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Sustainability

Amber Grid Recognised as a Nasdaq ESG Transparency Partner

Gas transmission system operator Amber Grid was recognised as a Nasdaq ESG Transparency Partner. This title is awarded to companies that have achieved a high level of transparency in environmental, social, and governance performance. Currently, eight companies in Lithuania and 16 companies in the Baltic States have this distinction. 

“Sustainable activities have taken on a new meaning in the light of recent geopolitical, health, climate change and societal transformations, especially in the energy sector. The current situation encourages us to change the way we operate and the world around us, and to have a positive impact on the environment. Our daily work aims to ensure market transparency for consumers and investors and improve environmental standards. This award proves that we are on the right track,” says Nemunas Biknius, CEO at Amber Grid.  

Amber Grid aims to contribute directly to the sustainable development goals. The company focuses on ensuring access to clean and modern energy, combating climate change, developing modern infrastructure and innovation, safe working conditions, employee well-being and a sustainable supply chain. Green energy is at the heart of our strategy and strategic plan.  

We will implement it along the following lines: 

We aim to make a direct contribution to the UN’s sustainable development goals. We will ensure access to clean and modern energy to combat climate change. Amber Grid’s professionals focus on the development of modern infrastructure and innovation, the well-being of our employees, and the creation of a stable supply chain. 

We contribute to each of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals through:  

Objective 7. Affordable and clean energy:
  • We facilitate the connection of renewable energy producers to electricity and natural gas transmission infrastructure. 
  • We are developing a green gas origin guarantee exchange system and maintaining a green electricity system. 
  • We aim to adapt gas transmission systems to hydrogen transportation. 
Objective 8. Decent work and economic growth:
  • We take a proactive approach to employee health and safety. 
  • We are building an organisational culture based on human rights. 
  • We invest in the professional and personal development of our employees. 
  • We ensure clear and transparent remuneration principles. 
  • We support the unionisation of workers. 
Objective 9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure:
  • We ensure reliable and safe operation of electricity and gas transmission systems. 
  • We associate corporate structure and incentive systems with promotion of innovation. 
Objective 12. Responsible consumption and production:
  • We apply not only qualitative criteria, but also fairness and sustainability criteria to our partners. 
  • We ensure responsible waste sorting and management. 
  • We use green criteria in public procurement. 
Objective 13. Combating climate change:
  • We assess the environmental impact of our activities and develop plans to reduce pollution. 
  • We implement advanced environmental management systems and preventive measures. 
  • We aim to increase the use of green energy in our operations.     

Key Long-Term Objectives

Amber Grid’s sustainability objective is to transform the energy sector by striking a sustainable balance between environmental, social, and economic objectives. In doing so, we want to contribute to the creation of a climate-neutral economy. 

Sustainability and risk management

 he company has integrated sustainability principles into its business processes, and the management of sustainability domains by competency covers all levels.

The Company's Board of Directors is responsible for the formulation, review and monitoring of long-term strategic sustainability objectives and indicators. The Board also approves policies on the environment, equal opportunities, health and safety of employees, prevention of corruption, remuneration, performance evaluation and development. Within its remit, the Board also approves the company's annual objectives, which include sustainability-related objectives.

The Board of Directors also approves a list of risks at Group level, which includes risks related to sustainability: risks of non-compliance with occupational health and safety requirements, lack of adequate skills of employees, risks of turnover, risks of motivation, risks of damage caused by natural disasters, etc. The results of the monitoring of the implementation of the identified risks and of the risk management plan are regularly reported to the company's CEO, the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee, in accordance with the competence of each of them.

The Group Sustainability Development Manager is responsible for monitoring and coordinating the achievement of the Group's sustainability objectives. Meanwhile, within the company, the relevant environmental, social and governance objectives are delegated to the different functional units of the company (e.g. environmental, work safety, human resources, risk and compliance management, etc.) according to their competences. The company has delegated a separate person responsible for ensuring equal opportunities within the company.

 

Policies  

The sustainability-related policies mentioned in this report are publicly available. Details on the policies are available:

Sustainability Policy

Sustainability Policy. In 2021, EPSO-G adopted a new sustainability policy of the Group. The policy defines the sustainability guidelines and principles that are common to the Group’s businesses and guide the Group’s activities. EPSO-G strengthens its sustainability management at a strategic level and develops a progressive organisational culture. The implementation of this policy is the responsibility of the heads of the companies of the EPSO-G Group and the supervisors of the sustainability functional area. 

Environmental Policy

Environmental Policy. EPSO-G Group aims to contribute to the implementation of UN’s goals for 2030. It also aims to meet the commitments set out in the Paris Agreement, the European Green Deal, the National Energy Independence Strategy, and the National Climate Change Management Agenda. This policy defines the environmental principles to be applied across the EPSO-G Group. The implementation of the Environmental Policy is the responsibility of the heads of the companies of the EPSO-G Group and the supervisors of the sustainability functional area. 

Occupational Health and Safety Policy 

Occupational Health and Safety  Policy (OHS). It defines the principles of occupational health and safety and guidelines for their implementation. The implementation of this policy is the responsibility of the heads of the group’s companies and the supervisors of the OHS functional area.  

Code of Ethics

Code of Ethics. It defines the principles and standards of business ethics that underpin the group’s companies and the behaviour expected of employees and partners in their daily work. 

Corruption Prevention Policy

Corruption Prevention Policy. It defines the principles and requirements for the prevention of corruption and the guidelines for ensuring compliance with them, the application of which creates the preconditions and conditions for the implementation of the highest standards of transparent business conduct. 

Support Policy

Support Policy. It sets out the key principles for the provision of support, clear and transparent criteria for the selection of projects and activities to be supported, and essential requirements for the transparency and publicity of the support provided. The policy sets out the specific purposes for which support may be granted. Decisions on the overall level and direction of support are taken by the boards of the group’s companies. Decisions on the specific level of support to be granted to beneficiaries are taken by the heads of the group’s companies. The group’s company that granted the support must ensure transparency by announcing the support within one month at the latest. The announcement must be published on the company’s website. 

Equal Opportunities Policy

Equal Opportunities Policy. It defines the key principles within the company to ensure that equal opportunities and non-discrimination are respected in all areas of the employment relationship. 

Selection Policy

The Selection Policy, which was updated on 01/08/2022, defines the Group’s overall selection principles and practices to select transparently the best candidates who have the right qualifications, skills, experience, and values for collegial bodies and for managerial and professional positions at all levels and who will contribute effectively to the achievement of the Group’s objectives.

The Employee Remuneration, Performance Assessment and Education Policy

On 25/10/2022, Amber Grid signed up to a new group policy that defines clear and transparent principles for the remuneration and performance assessment of the Group’s employees, and the corresponding employee remuneration system, the principles of learning, refresher courses, and professional development.

Procurement Policy

The Procurement Policy, which was updated on 21/02/2022, defines the key principles and objectives of procurement, guidelines for procurement planning and preparation, the conduct and coordination of group procurement, implementation of procurement principles and best practices, supply and supplier management, contract management control, and review of disputes and decisions.  

Supplier Code of Conduct

The Supplier Code of Conduct, which was approved on 25/11/2022, defines the standards of conduct that the Company expects all its Suppliers and Sub-suppliers to adhere to in order to promote legitimate, professional, sustainable and fair business practices that incorporate the objectives of environmental protection, human rights, labour standards, and business ethics. The Supplier Code of Conduct is based on the principles of the United Nations Global Compact.

Themes and Matrix of Sustainability Importance

Identification of sustainability themes most relevant to the company was carried out in 2021. The study included focus group interviews. One hundred and eighty respondents took part in the survey, including Amber Grid’s customers, suppliers, partners, employees, communities, non-governmental organisations, shareholders, and heads. 

Reduction of Greenhouse Gases (GHG)

The Company has set an ambitious target to reduce its environmental impact (including, but not limited to, GHGs) by 2/3 by 2030, compared to a base year of 2019, based on the goals of the Paris Climate Accords of 12 December 2015, and the European Union and national ambitions to halt climate change.  In order to achieve this goal and to contribute to the global targets, the Company launched a group-wide inventory of GHG emission sources and assessment of the overall environmental impact of its operations in 2021. The aim was to identify the group-wide environmental impacts, to identify impact mitigation measures, and to assess the realistic feasibility of implementing the measures. In 2022, an Environmental Impact Mitigation Plan up to 2030 was prepared in cooperation with external experts. At the end of the same year, the Environmental Impact Mitigation Plan was approved by the company’s Technical and Innovation Committee and presented to the board, which supported its implementation.

 

Nasdaq ESG Indicators

The information provided covers the period from 1 January to 31 December 2022 and the indicators should be considered in conjunction with the Sustainability Report. The data for the ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) indicators presented below have not been verified by external organisations and reflect information available at the time of disclosure.

Sustainability Reports

Monitoring, recording and communicating changes in important indicators is a crucial part of our company’s sustainability activities. We are transparent and provide detailed information, so every consumer and investor have public access to a comprehensive report on our activities and plans. 

Preparation of reports is guided by international requirements: the principles of the UN-initiated Global Compact and the recommendations of the Global Reporting Initiative. This helps to measure performance against relevant economic, environmental, staff, human rights, market, and public relations indicators. 

Sustainability reports of Amber Grid

Support and Support Granting Procedures

Amber Grid’s development and projects of economic importance to the country, as set out in the strategy, may have an impact on the quality of life of communities or their environment. We therefore allocate a portion of our profits to support the local regions and/or communities where these projects are located. 

Such support may be given to education, culture, sport, social services, healthcare or other areas of community well-being. Amber Grid may also support students in programmes related to the company’s direct activities. 

We encourage voluntary involvement of employees in activities that are important to society or the local community, and may provide support accordingly.  

In granting support, we are guided by the following principles: 
 
Alignment with operational objectives. We aim to provide support to those whose stated and duly justified objectives for the use of the support are most closely aligned with our operational objectives and support granting criteria. 
 
Transparency and impartiality. The process of evaluating support applications and deciding whether to grant support is carried out in accordance with the highest standards of transparency and impartiality. In cases where the evaluation of a support application presents or may present a conflict of interest, the person involved in the evaluation process must withdraw from the evaluation of the application and the decision. Decisions to withdraw are noted in the documentation recording the evaluation. 
 
Equal treatment. The evaluation of all submitted applications is based on consistent, clear, and comprehensible evaluation criteria and does not discriminate. Decisions to award support to specific projects must be reasoned. 
 
Confidentiality and publicity. Confidentiality of the applicant’s data and of the data contained in the application are ensured prior to and during the evaluation of the application and are used only for evaluation purposes. Once the decision regarding support has been taken, information on granting support will be published on the company’s website and, where appropriate, by other means as well. Any confidentiality agreements restricting the public disclosure of information on the support granted by the company are prohibited. 

Support

The share of profits to be granted as support is determined annually by the ordinary general meeting of shareholders. The share of the profit allocated to support may not exceed 1% of the net profit for the reporting financial year and may not exceed EUR 50,000, of which no more than 10% may be allocated for the intended use.  

Support is granted for the following public benefit purposes: 

  • Developing cooperation with the communities in whose neighbourhoods we operate and/or implement projects. 
  • Educational activities for students studying at universities and other higher education institutions in programmes closely linked to our activities. 
  • Implementing company projects. 
  • Supporting and contributing to activities in which staff members volunteer to work towards goals that are important to society or the local community. 

Support is not granted and any support granted may not be used for: 

  • Funding political parties or political campaigns, either directly or indirectly. 
  • Participants in political campaigns, to cover debt obligations incurred during the campaign or in relation to political campaigns. 
  • Charity or support funds set up by politicians or persons close to politicians. 
  • Legal persons who have not properly implemented or have breached a previous support agreement with any company in the EPSO-G Group (or with another support provider, and this is known).  
  • Activities promoting or relating to gambling, alcoholic beverages, tobacco products or psychoactive substances, and activities that have or may have a negative impact on society. 

 
The support granting procedure is available here

Please send the completed support application form (a guidance form is provided here) to: r.kazlauskiene@ambergrid.lt

 

  • In 2022 investing in the most sought-after professions of the future, Amber Grid signed cooperation agreements with Vilnius Gediminas Technical University and Panevėžys College  and provided financial support for scholarships for engineering students. This decision aims to address the issue of attracting specialists needed for the transformation of the Lithuanian energy sector and to seek synergies between science and business. 

Support Agreement with Vilnius Gediminas Technical University 

Support Agreement with Panevėžys College  

  • In 2022, as Russia targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure for destruction, Amber Grid donated €18,000 worth of equipment to its Ukrainian counterparts for the repair of gas pipelines. The equipment will help the Ukrainian gas transmission system operator to rebuild damaged pipelines. The aid was channelled to the Ukrainian gas operator through the non-governmental organisation Blue/Yellow. The aid contract is available here.
  • Amber Grid did not grant any support in 2021. 
  • In 2020, support was granted under this contract
  • Amber Grid did not grant any support from 2017 to 2019. 
  • Information on Amber Grid’s support in 2016 is available here