Our focus on sustainability
The Group strategy forms the core of this and anchors the ESG principles in corporate governance. This is continuously expanded based on ongoing stakeholder dialogue, the materiality analysis, and current and future regulations. This enables PORR to act consistently with foresight.
Our focus
As a construction company, PORR’s business activities have a major impact on the environment and society. The company therefore focuses intensively on research and development for climate protection. With its Group-wide climate strategy, PORR aims to effectively mitigate or avoid the greatest challenges of our time – namely climate change and its negative consequences. Climate-related risks are systematically analysed and managed by risk management. In addition, PORR follows the recommendations on climate reporting for companies and investors by the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
Conserving resources is a top priority in order to preserve natural living conditions for future generations. PORR takes sustainability aspects into account along the entire construction value chain from the start. This includes circular design, resource-efficient consumption and the recycling of building materials. Partnerships are formed to find solutions together. In this way, PORR aims to drive the evolution towards a circular economy and the associated innovations as well as promote the optimal use of resources.
Responsible management also includes responsibility for staff. Numerous training and development programmes and high occupational safety standards ensure an attractive and safe working environment. The health of employees is promoted with a wide range of programmes in the areas of sport, nutrition and mental wellbeing.
The five PORR Principles – Reliability, Shoulder to Shoulder, Appreciation, Passion and Pioneering Spirit – form the shared corporate culture. They contribute significantly to an inclusive and appreciative working environment. All PORRians are ambassadors of these values – in accordance with the guiding principle of acting in a morally, ethically and legally unimpeachable way. The wide range of training and further education programmes are designed to maximise the potential from within the company’s own ranks. Diversity and inclusion strengthen cohesion and create an important foundation for future success.
Human dignity and rights are inviolable. PORR is committed to respecting and promoting human rights and follows internationally recognised guidelines. The Codes of Conduct, which are mandatory, serve as a guide. The guidelines contained therein are intended to prevent misconduct and promote the principles laid down. Corporate governance is an essential cornerstone of the corporate culture and involves every area of the company. PORR is committed to the highest compliance standards and transparent behaviour in everyday professional life.
How we manage sustainability
Strategic management
The department Corporate Sustainability (CS) is placed under Commercial Management the CFO’s remit. The CS department manages Group-wide sustainability issues within the framework of the business model and strategy and is responsible for sustainability reporting. It is also responsible for the further development and monitoring of the sustainability strategy and targets as well as raising awareness of ESG across the Group. The head of department regularly liaises with the Executive Board and the sustainability bodies on current developments and issues.
To ensure that the company’s evolution is geared towards sustainability, the Sustainability Committee on the Supervisory Board is the highest supervisory body. This committee meets every six months and reviews the degree to which the measures taken have met the targets and the planned course of action.
A cross-departmental steering committee, the Group Sustainability Board, was established in 2023. This is made up of Group heads of sustainability-relevant departments and the CS department. Its focus is on defining, managing, monitoring and implementing the sustainability strategy and delivering measures.
At the same time, the Executive Board is also involved through regular management reviews.
Operational management
The CS department is responsible for coordinating and monitoring the success of sustainability management across the Group. The operational implementation of the measures is carried out by the respective specialist departments. For the strategic action fields of the ESG pillar in the Group strategy, Topic Working Groups were formed. These focus either on optimising the data basis and data collection (
The involvement of the countries is essential for successful Group-wide ESG implementation. ESG governance is therefore mirrored in the countries. To this end, Local Sustainability Boards and Local Topic Working Groups have been set up in the respective PORR markets. Each PORR market has an ESG Director who is responsible for the overall coordination of sustainability management in the respective country. The ESG Directors Board meets on a quarterly basis to identify examples of best practice, lessons learnt from the PORR markets, and the sustainability issues where progress is needed.
Group-wide use of green electricity
material recycled Group-wide
Better
Environment
By planning and constructing energy-efficient buildings and reducing GHG emissions in the course of construction activities, PORR makes a contribution to achieving global emissions targets. PORR also takes responsibility for the efficient use of resources. This includes not only the recycling of waste, but first and foremost avoiding creating waste and actually reusing materials.
Our success stories
- Start of photovoltaic rollout on roofs and open spaces owned by the Group
- Expansion of charging infrastructure for e-mobility at eleven company sites
- Participation in the UP!crete project for better recycling of concrete
- Launch of the first gypsum-to-gypsum recycling plant in Austria
- Over 80% local procurement across the Group
work-related injuries
female managers
Better
Society
PORR's employees are the driving force behind the company's success. PORR promotes the individual skills of its employees and creates an attractive working environment. The safety of its employees is of particular importance to PORR. A range of tools are implemented to pave the way for Vision Zero - zero accidents. Beyond this, the cornerstones of prevention, support, early detection and acute assistance provide the framework for occupational health management.
Our success stories
- Recognition for exemplary companies from the Office for Occupational Safety and Health
- Progress made towards Vision Zero
- Renewed award of the BGF seal of quality
- Rollout of customised hearing protection for all staff members
- Around 40% more women in junior management programmes
- Introduction of a reporting channel for anti-harassment and anti-discrimination
anti-corruption trainings
suppliers audited for environmental and social standards
Better
Governance
Acting ethically, fairly and transparently is not a matter of obligation for PORR, but of conviction. Respect for human rights is also a cornerstone of all PORR activities. The PORR principles, consistent checks, clear rules and responsibilities as well as intensive training ensure that these convictions are put into practice in everyday life.
Our success stories
- Human rights training programme developed
- Whistleblowing system successfully expanded
- Compliance training programme for apprentices implemented
- Around 42,500 scans of workers using the personnel verification system
- Over 90% of customers recommend PORR as a reliable construction partner
EU-Taxonomy
Furthermore, in accordance with the EU Taxonomy Regulation, PORR discloses its share of taxonomy-eligible and taxonomy-aligned economic activities in terms of revenue, capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX).