Expert ESG from Wiśniowski company emphasizes, that adapting to new regulations is a difficult, multistage process.
Stricter energy standards and the pursuit of carbon neutrality will contribute to the implementation of innovative materials, environmentally friendly and energy consuming, produced from renewable raw materials, which can be recycled or biodegradable. The impact of these regulations, though generates additional costs, it also opens the door to increase competitiveness in the European market.
Environmental and European green platform: reporting at new level
According to Carolina Dorula-Mamali, head project ESG at Wiśniowski, the laws are causing a change in approach to design and implementation of construction projects. “Tightened energy standards will force the use of advanced energy-efficient technologies, a carbon neutrality will become the standard thanks to materials with low emission CO2, such as concrete low-carbon and recyclable building materials.
Rising requirements in energy efficiency and reduction of CO2 emissions constitute a big challenge, especially for small and medium firms. New regulations which truly generate additional costs, which may hinder implementation of projects in the budget, but also allow to optimize there, where we waste resources.”
Directive CSRD (from ang. Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive), in force from 2025 year, requires companies to report their impact on the environment, the society and the corporate leadership. This is a huge challenge for the construction industry, which is one of the most consuming branches of the economy – he notes Karolina Doruli-Mamali, head project ESG at Wiśniowski company.
The CSRD directive is a challenge or an opportunity for the Polish construction industry?
Experts notice, that the intensity of legislative changes may be a challenge, especially for small and medium enterprises.
New regulations require not only reporting of its own activities, but also analyzing the whole chain of values, which for many companies means the necessity of reorganization. Many firms may find difficult to meet the requirements of the directive, which may lead to sanctions or loss of competitiveness.
The challenge is that many Polish enterprises do not have today tools and data, to precisely monitor and report the activities of the whole chain of supplies.This requires not only a significant quantity of time, but also additional financial input for building appropriate systems – explains Karolina Doruli-Mamali, head project ESG at Wiśniowski company.
From the other side, a proactive approach to ESG can provide long-term benefits – from optimizing costs to increasing attractiveness to investors.
– Economics goes in pair with ecology – summarizes Dorula-Mamala, pointing out,
that investment in sustainable development is an opportunity to get ahead of competition and conquer new markets, a optimization of
production processes and implementation of closed-cycle economies contribute to long-term savings, despite initial high expenditures.
Read more
The Chain Act: ministerstwo nie zgadza się z treścią projektu i zapowiada własny
Nowe perspektywy w branży budowlanej i wyciągnięcie wniosków
Choć wdrażanie tych regulacji wydaje się konieczne w świetle globalnych wyzwań związanych z ochroną klimatu i zrównoważonym rozwojem, is not free from controversy and difficulties. As the expert notes, many firms feared that the tempo and scale of legislative changes might hinder their function.
This is a huge challenge for small and medium companies, which do not always have adequate resources.
The introduction of regulations such as CSRD raises questions about the impact on the competitiveness of firms, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The complexity and cost of adapting to new reporting standards may constitute a serious burden for organizations, which do not have expanded compliance departments or technological resources – points out Caroline Dorula-Mamala.
Additionally,
companies will be required to present both qualitative, as and quantitative data on emissions of planted gases, consumption energy, water management and implementation of equality policies and
others.
All reports will be.verified by independent auditors, which will increase their reliability, but will increase the costs associated with reporting.
Read more
Reporting gas emissions, consumption energy and water management. This waits the construction industry from 2025 year
Reporting covering the whole chain of values, stands for companies a significant challenge, especially in the management of relationships with trade partners .
Requires increased openness and transparency of actions, which from one side increases trust, but from the other side raises concerns about the security of sensitive data and confidential information.
Companies may fear that disclosure of detailed data, required by new regulations, will become a potential threat from competitors.
Also significant globalization of supply chains additionally complicates the situation, because companies must comply with different legal requirements in different countries.
Although EU regulations are precisely defined, cooperation with partners outside the European Union may face difficulties resulting from limited access to required data – notes expert of the Wiśniowski company. – May appear also there may be difficulties related to implement strict standards
– may especially discourage smaller companies from acting in restricted markets.
In effect this may lead to increased
concentration of the market in the hands of large players, who have sufficient resources, to meet regulatory requirements. Thereisalsoa concern,thatsomefirmswillseekwaystopassthe regulations,toreducecosts,whichfromthecoursemayresultinunreliablereportingpracticesanddisputescredibilityof thewholesystem.
