CSR as a measure of responsible business
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been a popular buzzword recently. Many companies use it to win the applause of contractors and the public. If words are followed by actions, this is acceptable. But if someone tries to do their marketing by talking a lot, but doing little, then such actions can be considered at the very least tasteless, if not unethical. That is why today, on the day bearing the patronage of history’s most famous socialist, we are calling their bluff and verifying what CSR really looks like at the national real estate developer HREIT S.A.
HREIT bets on youth
‘It is always worth investing in young and ambitious people. It is they who will build the future and set the trends. What they learn now will pay off in a dozen, a few dozen or even a few hundred years. Well-educated, motivated, creative and courageous girls and boys are our national asset – that is why many of our initiatives are addressed at them,’ explains Michał Sapota, owner of HREIT.
We support Our Future Foundation – a charity which aims to support the educational and professional development of talented and ambitious high school students from all over Poland and enable them to continue their education at prestigious universities in the USA, the UK, the Netherlands, France, Germany and Italy. The Foundation’s charges have gone on to graduate from such renowned universities as the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge and Harvard University.
HREIT also works for local youth. In Łódź, where the developer has already handed over one housing complex and is building five more, the company has also supported the ‘Młodzi w Łodzi’ (The Young in Łódź) scholarship programme, aimed at young people who want to tie their professional and personal lives to this city. Support programmes include paying for accommodation in student dorms or funding courses to improve skills.
Ecology in practice
‘It is said that animals sense the good intentions of humans and are happy to be in the company of those who are friendly. I am absolutely convinced that this is true. During our visits to the Pegasus Foundation, we have more than once had the opportunity to experience displays of affection from animals that have escaped violence, neglect, backbreaking work and even slaughter thanks to, among other things, our support. Horses, donkeys, goats, llamas, cats and dogs are expertly and tenderly cared for here. We are very happy that it is also thanks to us that the sparkle returns to their sad eyes and their tails learn to wag merrily again,’ confesses Izabela Skotarska, HREIT’s marketing director.
Ecology at HREIT is not only about supporting the Pegasus Foundation, but also about the solutions implemented during the realisation of the projects, thanks to which the residents of the housing estates built by the developer can lead a life in harmony with nature, using, among other things, waste segregation points, bicycle racks and repair stations, and electric car charging points.
‘The projects place great emphasis on green communal zones, which are becoming a refuge for birds, insects, but also for people, who can breathe fresh air here, reduce stress levels and also cool down in summer. Flower meadows, retaining lawns, climbing ivy, green terraces, swift and insect boxes – all this is available to the residents of HREIT estates. ‘
The developer also employs more advanced technologies: smog-absorbing paint covers the façades, grey water recovered from domestic processes and that stored in retention tanks is reused for watering gardens and flushing toilets. Some housing complexes obtain clean heat thanks to heat pumps.
In terms of both its care for society and nature, HREIT therefore meets the criteria of a conscious and responsible company, for which CSR is about real action and not just declarations. The developer is already planning new charitable activities, but is not revealing any details as of yet. To keep up to date, it is therefore worth following the company’s profile on LinkedIn, as well as checking out the corporate website at https://hreit.pl/aktualnosci.
Last Updated on December 8, 2023 by Anastazja Lach