Social Investments

OMV has defined an umbrella term for its social investments. These include any activities that encompass monetary or non-monetary support and activities beyond core business that aim to contribute to the social welfare and progress of society in general. Our social investments (includes community development projects) aim to create long-term societal value for local communities impacted by our business and add value to the societies in which we operate.

Our community relations processes and projects help us develop mutual trust and respect between OMV and nearby communities, thus helping us maintain our social license to operate and create win-win situations for all.

2023 Investments by Main SDGs and by Beneficiaries

Management and Due Diligence Processes

Needs Assessments

Community development investments are always aligned with identified local needs and made following consultation with local stakeholders, as well as following consideration of country-specific priorities in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We prioritize projects with the potential for generating long-term societal value and making a lasting change to beneficiaries’ lives. Community and social investments are aligned with the SDGs and the community needs identified during Social Impact Assessments (SIAs), or with broader societal priorities (e.g., by consulting the Social Progress Index¹ The Social Progress Index, developed by the Social Progress Imperative, is a comprehensive measure of real quality of life, independent of economic indicators across countries. More details can be found at: www.socialprogress.org).

We aim to implement our projects in partnership with locally active stakeholders or non-governmental organizations to ensure a maximum social return on our investment. We implement our community development projects as investments, and thus expect each project to generate a return for our communities, or society more broadly. These initiatives often also include knowledge transfer initiatives aimed at building the local technical capacity of potential workforce or supply chain partners.

Prioritization

Consistent communication ensures a single strategic approach and supports OMV’s social responsibility objectives. OMV has therefore defined three key focus areas for our community and social investments:

• Access to basic services:
  
• Education, entrepreneurship, and employment:
  
• Climate action and circular resource management:
  

In addition to the priorities defined by the Group, individual countries or subsidiaries also identify priorities that are specific to them. For instance, the Borealis Social Fund has defined three areas of social engagement that contribute to SDGs 14, 6, 7, and 4.

Corporate Volunteering

OMV Group employees are encouraged to personally play an active part in sustainability initiatives, including through volunteering. We offer OMV employees the opportunity to actively engage in encouraging responsible and sustainable behavior and facilitate employee involvement with charitable partners. Group-wide volunteering activities in line with specific targets are part of our community and social investments.

In 2023, we conducted a volunteering action of 18 participants with the Tafel Austria organization, which currently saves up to four tons of food from being destroyed every day and supplies it to around 28,000 people affected by poverty. OMV has been supporting Tafel Austria at various levels for many years. The aim of the cooperation with Tafel Austria is to raise awareness of the issue of poverty and food waste both among our colleagues in the company and in society, and also to provide a better life for people in Austria who are affected by poverty.

We also continued our tree planting activities in Romania and New Zealand. Over the course of the four-year Romania Plants for Tomorrow campaign, 22,000 volunteers contributed to the planting of 2.8 mn seedlings over an area of 550 hectares. As part of New Zealand’s Project Crimson, almost 70,000 native plants have been planted since 2020 and 11 volunteers participated in 2023.

Every year, tons of rubbish float ashore along the coast of Stavanger and along the entire coast of Norway. Clean Shores is a global non-profit organization that works to keep the world’s coastlines clean and free of litter. OMV (Norge) AS is the main sponsor of Clean Shores Global and through this, we support the local community, act as good neighbors, and show that we care. In turn, OMV highlights Clean Shores Global as a partner in its Corporate Social Responsibility profile, and encourages employees of OMV (Norge) AS to participate in volunteer beach cleaning operations. These are organized sponta­neously by groups of employees or departments. Around five to ten cleaning sessions take place each year with five to ten participants on average.

Environment Days at OMV Tunisia

As part of an international campaign to #BeatPlasticPollution, around 100 employees from OMV Tunisia spent two days volunteering to collect plastic waste either on the beach of Gabès or in the desert of Tataouine. To celebrate World Environment Day (WED), which takes place annually on June 5, 25 people from corporate volunteering, including members of the OMV Tunisia leadership team, were present at the beach in Gabès to participate in the “Run and Plog” activities jointly organized by OMV and other public sector institutions and local non-government organizations. Participants engaged in a plastic waste collection rally. The Gabès coastline is home to a vulnerable ecosystem in the Mediterranean with increased interest in preserving marine biodiversity (e.g., endangered turtle species). From Gabès, we moved to our sites in the desert of Tataouine. Another cleaning campaign was held in the heart of the desert, where the Waha CPF and Nawara CPF field teams and contractors gathered to pick up littered plastic. Two permanent waste containers were also placed on the road to allow travelers to dispose of plastic bottles in an adequate way. 

5,000 Therapy Minutes Donated by OMV Employees

We also consider OMV employees’ participation in fundraising campaigns as part of our volunteer work. During the CAPE 10 Christmas campaign, OMV employees supported the CAPE 10 Foundation in financing urgently needed therapy hours, especially psychotherapy, for children and young people in Austria in 2024. The donated sum of EUR 4,260 was doubled by OMV and four children and young people at risk of poverty will be able to receive the therapy they need in 2024.

2023 Actions

Impact Snapshot: Access to Basic Services

In 2023, we continued our plans to invest in infrastructure to improve access to basic services such as health care and water. Our investments have focused on supporting underserved communities or areas with limited access to basic services in countries where we operate, in line with our commitment to respecting human rights. Nevertheless, unforeseen events and disasters can happen at any time. OMV responds immediately to acute problems, e.g., disaster or humanitarian aid, and consistent communication ensures a single strategic approach and support of OMV’s social responsibility objectives.

Humanitarian Aid

In 2023, the Borealis Social Fund partnered with the Austrian Red Cross to launch the Borealis Immediate Aid Fund (Borealis ISH Fonds) to provide fast and unbureaucratic financial aid to help people in Austria in financial emergencies. Based on a needs analysis, the fund focuses on helping young families and elderly people in emergency situations where no other support is available. In addition to receiving financial aid, recipients benefit from a consultation with the Austrian Red Cross to help them avoid similar situations in the future.

Victims of the Earthquake in Turkey and Syria

The devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria in 2023 was impossible to ignore or forget. The OMV Group put several immediate measures in place and committed to providing substantial support for the Austrian national rescue and emergency teams on the ground in the amount of EUR 0.5 mn.

The Borealis Social Fund supported those affected by the Turkey and Syria earthquake by contributing to a container city in Adana, Turkey, which was set up temporarily to house families while the area was being rebuilt. Borealis contributed to 34 out of 200 containers and this aided 152 people.

OMV’s Response to Catastrophic Flooding in Libya

Heavy rainfall caused by Storm Daniel resulted in severe flooding in several areas in eastern Libya in September 2023. The worst affected was Derna, where a part of the Wadi Derna dam was washed away and large sections of the city were rendered uninhabitable by the floods. Two dams upstream of the city burst one after the other, releasing huge volumes of water that rushed down the valley and flooded the area, destroying roads, bridges, and buildings and killing thousands of people.

OMV’s employees and assets in Libya were not affected. OMV Libya was actively involved with the NOC (National Oil Corporation) Emergency Management Committee, and together with other international companies operating in Libya, immediately offered support to meet the urgent humanitarian needs in the eastern region of Libya. OMV demonstrated one of the fastest responses to this devas­tating event by delivering two urgently needed 1 MW generator sets to support the affected areas within three days.

Together from Day One, Romania

Through the OMV Petrom Foundation, OMV Petrom extended its support for early health initiatives. Under the Together from the First Day program, OMV Petrom invested EUR 1 mn to equip 45 maternity wards and neonatal units in 28 counties. This resulted in improved neonatal care for over 20,000 newborns, contributing to a reduction in infant mortality. Furthermore, the First Step to Health project aimed to equip 39 family practitioners’ offices to improve prenatal care by providing essential support for 7,000 pregnant women and young children. Finally, the Baby Box program received financing of EUR 1.58 mn to provide vital assistance and health infor­mation to 2,713 mothers and newborns in vulnerable circumstances. More Information can be found on the OMV Petrom website.

WISE Charitable Trust for Healthy Homes in Taranaki, New Zealand

Support for the WISE insulation program for healthy homes enabled 264 homes in the Taranaki region to be insulated in 2023. Through OMV New Zealand’s support of the Bellyful program, 1,942 meals were provided to 269 mothers with young babies in need.

Water and Energy: Water for the World Program

Access to water and energy are fundamental as they affect the ability of poor families to obtain sufficient food and protect their health, as well as limiting the livelihoods and educational opportunities available to them. Since 2007, Borealis and Borouge have provided solutions through Water for the World, a joint program to address the global water and energy challenge in rural and urban communities, with a focus on South-East Asia and Africa. The program cooperates with a range of non-profit organizations and supports numerous projects across Asia and Africa, including in China, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Nepal, Morocco, Myanmar, and Pakistan, benefiting over one million people since its inception.

Water for the World celebrated its 15-year anniversary in 2023. Based on a joint vision and global concept, the two companies followed different local implementation strategies tailored to the companies’ organization and local needs. The two approaches complement each other: With activities in Asia and the Middle East and in regions with water scarcity or the need to extend water infrastructure to remote regions, Borouge implemented a variety of projects in a number of countries in that region, each with a respective local/national NGO and supported by the respective Borealis employee in charge of Borouge’s activities in that country.

With the majority of its activities in Europe where the challenge is mostly related to old infrastructure leading to water leaks, Borealis focused on supporting awareness raising, for example through water roadshows/exhibitions and supporting the Stockholm Water Prize, improving knowledge on topics such as preventing water leaks caused by aging water infrastructure, efficient water use in agriculture/sustainable water practices in agriculture, and calculating the world’s first water footprint for plastics. In addition, since 2007, Borealis has worked in partnership with Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor to provide funding and in-kind materials to support their activities on the African continent.

The program was expanded in 2017, and in addition to water infrastructure, renewable infrastructure projects were also implemented. The first project was launched in Myanmar with the installation of photovoltaic modules in a hospital in Kanni, which was followed by a project in Uganda.

Over the last 15 years, the water challenges faced by the world have changed and today include the consequences of climate change, such as increased natural disasters, floods, and droughts. Therefore, during 2024, the program will be reviewed and the conceptual approach and project portfolio adapted to meet the societal needs of today and the future.

Status 2023

Water for the World Highlights

Additional projects contributing to SDGs 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7 can be found on the OMV website.

Impact Snapshot: Education, Entrepreneurship, Inclusion, and Employment

In 2023, we continued to develop community projects that promote self-sufficiency, job growth, and economic development within communities impacted by our business operations. Education, entrepreneurship, and employment are key factors in socioeconomic development and posi­tively contribute to numerous other SDGs. OMV has been involved in community and social investments focused on education, entrepreneurship, and employment for many years now. We invest in vocational training, microlending, scholarships, and building supplier capacity. Some of the key initiatives that the OMV Group has been actively involved in include:

Tasharok: Empowering Communities in Tunisia

OMV Tunisia completed the Tasharok project in Gabès, which was celebrated with the community in the presence of regional officials and OMV partners. The aim of this project was to bring about a positive change in Basboussa and Bouchemma, two communities in the vicinity of the Nawara Gas Treatment Plant (GTP), by: enhancing the city’s waste management services in collaboration with the municipality, and equipping it with the necessary materials and equipment; collaborating with a local micro-grant program for the benefit of Basboussa community members so they can create small-scale economic activities to improve their financial situation and support their families; and bringing people together to organize and support each other in resolving community issues through the creation of a community-based organization, and acting as a representative for the Basboussa neighborhood.

Southlabs is a start-up support initiative aiming to drive innovation in south Tunisia, namely Tataouine and Gabès. Twenty beneficiaries from both regions have been selected to benefit from a coaching program that allows them to apply for the start-up initiative run by the state. The program provides business plan improvement, communication, marketing, and fundraising training. Having applied for and received the start-up label, beneficiaries will benefit from early-stage funding of up to EUR 100,000.

Early Childhood Education and Care in Romania

In Romania, the participation rate in early education has decreased in recent years and is among the lowest in Europe. Through the OMV Petrom Foundation, OMV Petrom has been able to support early education projects. The Start in Education project targets 60,000 preschool children (age 3–6) from underprivileged communities, with the aim of enhancing their school readiness. The educational project addresses the immediate needs of the most vulnerable preschool children, mostly from rural areas, and aims to facilitate their access to educational resources, with early learning experiences managed by parents at home. This has resulted in increased enrolment in the kindergarten.

In the 2023–2024 school year, ABC Kindergarten teaching kits will continue to be provided for 1,500 kindergartens, and training programs in the field of interactive education and parenting will be organized for 3,500 educators. The project will also support another 60,000 preschool children and 10,000 parents in 41 counties with educational resources and parenting workshops. Thanks to this, the number of children benefiting from the Future in a Schoolbag educational kit has reached 120,000, and the number of parents participating in the School of Parents workshop reached 23,000. Also, the “Let’s be friends – no bullying in kindergartens” project trained 600 specialists from 60 kindergartens to work during the 2023-2024 school year with over 8,000 children on the “Let’s be friends” methodology, which is based on the philosophy that a strong sense of community and positive relationships between children prevent exclusion and bullying. Besides training, the 60 kindergartens also received the package of educational resources to be used by the educators and integrated into their daily routine of activities with children and parents.

Vocational School

OMV Petrom continued to support dual education in Romania with donations of around EUR 300,000 in 2023. The Petrochemical School is a dual-system program supported by OMV Petrom. The future petrochemists benefit from professional training in the field of petrochemicals and internships at the Petrobrazi refinery. Approximately 100 students received scholarships worth up to EUR 130 during their studies. We have almost 100 students in the four dual education classes, and three classes with around 75 students graduated in 2023. Upon completion of the three years of vocational education (petrochemical operators’ qualification), students will acquire a recognized professional qualification and will have employment opportunities within our Company. The Petrochemical School program is a pilot project with the aim of assuring a constant and sustainable flow of a high-quality blue-collar workers.

SapuraOMV Upgrades Water Gravity Pipes and a School Library

Since 2023, SapuraOMV has collaborated with the Kuching Resident Office as part of their Village Transformation program. One project involved partly upgrading an existing water gravity pipe network that links fresh clean water from the waterfall dam to the nearby village (Kampung Seboboq), which currently has 119 households and over 700 residents in the B40 category. By upgrading the water gravity pipes, the villagers will have access to fresh clean water with no disruption.

The second project with the Kuching Resident Office’s Village Transformation program is to upgrade the existing library at Tringgus Elementary School. It has been 20 years since the school’s wooden library received any upgrades. The donation will go toward purchasing new tables and chairs plus reference and reading materials for both teachers and schoolchildren. In addition to that, SapuraOMV will also be running a donation drive to collect used story books for the library.

House of Science, New Zealand

In partnership with House of Science, 418 science resource kits have been delivered to 37 local Taranaki schools in New Zealand. This enables children to further explore the subject of science in primary schools.

Cultural Treasures for Our Youth

As part of OMV’s sponsoring partnerships, we provide targeted support for educational and youth activities in all our projects and give young people access to art and culture. For many years, we have invited children and young people from Max & Lara from our partner CAPE 10 to experience and learn from cultural events organized by our sponsoring partners. In 2023, over 100 children and their parents attended such events organized by OMV sponsoring partners. This doesn’t just provide opportunities to learn and experience art, but also to experience and participate in cultural life in our society. We therefore consider these opportunities as a contribution to our social responsibility.

CODY21: Digital Education Program in Austria

As digitalization is becoming more and more important to the youngest members of society, we are offering virtual education in elementary schools in Lower Austria through interactive video units on basic digital education. OMV finances the CODY21 platform and thus makes an important social contribution to education and equal opportunities for a total of 3,200 school children in OMV’s partner communities. In 2023, we also donated 400 laptops to partnering schools with the aim of providing more possibilities for pupils and teachers in regard to digitalization.

WELCOME TO THE FUTURE! Exhibition

Borealis has been one of the main sponsors of the ZOOM Children’s Museum in Vienna, Austria, since 2013. The ZOOM Children’s Museum and Borealis share the common goal of helping to make complex sustainability issues understandable for the younger generation, getting them excited about science and research, and sharpening their skills for future challenges. In 2023, the Borealis Social Fund and the ZOOM Children’s Museum in Vienna celebrated the opening of a new hands-on exhibition, WELCOME TO THE FUTURE!, which deals with the sustainability challenges of tomorrow’s world. For this purpose, ZOOM has transformed the exhibition hall into a Future Lab where artists, scientists, and experts from a wide variety of areas contributed their ideas for our future. The ZOOM Children’s Museum welcomes children to ask questions, to touch and to feel, to examine and to play to their heart’s content. In their own individual way, they zoom in on objects and situations and, in doing so, find out about themselves and discover their own skills, abilities, and creativity.

Ecopost for Fair and Regular Income Generation

Borealis and Ecopost formed a collaboration where Borealis will fund Ecopost’s activities to boost waste recycling in Kenya and to promote a circular economy in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Borealis will specifically support capacity building, training, and engaging more waste collectors, as well as formalization of their work by funding entrepreneurial start-up kits for the youth and women’s groups.

Additional projects contributing to SDGs 4, 5, 8, and 10 can be found on the OMV website.

Impact Snapshot: Climate, Energy, and Circular Resource Management

Climate and environmental changes inevitably affect communities around the world and their livelihoods, health, and opportunities. We can no longer afford to tackle the social challenges the world faces without recognizing the extent of the effects environmental changes can have on people and their health and well-being. Climate change, access to sustainable energy, and environmental protection are key priorities in our community and social development efforts. 

Environmental initiatives supported by the Petrom Foundation

Part of the environmental initiatives of the Petrom Foundation is the Green for Future program, which invested EUR 1 mn in Vânători-Neamt Natural Park. The focus is on enhancing the biodiversity conservation, wildlife management, and community development. Furthermore, the Green for the Alpha Generation program developed students’ skills in addressing climate change in their communities and benefited 147 teachers and 2,900 pupils across 26 counties through curricula and projects aimed at combating climate change.

RoEficientă: Energy Efficiency in Romania

România Eficientă is a unique initiative in Romania that aims to create a culture of energy efficiency in the building sector. There are two main components and goals that drive this project: firstly, information, education, and public awareness, and secondly, carrying out major renovations based on NZEB (Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings) standards at a couple of the public schools in Romanian counties, including building a pilot school in Ploiești. This initiative is strongly backed by the energy and climate policies in the European Union and is largely centered around the principle of energy efficiency.

The project becomes all the more important in the context of the European Green Deal, which places great emphasis on energy efficiency, one of the main pillars of the new European policies, and on building renovation. In 2023, we decided to launch a new concept, more applicable to the current educational needs, in addition to what we are already doing. In order to show and explain the impact of school renovation and the multiple benefits of modern energy-efficient buildings, this new educational concept is based on direct learning from specialists. Therefore, through visits to school and universities, we will focus on educating the children and young people, creating educational materials (which can be accessed anywhere and anytime from the official platform https://www.romania-eficienta.ro/), educating teachers to promote energy efficiency measures to the younger generation, and educating the general public through practical experiences/models (school renovations, Doza de Energie/Energy Dose video productions and influencers).

The Liliești High School was the largest private investment for the energy renovation of an educational establishment in Romania (worth up to EUR 1.6 mn). By renovating to NZEB standard, the school will have less impact on the environment and will also be more resilient to the impact of climate change. The refurbishment works at Liliești High School will result in an annual reduction of around 60% in the energy consumption for heating the building. The five-pump heat system contributes to this result. In addition, the school will benefit from “green” electricity, obtained from its own sources, through a system of 30 photovoltaic panels with an installed power of 550W each. Its inauguration took place on March 20, 2023.

România Eficientă has reached its fourth phase, which means renovation works at the Zig-Zag Kindergarten in Ovidiu (Constanța) are in full swing, with completion estimated for March 2024. The kindergarten has undergone an extensive renovation process, including works to increase energy performance to bring it up to NZEB requirements and consolidation and capacity expansion works. The building will be upgraded from energy efficiency class E (lowest limit class G) to the highest energy class (A). Total annual energy consumption will be reduced by more than 60% and carbon emissions by about six times. The building will be equipped with renewable energy systems, i.e., photovoltaic panels and heat pumps. In parallel, we have also started preparing the documentation for a school in Șimian (Mehedinți).

OMV Petrom Supports Circular Economy Projects with Social Impact

In 2023, OMV Petrom continued several initiatives to raise awareness about the circular economy and foster the transition to a circular economy in Romania. For instance, circular economy initiatives with social impact include the “Let’s Click on Romania” project, a collaboration between private companies and the NGO Ateliere fără Frontiere. In this project, 4,000 computers were refurbished and donated by private companies to over 200 institutions such as schools, NGOs and kindergartens, reducing CO₂ emissions by around 500 t. The project also proposes a model of good practice at the national level regarding the circular economy, and through this example provides access for young people from marginalized rural and urban environments to a better education. This includes resources related to the transition to a green economy, an area still undeveloped in rural areas even though it is a necessary one for the evolution of human society as a whole. The project endeavors to have a positive impact on the environment by reusing and donating electronic waste to equip the school’s computer labs and classrooms, thus extending their life cycle. NGOs have also managed to incorporate some very rarely mentioned subjects into school life: circular economy, reusing materials, and sustainability.

OMV Petrom supports a circular project by giving furniture a new life in 18 communities in Romania. In 2023, it redirected over 4,400 pieces of furniture to communities in Constanța, Prahova, Dâmbovița, Olt, Dolj, Arges, Brasov Buzau, Bucuresti, and Iași counties.

Waste and Resource Efficiency: Project STOP

Environmental pollution caused by littering is a global challenge. Millions of tons of plastic waste leak into the environment and oceans every year. Mismanaged waste is adversely affecting the region’s ocean ecosystems, livelihoods, human health, and sustainable development more broadly. An important solution is to accelerate the transformation toward a circular economy. A key enabler for this is stopping waste leakage at the source by establishing low-cost, efficient, and circular waste management systems.

Project STOP Highlights 2023

Co-founded by Borealis and Systemiq, with broad support from national and regional governments, international institutions, academia, and the private sector, Project STOP focuses on delivering measurable impact on the ground. Since its inception in 2017, it has steadily extended from the first city of Muncar to two more cities, Pasuruan and Jembrana. To ensure the system continues to function effectively after formal handover, a comprehensive education program was developed in the three cities to train municipal employees, and the Project STOP team will remain available for support and advice. Read more about Project STOP in the Borealis Annual Report.

A key highlight in 2023 was the inauguration of a new material recovery facility (MRF) in Songgon Municipality, Banyuwangi, East Java, representing a key milestone on the path to building Indonesia’s first regency-led circular waste management system as part of the Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau expansion plan. One of the largest of its kind in Indonesia to date, the new MRF will manage waste collection and sorting from households in the region, including materials to be recycled, with a daily capacity to process up to 84 t of waste. The MRF will collect all waste, including 3,300 t of plastic waste per year, at full scale by 2025. This expansion program consists of three consecutive phases and was kicked off in early 2023, with completion scheduled for the end of 2025. By that time, Project STOP aims to positively impact the lives of up to 2 mn residents, create 1,000 full-time jobs, and annually collect 230,000 t of waste, including the 25,000 t of plastic that has been collected since the inception of Project STOP in 2017.

Status 2023

Additional projects contributing to SDGs 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 can be found on the OMV website.

Outlook

We will continue supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals through a number of community relations and social investment projects worldwide, working closely with communities in the vicinity of our operations. To gain a better overview of all our projects we promote communi­cation on our media channels. Consistent communication ensures a single strategic approach and supports OMV’s social responsibility objectives and its reputation.

In 2024, we will review our prioritization of focus areas in line with our sustainability strategy and define common Group-wide areas that take into consideration the ongoing energy transition and climate change. We will also continue our ongoing social projects to meet the needs of people in the communities where we do business.

To emphasize the importance of social investments in all countries where we conduct business or operate, also including in times of crisis, a target has been clearly defined in the Strategy 2030. Based on this, we want to implement a social fund so we can act immediately and in a straightforward way, especially in the event of acute problems such as disasters or humanitarian crises, and provide long-term perspectives for our project partners. Furthermore, we want to provide consistent communication about our programs. OMV fully benefits from the high impact and visibility of relevant projects and initiatives.