government’s efforts to reduce the impact of the transport sector on climate change and air pollution, “Civinity” will aim to shift away from the use of fossil fuels for transport, either by replacing them with alternative fuels or by increasing the use of cleaner vehicles.
The company also intends to ensure that 80% of its electricity comes from renewable sources. These goals are being pursued in line with the European Green Deal and the Paris Agreement, under which, together with other Lithuanian businesses, “Civinity” is committed to achieving zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
Better working conditions and a focus on society
Improving working conditions is a key area of the Strategic Social Objectives and is necessary to foster a safe and comfortable working environment. Caring for our employees is one of “Civinity’s” core principles and we will look for the most effective measures to enhance employees’ emotional well-being and overall job satisfaction. To this end, the company will organise training on how to manage stress and avoid the health-harming burnout syndrome, offer new learning and development opportunities, and promises to involve employees in decision-making processes. It also aims to strengthen gender equality by reducing the pay gap between men and women and between colleagues in different positions.
Part of the 2023-2025 Sustainability Strategy’s objectives are also aimed at society at large – “Civinity” will continue to develop and contribute to the various social responsibility initiatives that it has already successfully implemented together with other businesses and non-governmental organisations in the country. One such example is the social hackathon “Smartuoliai”, initiated by the business last autumn, which promotes emotional intelligence in children and young people, which is crucial for making a positive difference in the field of psychological health.
“Civinity” is also joining the “Vilnius yra mokykla” (Vilnius is a School) project, launched by the capital’s municipality in January this year, which aims to promote learning outside the classroom by moving some of the lessons to different spaces in the city, including “Civinity’s” new office amphitheatre. Vilnius students will be invited to give presentations, present their projects and simulations.
The company is also committed to continuing to consistently provide the necessary support to local communities, with a share of resources going towards urban renewal and environmental management.
Innovations for customer convenience
Positive economic impact and good governance practices are one of the other priorities identified in the Sustainability strategy for 2023-2025, which “Civinity” will integrate into its overall business strategy. In the coming years, more resources will be devoted to measures to ensure the security of the personal data of employees, clients and partners, and to take action to help prevent corruption and bribery.
However, surveys have shown that service efficiency is one of the most important aspects for “Civinity’s” customers in the context of sustainability, and innovative solutions are expected to be implemented in the near future. One such step is the digitisation of operations, which will not only make the work of the company’s team smoother and more productive, but also improve customer relations, with the aim of clearer communication between the two sides. Following an assessment of customer needs, the company will also allocate funds for a benefits package, which is expected to be launched next year and will complement the existing employee benefits package.
Finally, “Civinity” will continue to invest in PropTech (property technology) companies in order to offer its clients the highest market standards, thus contributing to the accelerated development of real estate technology in the Baltic States.
About “Civinity” company group:
“Civinity” is one of the largest building maintenance and engineering solutions groups in the Baltics. The company brings together more than 40 undertakings that maintain 13.5 million square metres of residential, commercial buildings and treatment areas and have installed several thousand engineering systems in different European cities. The “Civinity” team has 2,000 employees in Lithuania, Latvia and the UK. In mid-October 2021, “Civinity” successfully distributed a 8 million EUR bond emission, which are listed on “Nasdaq Vilnius” bonds list.