Are companies reducing their ecological footprint?

By: Trademagazin Date: 2024. 12. 19. 09:35

According to the latest data from the K&H Sustainability Index, two priority areas emerge in the sustainability efforts of Hungarian companies: reducing energy consumption and supporting employees to commute to work in an environmentally friendly manner. The vast majority of companies have taken energy efficiency measures and are planning to do more, while promoting sustainable employee transport has become one of the fastest growing priorities. However, the easiest to implement selective paper collection and paper use remain the most common ecological footprint reduction practices in companies.

Reducing energy consumption takes everything

Reducing energy consumption remains a priority for companies, as shown by the fact that the 86 percent rate measured in the second half of 2024 is the highest value to date. Which is no wonder, since the war in Ukraine caused a sharp increase in energy prices: when the sustainability index was first collected, in the first half of 2022, it was only 72 points. Many companies are modernizing their IT devices, machines and equipment to use more efficient solutions. 81 percent of companies have undertaken or planned to replace IT devices and machines with energy-efficient ones, and the proportion of companies planning to replace vehicles with more environmentally friendly ones has increased from 47 percent in the previous half of the year to 54 percent. Meanwhile, 54 percent of companies continue to manage hazardous waste in an environmentally friendly way.

At the same time, while the majority of companies are taking steps towards energy efficiency, the use of green energy remains marginal: only 4 percent of companies have purchased or plan to purchase green energy, and its usage ratio compared to total energy consumption is only 1.8% – although this is the highest value of the measurements so far.