Social involvment

PGE Group’s unit PGE Górnictwo i Energetyka Konwencjonalna and its subsidiaries providing support services to the Bełchatów power plant and lignite mine are largest employer in the Bełchatów region. The objective of the just transition is to implement changes in a way taking into account the creation of new jobs for employees of the mining industry, as well as the interests of local communities and local governments, the natural environment, investors and entrepreneurs. PGE strives for the just transition to be carried out in accordance with good change management practices, which emphasise coordination, long-term planning and multifaceted cooperation among social, business, local government and central government partners. PGE has prepared a just transition concept that presents a plan of investment projects in a complementary way, along with their justification and implementation schedule. In the case of the Bełchatów region, it presents concrete investment projects for the years 2021-2043 that will create approximately 15,000 new jobs in modern sectors of the economy. The implementation of this ambitious plan depends on the involvement of many entities, also at the national level, as it exceeds the capacities of PGE Group.

The plan includes projects such as:

• waste-to-energy incineration plant with a capacity of 180,000 tonnes of waste per year
• three wind farm projects with a capacity of about 100 MW
• photovoltaic farms with a capacity of about 600 MW
• energy storage facilities with a capacity of up to 300 MW
• renewables technology centre based on the assets of the current support companies, which are to transform themselves into entities specialising in renewable energy projects
• competence development centre – a program dedicated to employees of the power plant and the lignite mine who, due to their age, will not be able to acquire retirement entitlements before the complex is shut down

The just transition concept provides for the transformation of the Bełchatów region, whose local economy is based on conventional energy, into a region of energy production from zero- and low-carbon sources. In this way, the region will remain an important centre on the map of Poland’s power generation sector. In order to carry out a multifaceted transformation process in a fully responsible manner, aid will have to be obtained, as the scale of necessary projects exceeds the financial capabilities of Polish companies.

Currently, on the part of PGE, a working team for the Turów complex transition program is engaged in developing a coherent and complete concept of actions aimed at the transformation of the Turów lignite mine and power plant. Among various feasible undertakings, the following projects are being taken into consideration:

• construction of photovoltaic farms with a capacity of about 100 MW
• construction of wind farms with a capacity of up to 150 MW
• construction of energy storage facilities
• construction of a new CHP plant for the district heating network in Bogatynia

In 2020, PGE’s social activity was primarily focused on supporting the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, PGE Group companies and the PGE Foundation have allocated PLN 6.7 million for this purpose. Donations went to hospitals, emergency stations and other medical institutions. They were earmarked, among other things, for the purchase of necessary medical equipment for the treatment of patients suffering from COVID-19, equipment for automatic disinfection, and the purchase of personal protective equipment. Furthermore, PGE Group provided 10 vehicles for hospitals and the Territorial Defence Forces, and supported the Institute for the Economy of the Elderly, donating over 100 litres of disinfectant fluids.

Volunteers from PGE Group actively supported the operation of helplines of the National Health Fund and the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate. A total of 130 volunteers from PGE Group were involved in the work of both helplines.

The activities of employee volunteers were redirected towards issues related to the pandemic. Support was provided to insurgents, veterans, senior citizens and former PGE employees.

Parallel to activities supporting direct involvement in counteracting the pandemic, PGE joined actions aimed at promoting responsible consumer attitudes. It initiated a nationwide social campaign called “Polish – I’m buying it!” and promoting consumer patriotism, encouraging Poles to choose local producers and service providers, as well as to make conscious consumer choices. The project was initiated by the employees of PGE Group and was conducted under the patronage of the Ministry of State Assets.

In May 2020, the internal media of PGE Group initiated a blog entitled “Polish – I’m buying it!”

A month later, PGE launched a dedicated website www.polskiekupujeto.pl with a guide section, educational spots and posts encouraging people to choose Polish products. PGE employees from all over Poland were involved in creating the content of the internal blog and the public website.

Developing the social campaign “Polish – I’m buying it!”, PGE established cooperation with the authors of the Pola application, thanks to which it is possible to easily and quickly check whether a given product is manufactured in Poland. Thanks to cooperation with PGE, the application is being constantly developed, and the database of Polish products and companies is constantly expanding. PGE also prepared an advertising spot and a tutorial showing how to use the Pola application and identify Polish products and brands when shopping in either brick-and-mortar or online shops.

During the Christmas season, PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna launched a Christmas edition of the “Polish – I’m buying it!” campaign under the slogan “Let’s support Polish entrepreneurs and producers … not only once in a blue moon!”. A related guide book was also prepared. It was entitled “Safe shopping in internet shops” and was available on the website www.polskiekupujeto.pl. It consists of articles devoted to, among others, the safety of internet transactions and conscious consumer choices. It also contains information on how to use the Pola application when shopping online.

PGE pays special attention to supporting the sport of children and young people. In 2020 the company inaugurated two strategic projects in the locations of PGE Group’s facilities. Their objective was to support the GKS Bełchatów Academy as well as basketball groups for youngsters in Turów Zgorzelec. The GKS Bełchatów Academy trains approximately 350 young sportspeople aged 5 to 18 in two sections: football and wrestling. On the other hand, PGE Turów Zgorzelec has basketball teams for youngsters and an e-sports section, which is a new element in PGE’s sponsoring activities. Involvement in this project is a part of PGE Group’s new strategy opening the Company to modern energy services and modern solutions in business.

In 2020 PGE also signed sponsorship agreements to support children and young people training various sports disciplines in the following clubs: LTS Legionovia (girls’ volleyball), Widzew Łódź Academy (football), Gwardia Opole Academy (handball), Young Bison Białystok Basketball Academy (basketball), MKS Lublin (girls’ handball). The development of youth groups is also an important element of sponsorship agreements concluded by PGE with PGE Spójnia Stargard, PGE Stal Mielec and PGE Skra Bełchatów.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, PGE Group participated in the organisation of a few important sports events in 2020. Three agreements were signed with the Polish Speed Skating Association concerning sponsorship of the following events: World Juniors Championship, Polish Multithlon Championship and Polish Distance Skating Championship. Once again, “PGE’s biggest PE lesson” turned out to be a great success. Although it was organised in an online format, it managed to secure the participation of 3,000 pupils.

2020 was a time of important historical anniversaries for Poland. PGE was involved in the promotion of patriotic attitudes and the development of national awareness in society. On the 76th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, PGE paid tribute to the power engineers fighting in defence of the Powiśle power plant in Warsaw by organising a ceremony entitled “Energy Professionals in the Uprising”. As part of the celebrations, on August 1, a special multimedia presentation devoted to the power plant employees participating in the uprising was shown on a screen located at Kahla Square in Warsaw. From August 1, for 63 days, the façade of the PGE headquarters at ul. Mysia 2 in Warsaw showed a large-format picture dedicated to the power plant employees who took part in the Warsaw Uprising.

On the occasion of the anniversary of the Uprising, Bartas Szymoniak composed a work entitled “They”. It was created as part of the PGE Foundation’s project called “Tables of Remembrance”, which aims to restore the memory of the Tchorek Plaques. They commemorate the places where Poles were executed during World War II. As part of the project, next to each Karol Tchorek plaque, PGE places a plaque with information in Polish and English together with a QR code, thanks to which it is possible to download a special mobile application on a smartphone, enabling to locate the existing plaques and learn about the history of each place commemorating German crimes. A special website, www.tablicepamieci.pl, was also created. It provides up-to-date information on the project.

In August, the PGE Foundation prepared a TV spot commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Warsaw, the great victory of Polish soldiers over the Bolsheviks. On the occasion of the Independence Day, PGE prepared a campaign called “Energy Independence” and dedicated to the history of the development of the Polish power generation industry after the regaining of independence in 1918.

In 2020, PGE continued and developed its cooperation with the Warsaw Uprising Museum. Within the framework of strategic cooperation, PGE assumed patronage of the museum’s original program entitled “Family meetings with history”.

PGE has been a partner of the Warsaw Uprising Museum since 2016 and has been its strategic partner since July 2020. In 2020, the museum was visited virtually by nearly 800,000 people, and more than 1.5 million people took part in online lessons organised by the museum. The museum’s online offer, including virtual tours, lessons, outdoor classes, lectures, meetings for children or historical walks around the city, was seen by 3.5 million people.

Support for Polish high culture is an important element of PGE’s involvement in the promotion of Polish music and the preservation of Polish traditions. Supporting 13 philharmonic orchestras across Poland, PGE Group is one of the most recognisable patrons of high culture in the country. PGE has been supporting the National Philharmonic in Warsaw for a long time and since 2012 it has carried the honorary title of the Patron of the Year.

PGE Energia Ciepła, a PGE Group company, has assumed patronage of the Polish Baltic Philharmonic in Gdańsk, the Karol Szymanowski Philharmonic in Cracow, the National Forum of Music in Wrocław, the Toruń Symphony Orchestra, the Tadeusz Baird Philharmonic in Zielona Góra, the A. Malawski Podkarpacka Philharmonic in Rzeszów, the Gorzów Philharmonic – the Centre for Artistic Education, the Świętokrzyska Philharmonic in Kielce, Opera NOVA in Bydgoszcz and the Henryk Wieniawski Philharmonic in Lublin. Meanwhile, PGE Górnictwo i Energetyka Konwencjonalna is the patron of the Mieczysław Karłowicz Philharmonic in Szczecin, The Józefa Elsnera Philharmonic in Opole. Thanks to PGE’s patronage, the philharmonics are able to organise concerts of the highest quality and to host the most outstanding artists.

2020 was the year of new rules for all cultural institutions, including philharmonics. Live concerts were partly cancelled and music was presented mainly online.

In the spring of 2020, together with the philharmonics of which it is a patron, PGE launched campaigns entitled #stayathome and enjoy music and “Listen to the energy of the City”. As part of the former, musicians invited their listeners to take part in the #stayathome campaign by recording from their homes a fragment of “Spring” (“La Primavera”) by Antonio Vivaldi.

The latter, in turn, is a virtual musical walk around interesting beauty spots of Poland which was created to enrich the home musical education of the youngest music lovers during the quarantine period, to arouse their childish curiosity and encourage them to visit Polish cities as soon as the tourist season begins.

#PosłuchajEnergiiMiasta – Wrocławska domówka – odcinek nr 1

#PosłuchajEnergiiMiasta – Wyspa Spichrzów- odcinek nr 2

#PosłuchajEnergiiMiasta – Hejnał z Wieży Mariackiej – odcinek nr 3

#PosłuchajEnergiiMiasta – Zaczarowane Skrzypce Flisaka – odcinek nr 4

#PosłuchajEnergiiMiasta – Spacer z Fryckiem – odcinek nr 5

#PosłuchajEnergiiMiasta – Pan Twardowski – odcinek nr 6

#PosłuchajEnergiiMiasta – Piernikowe zapachy – odcinek nr 7

#PosłuchajEnergiiMiasta – Warszawski duet – odcinek nr 8

In September 2020, PGE Energia Ciepła launched a new educational project for children from forms I-III of primary schools called “The Adventures of Ciepłosław the Cat”. Its objective is to build ecological awareness among the youngest, to teach them how heat is generated and where electricity comes from. As part of the programme, 5 lesson scenarios, 3 educational games, 20 online workshop tasks and 5 animated films were prepared. All participating schools were invited to join a competition to create a comic strip about the adventures of Ciepłosław the Cat related to heat.

In the first two months of 2020, an educational campaign entitled “Safe Energy” was conducted among young children by employees of PGE Dystrybucja. This action has a long tradition and takes various forms in the company’s branches. However, its objective is one and the same: to teach children how to use electricity safely and economically. Children visit field units and learn about the work of power technicians and engineers in various areas, power dispatching or power emergency services.

PGE Group supports local activities aimed at social welfare, including assistance for individuals and families who find themselves in difficult situations. In the summer of 2020, the PGE Foundation made a donation of PLN 1 million to Caritas operating in the Podkarpacie region to help the inhabitants affected by the flood. During the Christmas season, the PGE Foundation also gave Christmas parcels to senior citizens who had suffered in the flood.

Christmas gifts from the PGE Foundation were also sent to the veterans of the Home Army and Poles living in the Vilnius region, thanks to the cooperation of soldiers from the 4th Warmia and Mazury Territorial Defence Brigade named after Brigadier General Bolesław Nieczuja-Ostrowski Association and the Odra Niemen Association.

PGE Group also supports local communities through its employee volunteer programme. PGE volunteers support Warsaw insurgents, senior citizens and retired PGE employees. They help with shopping and food deliveries. At the early stage of the pandemic, PGE employees sewed masks for medical institutions.

PGE Group employees are also actively involved in blood donations. Since the beginning of 2020, they have donated over 326 litres of blood.

Furthermore, PGE Energia Ciepła, a PGE Group company, is conducting a nationwide programme entitled “We Share Heat”, which is targeted at the people who are most at need, including public benefit organisations, who use district heating systems in cities where PGE Energia Ciepła has its CHP plants. In 2020, as part of the program, the company transferred nearly PLN 415,000 to cover the costs of heating and hot water for recipients in need in 11 Polish cities.

For many years, PGE Group has been involved in and initiated pro-environmental activities. “Forests Full of Energy” is a project of PGE Group that for 20 years has been pursuing the same objective – the reconstruction of Polish forests and improvement of air quality and groundwater levels. In the previous years, trees were planted in locations indicated and prepared by foresters from Regional Directorates of State Forests. In 2020, due to the pandemic, PGE changed the formula of the project and initiated cooperation with institutions involved in nature protection. PGE established cooperation with, among others, Biebrzański National Park. The first joint project financed by the PGE Foundation was the rescue of a 100-year-old tree growing in front of Biebrzański National Park headquarters. The PGE Foundation also supported the installation of photovoltaic panels in the park territory, which will reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Photovoltaic systems with a capacity of 20 and 10 kW will be installed on two main buildings belonging to Biebrzański National Park, i.e. the Education and Management Centre in Osowiec-Twierdza and the Animal Rehabilitation Centre located in Grzędy.

Within the framework of the “Forests Full of Energy” project, PGE Group also supports the revitalization of the Crooked Forest – a natural feature of historic importance located in the Gryfino Forest Inspectorate in Western Pomerania. With the financial support of the PGE Foundation, an educational and tourist attraction will be created, based on the exposition of the most beautiful fragments of the Crooked Forest. The project is being executed in cooperation with the commune of Gryfino, the Gryfino Forest Inspectorate and the PGE Foundation, which is the strategic partner of the project.

There were also two promotional campaigns and five special campaigns conducted on social media.

In 2020 the cooperation agreements with two clubs playing in the highest competition classes of the most popular disciplines were extended: Stal Mielec (football premier league) and Spójnia Stargard (basketball Energa Basket league). Within the scope of executed naming rights agreements, these teams participate in matches under names containing the PGE brand: PGE FKS Stal Mielec and PGE Spójnia Stargard, similarly to one of the best volleyball teams in Poland, PGE Skra Bełchatów, with which PGE has cooperated since 2009.

After five fruitful years of cooperation with the Speedway Ekstraliga, a decision was made to sign a new naming rights agreement with PGE Ekstraliga. The PGE brand will accompany the competitions of the best eight clubs in Polish speedway for the next three seasons.

PGE also continues cooperation with Zofia Klepacka, a Polish windsurfing medallist, who is one of the main contenders for an Olympic medal at this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo. In 2020, Zofia Klepacka won the Polish championship in the RS:X and open foil classes, as well as the bronze medal at the European Championship.

PGE pays special attention to supporting the sport of children and young people. In 2020 the company inaugurated two strategic projects in the locations of PGE Group’s facilities. Their objective was to support the GKS Bełchatów Academy as well as basketball groups for youngsters in Turów Zgorzelec. The GKS Bełchatów Academy trains approximately 350 young sportspeople aged 5 to 18 in two sections: football and wrestling. On the other hand, PGE Turów Zgorzelec has basketball teams for youngsters and an e-sports section, which is a new element in PGE’s sponsoring activities. Involvement in this project is a part of PGE Group’s new strategy opening the Company to modern energy services and modern solutions in business.

In 2020 PGE also signed sponsorship agreements to support children and young people training various sports disciplines in the following clubs: LTS Legionovia (girls’ volleyball), Widzew Łódź Academy (football), Gwardia Opole Academy (handball), Young Bison Białystok Basketball Academy (basketball), MKS Lublin (girls’ handball). The development of youth groups is also an important element of sponsorship agreements concluded by PGE with PGE Spójnia Stargard, PGE Stal Mielec and PGE Skra Bełchatów.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, PGE Group participated in the organisation of a few important sports events in 2020. Three agreements were signed with the Polish Speed Skating Association concerning sponsorship of the following events: World Juniors Championship, Polish Multithlon Championship and the Polish Distance Skating Championship. Once again, “PGE’s biggest PE lesson” turned out to be a great success. Although it was organised in an online format, it managed to secure the participation of 3,000 pupils. At the beginning of 2020 PGE also sponsored the Piasts Ski Race.

The coronavirus pandemic changed the face of PGE’s social involvement, forcing the Company to use modern technologies, including the social media, more intensively. PGE encouraged not only philharmonic musicians, but also sponsored athletes to participate in its special events. They, in turn, promoted the “#stayathome but be in touch” campaign and participated in the “Distance counts in life” campaign aimed at reminding people to maintain a necessary distance to others during the pandemic.

Zaprasza Patryk Dudek #PGEEkstraliga

Zaprasza Tomasz Śnieg #PGESpójniaStargard

Zaprasza Karol Kłos #PGESkraBełchatów

Zostań obrońcą” – Zaprasza Kamil Kościelny z #FKSStalMielec

Zofia Klepacka. „Razem żeglujmy po lepsze zdrowie”

AKCJA #PGE „W ŻYCIU LICZY SIĘ DYSTANS”