Due diligence in the Budimex Group’s investments
The Budimex Group performs service works on the basis of project documentation, the framework of which is determined by the Investor. For the majority of the ongoing investments, the investor is responsible for preparing the project, including public consultation and environmental impact level. Companies from the Budimex Group, acting as a general contractor, have no direct impact on the above-mentioned issues, except for situations where, being a designer within a given contract, they participate in the preparation of the investment in environmental and social terms. Nevertheless, the Budimex Group aims to reduce its environmental impact through measures such as:
- protecting trees and shrubs from mechanical damage associated with the use of heavy equipment,
- fencing/protecting animal and plant habitats,
- creating crossings for animals that are compatible with their migration routes,
- maintaining protection zones (ecotones) in forests,
- relocating plants from construction sites to new sites with the same or similar habitat and soil conditions (so-called metaplantation),
- protecting water bodies from potential pollution by chemicals,
- erecting noise barriers during construction work,
- placing signs on construction sites to provide information on sites for storing construction waste, washing pumps after concreting and areas requiring special care due to the presence of protected species or tree protection zones. The presence of appropriate signs is verified during Site Assessment System audits,
- having a so-called ‘environmental kit’, i.e. a kit for the rapid containment and neutralisation of spills of substances hazardous to the environment, such as oils and petroleum substances,
- Monitoring of impact areas and habitats on the site, introducing nature surveillance and nature observation, if required,
- restoring the site of the works to as close to its pre-construction condition as possible. For example, new trees are planted in place of trees that could not avoid being felled, and site restoration.
The Environmental Department specialists support the Group’s pro-environmental activities by continuously monitoring the implementation of investments, analysing applications and issuing recommendations.
Clash analysis
Some of the contracts implemented in 2022 were carried out in protected areas, including one under a protected site – as defined by the Nature Protection Act, an area covered by one of the forms of nature protection (national park, nature reserve, landscape park, protected landscape area, NATURA 2000 area, nature monument, documentary station, ecological utility, nature and landscape complex, plant species protection, animal species protection, fungi species protection). Most of them are linear investments, related to the construction of road and rail infrastructure, where it is not possible to avoid clashes with the protected area. A small proportion of investments are point investments related to urban or military infrastructure. Where clashes do occur, they most often involve NATURA 2000 areas, protected landscape areas and areas under animal species protection (due to the size of these areas). Clashes are also associated with areas under plant species protection and landscape parks. Individual clashes occur in the areas of national parks, nature reserves, nature and landscape complexes, nature monuments and ecological utilities, as well as areas under species protection for fungi (they are mainly associated with the implementation of investments of strategic importance). The interference mainly concerns terrestrial ecosystems, to a lesser extent freshwater ecosystems and in one case the marine ecosystem.
There was no activity in 2022 in areas of species protection of animals, plants and fungi.
There was no activity in 2022 in areas of species protection of animals, plants and fungi.
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