Solaris has published its first “Sustainability Report 2020”. It is the first publication by Solaris to provide such a comprehensive summary of the company’s activities in the ESG field. The report reflects Solaris’s awareness and shows that its activities don’t stop at the gates of its factory and that all decisions taken and projects implemented or its final products have a tremendous impact on the world around. The report contains a comprehensive description of the organisation’s impact on the economy, environment and communities. The objective of the report is to show the current position of Solaris as an organisation, employer and business partner. Moreover, the report has placed the company’s activities in a broader context, but first and foremost it should spark a number of new ESG initiatives and projects in the future. Some key points are:
44-percent share of alternative drives in traded vehicles in 2020, close on 700 delivered zero-emission buses, carbon footprint reduction of 51%, energy savings, new values introduced by the company, environmental and social policy, sustainable development vision and goals for the future.
‘We interpret the mission of implementing the sustainable development idea at Solaris as the systematic expansion of the range of zero-emission vehicles and active support for the cities interested in green change to urban transport. This constitutes the basis for continuous improvements in the production process, as well as in the management of the company and creating a value chain. Solaris shapes its relations with the surrounding world by improving eco-awareness among the company employees, customers and Solaris vehicle users, said Javier Calleja, CEO of Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z o.o.
In its first report the company takes stock of 2020, the anniversary year in which Solaris celebrated 25 years of its market presence. The choice of topics to be covered in the report was not a mere coincidence – it resulted from internal workshops during which key topics for the company were selected and the contributions of our stakeholders who voiced their opinions on the matter. A survey among the stakeholders enabled us to map the most important topics in the field of sustainable development. The content was divided into three main chapters aligned with the main pillars of company’s operations: “Responsibility at every value chain stage”, “People – the greatest value” and “Zero-emission future”.
The report contains many examples of Solaris’ activities which reflect the company’s commitment to being an accountable partner to our customers and suppliers, as well as an excellent employer, socially responsible company and good neighbour to local communities. Sustainable supply chain, innovative and energy-efficient production solutions, driving CO2 reduction in the company, but also charitable activities and educational programmes are only a part of the challenges the company mentions in the report. A lot of space is also devoted to zero-emission modes of transport, which results from Solaris’s conviction that modern cities with accessible, flexible and comfortable public transport may play a key role in the sustainable development of the world.
The document was drafted following the GRI Standards, which is an international benchmark for reporting on responsible business and sustainability issues. It covers the company’s operations in 2020 in Poland, it does not take into account the results of its foreign representative offices and companies. The publication is the result of many months of work by the interdepartmental team of Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z o.o., as well as the involvement of external stakeholders.
The Sustainable Development Report summarizes Solaris’ activities in the ESG field in 2020 and was prepared in Polish and English language versions. To protect the environment the report is available in an online version only, here on the website:
https://www.solarisbus.com/public/assets/content/firma/csr/Solaris_Sustainability_Report_2020.pdf
(Info: Solaris)
21.06.2021
