Written by: Joanna Żerańska-Leska, Channel & Partner Marketing Manager
Corporate Social Responsibility is a philosophy of conducting business in a sustainable way that supports the development of all participants in the company’s business environment. In recent years, another abbreviation related to this area of business is gaining popularity – ESG: Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance, by some treated as the next level of CSR evolution, by others – as a way to measure and quantify CSR activities.
It may seem that where figures appear, the IT industry should be like a duck to water. However, as shown in the report “Opportunities and Threats – Social and Environmental Responsibility of IT companies“, it turns out that the awareness of global ESG challenges in the domestic ICT industry is relatively low.
At the same time, however, the companies declare the development of this area within their operations, and the strategic plans for the coming years take into account the implementation of sustainable development goals.
Solwit’s declaration on operating in a socially responsible manner and supporting sustainable development means conscious decision making and continuous improvement of our own indicators.
We treat the non-financial reporting of Solwit as a declaration of transparency to our stakeholders, customers and employees, but also as factors that that help understand which areas are our strengths and how the company should develop further. Treating the ESG report as a benchmark, we checked how we compare to the IT industry in Poland:
IT Industry | Solwit |
| 5% of technology companies in Poland measure their carbon footprint. 50% say they will measure their carbon footprint in the coming years. | Solwit does not measure its carbon footprint. In Solwit’s offices operates a system to optimize electricity consumption. |
| Most companies do not generate or purchase energy from RES or do not have the knowledge. | Solwit is not using RES. |
| 50% of companies return waste equipment to specialized companies. | Solwit disposes the waste equipment in cooperation with a specialized company. |
| 30% of Polish IT companies separate waste into 5 or more fractions. | We separate waste into 5 fractions. |
| 50% of companies conduct information and training activities for employees on promoting environmentally friendly behavior. | As part of our Health Continuity Management System, we promote environmentally friendly behavior. |
And besides, like most Polish IT companies:
| |
IT Industry | Solwit |
| 66% of companies engage employees in pro-bono activities. | At Solwit, we have a volunteer program where we initiate or at least facilitate employee volunteer activities. |
| 56% companies independently organize charity actions or other kind of support for the needy. 23% of companies regularly (at least once a quarter) organize collections (financial / in-kind) for the needy. | Charitable activities at Solwit are an important and very active part of our culture. Regular events and initiatives are taking place all year round. |
| 33% cooperate with NGOs and participate in their actions. | Solwit continuously cooperates with 3 NGOs and regularly supports many others. |
IT Industry | Solwit |
| 30% of IT companies have a code of ethics / code of conduct. | Solwit has a Code of Conduct for employees and a dedicated document of this type for the sales department. In addition, the company has a set of Ground Rules, which are practical guidelines to facilitate daily work in an environment of mutual respect. |
| 50% of companies declare that they resign from orders and tenders raising ethical questions, and one in three companies has never encountered such a situation. | As a rule, Solwit never cooperates with ethically questionable organizations. Solwit also does not participate in competitions or rankings that are paid for, in a way that raises doubts about their integrity. |
| 12% of executives are women. | Women account for 30% of the Solwit management team. |
