10.11.2023

Earth Day 2021: caring for the climate in office buildings

100,000 trees planted, sowing flower meadows, saving wild and melliferous bees, as well as biodiversity projects. Such initiatives are carried out by the residents of Olivia Business Centre. Olivia itself also offers as much as 24,000m2 of biologically active space, implements projects for sustainable transport, energy recovery, and draws heat from geothermal sources. It is surprising how many ecological projects can be implemented in one office center, and Olivia Business Centre, on the occasion of World Earth Day, is just announcing a new climate awareness program for 2021.

In the recently concluded Olivia Prize competition organized by Olivia Business Centre, the largest number of applications concerned social and ecological projects implemented by both large global corporations and small enterprises. The largest-scale undertaking was the planting of 100,000 hectares by ABAX. trees in Malawi. In this way, the company recreates an ecosystem that has suffered during the last 10 years of intense devastation.

ABAX has had a particularly good year in terms of environmental and social responsibility, and our employees have been almost hyperactive in this regard. – says Dorota Orzęcka, Digital Marketing Manager at ABAX. “In 2020, we planted more than 100,000 trees in partnership with our partner WeForest and supported seven local projects close to our offices. Environmental and social responsibility is part of every service we provide, which is why we plant a new tree on the occasion of each order. Together with WeForest, we are a team supporting the reforestation program in Malawi. We are making great efforts to counteract the excessive deforestation that used to cover a third of the country. Logging has led to a loss of biodiversity and continues to threaten the quality and safety of the region’s waters, which are a key resource for thousands of families living there. The project is being dynamically implemented in cooperation with local NGOs, the Department of Forestry and ten local forest nurseries. – adds Dorota Orzęcka.

Energa, a member of the ORLEN Group, also based in Olivia, has implemented a number of projects, including initiatives to protect the white stork, such as the installation of platforms for stork nests on power poles or assistance in ringing birds (the ‘Energy ringers of the Energa Group ‘ project). The company has also launched the ” Energy of Biodiversity” campaign, under which it restores meadow ecosystems. In this way, it contributes to the development of wastelands in the area of the Narew Lagoon in order to increase biodiversity and ultimately save wild bees and honey bees. In the following years, it is planned to install beehives for educational purposes, as well as to launch workshops for children and young people on the construction of “hotels” for wild bees and to create educational paths.

“Biodiversity energy is a comprehensive pro-environmental, ecological and educational project ,” says Alina Skorb-Gała, PhD, Head of the ESG Department at Energa SA. – Flower meadows allow you to save forgotten species of plants and animals, provide food for wild bees, giving them space to live, and shelter in winter. Plants growing in meadows contribute to lowering the air temperature.

Another pro-ecological initiative is the EVAA (Ecological Vertical Agriculture Assistant) technological project, implemented by a team of Sii Poland engineers.As part of Sii’s Passion Sponsorship Program, experts from the Gdańsk branch are developing a system that uses artificial intelligence for plant breeding. The main objective of the project is to reduce the consumption of water and the area necessary for cultivation.

– The ecological aspect is extremely important here. In our approach, we want to apply reinforcement learning to control the physical process of plant development. – says Paweł Czapiewski, team leader of the project. Reinforcement learning is a special type of AI. It is based on the fact that the algorithm only receives a feedback signal in the form of a reward if the lettuce is developing well. He has to figure out for himself how to achieve optimal results. –Adds.

Olivia Announces Climate Awareness Program

On the International Earth Day, which falls on 22 April, Olivia Business Centre is launching a new programme to promote climate awareness, under which it will promote activities for sustainable development and transport as well as reducing energy consumption.

The restrictive certifications we undergo confirm that our buildings are an exemplary example of thinking about human well-being and environmental friendliness. – says Hamish Potts from Olivia Business Centre. We want to promote sustainable development activities, including the reduction of waste production, responsible use of water and energy, a more circular Olivia and pro-ecological attitudes, motivating our employees and Olivia’s resident employees to think about the environmental footprint that each of us leaves behind in their daily activities and to take up the challenge of changing for the better. –Adds.

Due to the technological solutions used in them, the buildings of Olivia Business Centre receive high marks of BREEAM ecological certification from the “Excellent” to “Very Good” level. Recently, they were the first buildings in the world to achieve the maximum Well certification rating, issued by the International Well Building Institute (IWBI), in the 25 categories analysed. Such high marks were awarded for exceptional care for the health and well-being of people working in Olivia. Recognition of IWBI advisors was given to both technological solutions such as titanium coatings, which prevent the settlement of viruses, bacteria and fungi on the common surfaces of buildings, as well as ionizers that purify almost 100% of the air circulating in buildings, as well as energy recovery from the operation of elevator cabins, drawing heat from a depth of 95 meters below the garage halls of buildings, or automatically turning off air conditioning when windows are opened. All buildings use eco-friendly LED light sources, which are 100% recycled.

The dominant trend in the design of the latest buildings is biophilic design, which puts human well-being at the centre: the architectural and functional solutions used in buildings help to ensure a balance between moments of intense work during the day and the moments of rest and relaxation that are so important. Olivia Garden , which is being prepared for commissioning, is also in line with this trend – an exotic garden covering over 800m2 of area, which will be filled with over 4000 plants representing 150 species.

See more:

Olivia Garden: Man in the Spotlight

Olivia’s World’s Fastest Guest

Majestic Beauty: Myoxanthus Oliviae

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