Biodiversity
Considering the scale of the Group’s operations, it is not possible to achieve a zero environmental impact.
Nevertheless, we can, as we have been doing for years, take measures to minimise this impact. Measures to prevent and offset our adverse impacts on the environment are an integral part of our operating model, especially as protected areas are situated near our plants or are managed by some of our companies. In 2022, we did not identify any significant adverse impacts of the companies’ operations on biodiversity in protected areas or in high biodiversity areas outside of protected areas.
Grupa Azoty S.A.
The company has in place an environmental management system conforming to the ISO 14001 standard, which supports environmental protection and prevents pollution. Recognising the potential magnitude of its environmental impact, the company continually monitors those areas that are considered material, which enables an assessment of the effectiveness of processes that influence the scale of that impact. It also assesses its activities and procedures for compliance with the relevant requirements.
None of the company’s products or services have an adverse effect on biodiversity. Its products have been registered in accordance with the REACH Regulation and come with chemical safety reports, customer instruction manuals and safety data sheets, which include information on their possible effects on living organisms. Periodic inspections by administrative authorities have revealed no irregularities.
Grupa Azoty Puławy
The company’s facilities are located within a forest complex on the right bank of the Vistula River, about three kilometres north of the town of Puławy. The following Natura 2000 protected areas are located in the vicinity of the company’s site:
- Puławy area,
- Lower Wieprz River,
- Nałęczowski Plateau,
- Middle Vistula River Valley,
- Lesser Poland Vistula Gorge.
The company’s site also neighbours with the following nature reserves, parks and protected landscape areas:
- Piskory nature reserve,
- Łęg na Kępie nature reserve in Puławy,
- Czapliniec nature reserve near Gołąb,
- Kazimierz landscape park,
- Wieprz River Glacier Valley protected landscape area,
- Kozi Bór protected landscape area.
The company’s site is located in an enclave surrounded by wildlife corridors: GKPdC-10 Middle Vistula Valley, GKPdC-3A Lower Wieprz Valley, and GKPdC-4A Lesser Poland Vistula Gorge.
The company makes every effort to ensure that its current and future operations do not result in permanent depletion or fragmentation of natural habitats and habitats of plant and animal species (for which the European Natura 2000 network sites have been designated), or otherwise disrupt the network.
The amount of noise generated by noise emitters on the company’s premises does not exceed the permitted night- and day-time noise levels in acoustically protected areas. Since 2005, the company has maintained a nesting box for peregrine falcons on its CHP plant’s flue gas stack.
Grupa Azoty Police
The area owned by the company has no significant natural value and is not covered by any national or EU nature protection measures. However, areas covered by various forms of such protection are located in the vicinity of the company’s site:
Nature reserves:
- Białodrzew Kopicki,
- Olszanka,
- Uroczysko Święta,
- Świdwie.
Natura 2000 sites:
- Police – Kanały (Police Canals) (PLH320015) – about 0.4 km to the south of the plant site,
- Zalew Szczeciński (Szczecin Lagoon) (PLB320009) – about 2 km to the north of the plant site,
- Ostoja Wkrzańska (Wkra Refuge; formerly Puszcza Wkrzańska) (PLB320014) – about 2 km to the west of the plant site,
- Oder Estuary and Szczecin Lagoon (PLH320018) – about 2.5 km to the east of the plant site.
The company has implemented a rigorous process regime at its two existing on-site landfills, having reduced their environmental impact to a minimum. The landfill sites are now a habitat for many plant species and animals of significant natural value.
Since 2016, the company has worked with the ‘Sokół’ (‘Falcon’) Wildlife Protection Association of Włocławek. A nesting box for peregrine falcons has been placed on the flue gas stack, and the company covers the costs of online broadcast from the nest and from the front of the nesting box.
Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn
No significant direct or indirect biodiversity impacts on protected areas or areas of high biodiversity value have been identified at the company. None of the company’s facilities is located in or adjacent to such areas. There are no forms of nature protection in the company’s immediate vicinity as the sites where it operates are mainly located within highly industrialised and urbanised areas. The impacts of ongoing projects on the adjacent areas are addressed on a case-by-case basis in environmental impact reports or project data sheets.
In 2022, a survey was carried out among 63 of the company’s suppliers regarding their impact on biodiversity. The survey was completed by almost 24% of the respondents.
BEST PRACTICE
In 2022, beehives were installed near a wildflower meadow sown in 2021 on the premises of Grupa Azoty S.A. The apiary is under the constant care of a beekeeper, with the first honey crop expected in the spring of 2023.
A similar employee-initiated project called ‘Miodowy ZAKątek’ was launched at Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn. The location of the apiary was chosen with the welfare of the bees and safety of employees in mind. The honey will go to the company’s trading partners.
Tereny stanowiące własność przedsiębiorstwa, dzierżawione, zarządzane na obszarach chronionych, w ich sąsiedztwie lub w pobliżu obszarów o dużej bioróżnorodności, poza obszarami chronionymi
| Company name | Geographic location | Subsurface and underground land that may be owned, leased, or managed by the organisation | Position in relation to the protected area | Type of operation | Size of operational site | Biodiversity value | Biodiversity value characterised by listing of protected status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grupa Azoty S.A. | Province of Kraków, county of Tarnów, municipality of Wierzchosławice | Water intake points are located within this area. | Within the protected area | None | 57,512 m2 | Freshwater ecosystem | Natura 2000 site |
| Province of Kraków, county of Tarnów, municipality of Tarnów | - | Adjacent to the protected area (up to 15 km) | Manufacturing or production activities | 307 HA | - | - | |
| Grupa Azoty PUŁAWY | The area is located within a forest complex on the right bank of the Vistula River, about three kilometres north of Puławy.1 | - | Adjacent to the protected area (up to 15 km) | Manufacturing or production activities | 334.1482 HA | Land ecosystem | Natura 2000 sites: - Puławy area (code PLH060055) - Lower Wieprz River area (code PLH060051) - Nałęczowski Plateau area (code PLH060015) - Middle Vistula River Valley area (code PLB140004) - Lesser Poland Vistula Gorge area (code PLH060045) Nature reserves / Parks, Protected landscape areas – Piskory nature reserve, – Łęg na Kępie nature reserve in Puławy, – Czapliniec nature reserve near Gołąb, – Kazimierz landscape park, – Wieprz River Glacier Valley protected landscape area, – Kozi Bór protected landscape area. The company's site is located in an enclave surrounded by three wildlife corridors: GKPdC-10 Middle Vistula Valley, GKPdC-3A Lower Wieprz Valley, and GKPdC-4A Lesser Poland Vistula Gorge. |
Grupa Azoty POLICE | Province of Szczecin, county of Police, municipality of Police | Land owned or held in perpetual usufruct | Adjacent to the protected area (up to 15 km) | Manufacturing or production activities | 1228.46 HA | Land ecosystem | Natura 2000 site Name: Police - canals Area code: PLH320015 Form of protection: Habitats Directive Date of designation by the EC: January 15th 2008 Status: area of Community importance |
| Freshwater ecosystem | Natura 2000 site: Name: Szczecin Lagoon Area code: PLB320009 Form of protection: Birds Directive Date of designation in Poland: November 5th 2004 Status: special bird protection area; Name: Oder Estuary and Szczecin Lagoon Area code: PLH320018 Form of protection: Habitats Directive Date of designation by the EC: January 15th 2008 Status: area of Community importance | ||||||
| Freshwater ecosystem | Natura 2000 site Name: Lake Świdwie Area code: PLB320006 Form of protection: Birds Directive Date of designation in Poland: November 5th 2004 Status: special bird protection area | ||||||
| Land ecosystem | Natura 2000 site Name: Wkra Refuge Area code: PLB320014 Form of protection: Birds Directive Date of designation in Poland: October 13th 2007 Status: special bird protection area | ||||||
| Land ecosystem | Natura 2000 site Name: Goleniów Forest Area code: PLB320012 Form of protection: Birds Directive Date of designation in Poland: October 13th 2007 Status: special bird protection area | ||||||
| Grupa Azoty KĘDZIERZYN | Province of Opole, county of Kędzierzyn-Koźle | - | Adjacent to the protected area (up to 15 km) | Manufacturing or production activities | 5.819 km2 | Land ecosystem | state legislation |
1 The area adjacent to Grupa Azoty Puławy is located on the border of two physical-geographical subprovinces: Central Polish Lowlands and Lublin-Lviv Upland and their geographical mesoregions: the Middle Vistula River Valley (northwest), the Radom Plain (southwest).
