Our sustainable impact areas

Our sustainable impact areas

We see a world where sustainability is simply built into living. Together with our partners, we are building for a better society, creating innovative and sustainable solutions that support living beyond our lifetime. 

Responsibility

The 2022 employee survey showed that 86 percent felt free to express concerns without fear of negative consequences, compared with the industry benchmark of 65 percent. 

Climate

Our goal is to transition to low-carbon construction across all our projects and ultimately achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2045. 

Resilience

In 2022, Anders Danielsson, Skanska´s President and CEO, joined the CEO Alliance for Europe´s Recovery, Reform and Resilience. This membership allows us to share industry knowledge and further drive the sustainability agenda. 

Responsibility

A responsible business for people & planet  

Being a responsible business, inside and out, means having a strong and committed health and safety approach that protects lives and well-being. It means acting fairly and ethically, exercising integrity in all decisions, and being a trusted business partner with respect to the supply chain. It means operating with care for local environments and communities. It involves using our full potential by embracing diversity and creating inclusive environments. 

Fair and ethical business, inside and out

We act fairly and transparently in our business and decision making, aiming for a culture where everyone working with us understands that they can speak up and also chooses to do so. We strive for environmentally and socially sustainable supply chains that ensure safe and fair conditions for all. We have zero tolerance for corruption, bribery or any other kind of unethical behavior. Our Code of Conduct is supplemented by the Supplier Code of Conduct, to which all subcontractors, suppliers, consultants, intermediaries and agents must adhere. 

Read more about our ethical business 

Embracing diversity

We know that diverse and inclusive teams are a key driver for a successful business. We are committed to being an equal opportunity employer, attracting, recruiting and advancing diverse talent to enlarge our talent pool in a traditionally male-dominated industry. We do not tolerate discrimination, regardless of social background, ethnicity, disability, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic. We strive for a workplace free from harassment and bullying. 

Read more about Diversity & Inclusion in Skanska 

Work safety and health as a priority for all

The safety of our employees and subcontractors is our highest priority. We address our health and safety objectives with industry-leading standards and safety solutions, coupled with an inclusive culture and leadership focused on systematic performance monitoring and targeted actions. 

The construction industry is associated with unwanted events and lasting health problems that can arise if risk factors are not managed properly. Noise, working in traffic or at heights, vibration, hazardous materials, and lifting operations are risk factors in our everyday work. With clear direction, dedicated leadership, and high standards, we build a solid foundation for safe work. We are strongly committed to providing a work environment where everyone feels encouraged to speak up, to ensure that we work safely or not at all. 

Read more about our healthy & safe environment 

Sustainability reporting as a measurable proof of our efforts

In Skanska, we have been reporting on our environmental impact since 1997—way before it became a requirement and standard. Until 2001, we did it in the form of dedicated "Environmental reports", between 2002 and 2018 in the form of "Sustainability reports" and since 2019, sustainability has been reported jointly with the annual report to demonstrate the strategic importance of the progress we’re making in this area. 

You can find the full history of reports on a dedicated website.

Fostering a speak-up culture, in which employees feel empowered to talk about any issue, is essential for us. 

The 2022 employee survey showed that 86 percent felt free to express concerns without fear of negative consequences, compared with the industry benchmark of 65 percent. Work to promote awareness of the no-retaliation policy was intensified in 2022. The policy encourages the reporting of possible ethical breaches and offers protection for those who speak up. 

Read more

Climate

Transformative solutions for a climate-smart built environment  

Creating transformative climate solutions drives our business forward and enables our customers to succeed in fulfilling their sustainability goals. These solutions need to be low in carbon, circular, smart and sustainable. Achieving this involves knowledge, insight and learning. We partner to share knowledge and to develop and innovate net-zero solutions for the built environment. Our goal is to transition to low-carbon construction across all our projects and ultimately achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2045. As we move forward, scaling these solutions will be critical for a full industry transformation that will lead to net-zero living. 

Climate action

Our goal is to transition to low-carbon construction across all our projects and ultimately reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2045. This includes an interim target to reduce our own emissions (scope 1 and 2) by 70 percent by 2030 and the value chain emissions from our project development (scope 3) by 50 percent by 2030. 

Our climate target is science-based according to the requirements of the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). It has been accredited to be in line with the reductions required to keep global warming to 1.5°C, the goal of the Paris Agreement. 

Read a dedicated article on our global website to learn more about our science-based climate target.

Reducing our climate impact is a responsibility as well as a business opportunity. Actions we take to reduce carbon emissions differ depending on the project and so does the impact of decisions taken throughout the various project phases. Early-stage decisions have a major impact as reducing the use of carbon-intensive materials and creating low-energy solutions greatly reduces the project’s total carbon emissions. 

Net-zero & Low carbon solutions

First climate-neutral office building in CEE & wooden building construction 

As a company that pays great attention to the area of sustainable development and the impact of our investments on the climate, we are constantly working on introducing modern, sustainable solutions. Examples can be air-purifying concrete (used to build sidewalks in our office investments) or concrete with a reduced carbon footprint, which we implement on Skanska projects in the CEE region (so far on 3 office projects - P180 in Warsaw, Equilibrium in Bucharest, and Port7 in Prague) . 

Learn more information about these solutions on dedicated websites: 

https://www.skanska.pl/oferta/biura/nasza-filozofia-tworzenia-biur/niskoemisyjny-beton/  

https://www.skanska.pl/en-us/offer/offices/our-philosophy/air-purifying-concrete/  

Measuring carbon footprint

Skanska has measured and reported carbon emissions since 2008. We use 2015 as the base year for our own emissions (scope 1 and 2). In recent years, we have expanded and improved the quality of our value chain data, with 2020 serving as the base year for value chain (scope 3) emissions. 

Confirmation of the direction we have taken is our scientifically approved climate goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 70% by 2030 and achieving emission neutrality by 2045 by Skanska. 

Energy efficiency

At Skanska we take a holistic approach to designing and building low-carbon projects, incorporating resource efficiency, recycling, renewable energy, electrification and digitalization. The ongoing energy crisis has further sharpened the need for energy-efficient products and solutions. 

We use many solutions to make sure our products are as energy efficient as possible and we constantly push ourselves to go even further, innovate and find new ways to make our impact lower and lower. As an example, we could name the usage of LED lighting, chilling beams, low-speed ventilations, photovoltaic panels, heat recuperation, ventilation with recuperation and many others. 

All Skanska Residential construction sites, as well as all Skanska Construction offices (both construction sites and HQ) are powered by fully "green" energy. In addition, many of our residential investments (Holm House 2, Park Skandynawia 4, Solen Kabaty, Stilla) already have or will have photovoltaic panels, from which the energy obtained powers common areas. 

Sustainable water management

Improving water efficiency is a key factor in minimizing our impact on the environment. As a construction and development company, we have a major impact on water usage, both during construction and when the building is in use. We have promoted more sustainable water usage by integrating innovative water-efficiency solutions, such as replacing potable water with alternative quality grades where possible. Examples include gray-water systems, where domestic wastewater except that from toilets is reused for non-potable uses. 

All new Skanska office investments in Poland use a gray water system. In addition, in new residential investments in Warsaw (Solen and NU!) a smart home system is implemented in a version that allows its residents to save water (measures water consumption, shows what is the average in the building and in the apartment, helps to control possible leaks). In addition, on the Jaśminowy Mokotów investment in Warsaw, we have created a retention reservoir - a lake, which is located in a public park prepared by us for the residents. On rainy days, the lake collects water from the entire estate! 

Material, waste management & circular economy

We focus on increasing resource efficiency by reusing and recycling materials and products where we can. We closely monitor and reduce the amount of waste produced in the construction process, aiming at preventing the waste from ending up in landfills. and improve efficiency with smarter design, planning, procurement, and logistics. This often goes hand in hand with reduced costs. 

We have been tracking self-generated waste to landfill since 2008 and our target is that less than 5 percent goes to landfill. 

Globally at Skanska, in 2022, 72 percent of total waste was recycled, 8 percent prepared for reuse and 13 percent went through other waste treatments. 

Improving circularity is a stepwise process that requires new ways of working and testing new solutions. In Poland, we are preparing for the first circular demolition of an office building in Warsaw, which is preceded by in-depth analyses of the design, materials used, and systems installed, which is to enable the reuse of many materials. 

Environmental certification

We believe that what we deliver should prioritize the well-being of people and the planet. That's why we offer buildings certified by LEED, BREEAM or WELL, most respected certification programs in the industry. These certifications demonstrate that a building has met rigorous standards for energy efficiency, sustainability, and indoor environmental quality. For residents or employees, this means a healthier and more productive environment, with access to natural light, fresh air, and other amenities that promote well-being. 

Link: strona z certyfikatami 

Globally, 87 percent of the electricity we consume comes from renewable sources, and this proportion has increased from 40 percent in 2020.

Resilience

Healthy resilient places for all  

Many of today’s buildings and spaces were not designed for the challenges faced by modern society – challenges such as extreme weather, air pollution, energy shortages and water scarcity. They also may not be designed for changes in social patterns, such as rising urban population density and changing living habits. We envision a world where sustainability is simply built into living, and a future filled with healthier, more sustainable, more resilient urban spaces – places shaped together, for all. 

Healthy places to live & work

We aim to create spaces with the end user in focus, working with the environment to inspire healthy living. Together with our customers, we apply our expertise to develop insights and help mitigate the risks associated with climate change. When building new office buildings, we conduct local neighborhood analyzes or even social consultations to find out what our neighbors lack. In this way, new bicycle paths, playgrounds, and even... basketball courts are created. The same is true for residential buildings - in the Jaśminowy Mokotów investment, purified rainwater from roads feeds the retention lake we built in the Enklawa Park, the name of which was chosen in a competition by the residents of the estate. 

Social impact in communities

The values we build reflect our interest in what is happening around us. We are not indifferent to the needs of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, but also to ordinary citizens who are affected by our activities. In doing so, we use our knowledge, skills, and great teams willing to go beyond their regular duties. 

We want to be a good neighbor

Certifications that include social impact

International certification schemes for buildings and infrastructure are increasingly adding social topics to their sustainability assessments and we are aware that certifications make sustainability performance comparable. To objectively verify our efforts when it comes to building healthy places to live and work for all, we use the most respected certification programs. 

Certificates