Sustainable Development Commitments

OMV is a signatory to the United Nations () Global Compact and is fully committed to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. OMV adheres to the recommendations of the Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises – the only government-supported international instrument for responsible business conduct with an integrated grievance mechanism. The recommendations relate mainly to information disclosure, human rights, employment, environment, and anti-corruption efforts. Borealis is a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and a Core Partner in the New Plastics Economy (), an important global initiative led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation that seeks to unite a broad range of global stakeholders to bring about a circular economy of plastics.

OMV supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals () with our Sustainability Strategy, especially:   
However, we take action to further all of the SDGs as part of our commitment to global sustainable development. Read about some of our 2020 highlights in supporting the SDGs in our online report.

Click on an SDG to find out more.

Goal 1: No Poverty

OMV Sponsors Health Care and Support Center for Underprivileged in Vienna
CAPE 10 project (photo)

CAPE 10 is an innovative social services and health center in Vienna for underprivileged people. OMV’s sponsorship will help set up and run an ambulance where women at risk of poverty, women experiencing homelessness, and mothers and children living in Austria without health insurance coverage will be able to receive medical care. The ambulance, operated by a team of doctors, therapists, and social workers, will offer services such as check-ups, primary care for sick children, and nutritional advice. The clinic’s services will be provided anonymously and free of charge. Non-German speaking women and children will be offered support by volunteer interpreters.

1.2 By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions

Goal 2: Zero Hunger

VIVA Shops Launch New Sustainable Food Products Strategy
VIVA coffee (photo)

The VIVA brand strategy was updated in 2020 with a stronger focus on sustainable food products. All VIVA-branded products are high-quality products that are ethically sourced whenever possible. For example, VIVA snacks do not contain palm oil, and all of the VIVA coffee sold in our stores is 100% Fair Trade Certified. The fair trade movement aims to improve the economic and social situation of disadvantaged farmers and workers by paying them appropriately for their work and products, and enabling them to earn a stable livelihood.

2.3 By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment

Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being

OMV Donates Critical Supplies to Health Care System in Yemen
Yemen Hospital (photo)

During the global COVID-19 pandemic, OMV provided much-needed support to increase the treatment capacity of Yemen’s health care services. Years of ongoing conflict in Yemen had caused the country’s health system to near a state of collapse. OMV donated COVID-19-related medical equipment and medical supplies, including hospital and beds, ventilators and associated equipment, and personal protective equipment () for medical workers.

3.d Strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks

Goal 4: Quality Education

OMV Petrom Hosts Vocational Training Projects in Romania
Woman with mouth mask (photo)

Since 2015, OMV Petrom has launched a series of projects dedicated to vocational and technical education, which to date have involved over 1,300 students. More than 370 scholarships have been awarded to students, and almost 300 teachers have taken courses to develop their pedagogical skills. In 2020, OMV Petrom’s Vocational Week project was carried out in partnership with two high schools in OMV Petrom communities. A total of 237 students, who are studying to become mechanics and electricians, as well as teachers took part in the Vocational Week.

4.4 By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship

Goal 5: Gender Equality

Female Executive Board Member Appointed
Female Executive (photo)

One of OMV’s strategic targets is increasing the proportion of women in management positions. To this end, we have introduced a number of initiatives including mentoring, succession planning, and specific training to address topics such as unconscious bias. In 2020, we underscored this commitment to female leadership by appointing Elena Skvortsova to the Executive Board. She is OMV’s Chief Commercial Officer and heads up the OMV Downstream Marketing & Trading division.

5.5 Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life

Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

“Water for the World” Tackles Global Water Scarcity and Contamination
Water for the World (photo)

A joint program by Borealis and Borouge called “Water for the World” focuses on improving access to water and sanitation through local projects. The initiative also preserves water resources through sustainable water management practices, advances best practices, and raises awareness in communities and across the value chain. For instance, over 50,000 people in Mozambique are benefiting from a project that has significantly improved the quality and reliability of their water supply. The project, initiated and implemented by Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP), was financed by Borealis through “Water for the World” and realized in conjunction with a range of partner organizations.

6.1 By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all

Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

OMV Builds Austria’s Largest Photovoltaic Plant

Together with VERBUND, Austria’s largest electricity producer, OMV built Austria’s largest photovoltaic plant in 2020. The plant uses 34,600  modules to produce around 10.96  of solar power. This is equal to the annual electricity consumption of some 3,400 households. The plant, which began operating in December 2020, prevents emissions totaling around 8,000 t .

7.2 By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix

Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Job Security and Well-Being of Employees Protected During Global Pandemic
Corona Test

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacted economies and job security worldwide, as well as changing the way we work and causing mental strain for employees. Due to the extensive organizational efforts and the outstanding flexibility of our employees, we were able to avoid measures like short-time work or redundancies. Many steps were taken to protect the health, well-being, and economic situation of our workforce. For instance, OMV employees were offered various new ways to more flexibly combine work duties and care obligations. Free psychological support was also offered to all employees so that they could talk to a professional about coping with the pandemic.

8.5 By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value

Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

Nearly EUR 200 Million Invested in Innovative Biofuel Production at Schwechat Refinery
Raffinerie Schwechat (photo)

In 2020, OMV made a commitment to invest some EUR 200 mn in the Schwechat refinery for the purpose of substituting large quantities of fossil diesel with biodiesel. This innovative approach is known as Co-Processing. Co-Processing involves introducing biogenic feedstock during the fuel refining process instead of the conventional method of blending biogenic components into fuel after production. The high degree of integration within OMV refineries enables Co-Processing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85% compared with the standard for similar finishing steps for biofuels. This process using hydrogenated vegetable oil is expected to result in a reduction in OMV’s carbon footprint of up to 360,000 t of fossil CO2 per year.

9.4 By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities

Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities

“Max & Lara” Project Reduces Inequality and Gender Disparities in Education
Max & Lara (photo)

As part of CAPE 10, OMV supports the Max & Lara project which serves socially disadvantaged children and young people and aims to establish the conditions for achieving greater equality in education.

Socially disadvantaged children and young people are particularly affected by COVID-19 measures such as homeschooling and the lack of social contact. Sharing experiences with their peers at Max & Lara promotes the children’s development, expands their horizons, supplements their general education, and builds soft skills. This project represents OMV’s commitment to reducing inequality and eliminating gender disparities in education.

10.2 By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status

Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

OMV Launches Community Empowerment Project in Tunisia
Community development in Tunisia (photo)

The Basboussa Community Empowerment Project () aims to help alleviate adverse socio-economic conditions in the Basboussa neighborhood near the Nawara gas treatment plant in Tunisia. The project started in November 2020 with a series of stakeholder meetings with regional and local authorities to coordinate project implementation and obtain the required support. The project will promote small-scale job creation projects, improve access to better public services through a relationship with the municipality of Bouchemma, and raise awareness for organizing and engagement in civic life.

11.3 By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries

Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

ReOil® Closes the Loop of Post-Consumer Plastics Recycling
ReOil®?100?pilot plant (photo)

OMV’s ReOil® pilot plant chemically recycles post-consumer plastics and turns those plastics into synthetic crude. This in turn can be processed into any desired refinery product. The ReOil® process contributes to a circular economy by recycling post-consumer plastics to create value-added products, thereby reducing our dependence on virgin natural resources. - In 2020, the ReOil® pilot plant has successfully recycled 250 t of plastic waste. This corresponds to the plastic waste from packaging produced by over 3,000 households in a year.

12.5 By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse

Goal 13: Climate Action

OMV Commits to Carbon-Neutral Operations by 2050

In 2019, OMV achieved its 2025 carbon targets ahead of schedule. We therefore set new, more ambitious targets to reduce the carbon intensity of OMV’s operations (Scope 1) and of the product portfolio (Scope 3) in 2020. OMV aims to reach net zero in its operations by 2050 or sooner, in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. As a short-term target, the Scope 1 emissions intensity will be reduced by at least 30% by 2025, previously 19% (vs. 2010). In addition, at least 60% of our product portfolio (Scope 3 emissions) will be made up of low-carbon or zero-carbon products by 2025.

13.1 Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries

Goal 14: Life Below Water

Project STOP Aims to Eliminate Marine Plastic Pollution
Project STOP (photo)
Copyright: Project STOP

The innovative Project STOP was initiated by Borealis and cofounded together with SYSTEMIQ in 2017. The program works hand in hand with cities to create leak-free, low-cost, and more circular waste management systems in regions with the highest ocean plastic leakage rates. Project STOP currently partners with three cities in Indonesia. Indonesia is the second-largest contributor to ocean plastics. Supported by industry and government partners, Project STOP’s goal is to achieve zero leakage of waste into the environment and increase plastics recycling. In doing so, it also creates community benefits, including jobs in waste management, and a reduction in the harmful impact of mismanaged waste on public health, tourism, and fisheries.

14.1 By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution

Goal 15: Life on Land

OMV New Zealand Partners With Environmental Organization to Restore Native Forests
Indigenous forest in New Zealand — ant view (photo)

In 2020, we kicked off a partnership with Project Crimson in New Zealand that aims to support the large-scale restoration of indigenous forests in New Zealand. In the coming years, OMV’s support will be directed to two areas: Taranaki (along the Waiwhakaiho River catchment) and Wairarapa (establishing ecological corridors in Tonganui from the Aorangi to Remutaka mountain ranges). Overall, the partnership will reforest over 23 ha of land with the help of local farmers and OMV volunteers.

15.2 By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally

Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

Local Community Grievance Mechanisms Assessed Against UN Effectiveness Criteria

OMV has Community Grievance Mechanisms in place at all operated Upstream assets and in our refineries and power plant. We are currently assessing these CGMs against the UN Effectiveness Criteria in line with ’s best practice guidelines to ensure they are legitimate, accessible, predictable, equitable, transparent, rights-compatible, a source of continuous learning, and based on engagement and dialogue. The assessments result in recommendations and tailored action plans to improve grievance management at site level. Two assessments were carried out in 2020 in New Zealand and Malaysia.

16.6 Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels

Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Borealis Plays Key Role in Global Initiative Led by Ellen MacArthur Foundation and UNEP
Partnerships (photo)

OMV is an active supporter of public-private partnerships advancing sustainability. For instance, Borealis is a Core Partner in the New Plastics Economy (NPEC), an important global initiative led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. This project seeks to unite a broad range of global stakeholders to bring about a circular economy of plastics. In October 2018, the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment was launched in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to unite businesses, governments, and other organizations behind a common vision and clear targets to address plastic waste and pollution at its source by 2025. Signatories include companies representing 20% of all plastic packaging produced globally, as well as governments, , universities, industry associations, investors, and other organizations.

17.17 Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships

UN
United Nations
OECD
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
NPEC
New Plastics Economy
SDGs
Sustainable Development Goals
ICU
intensive care unit
PPE
personal protective equipment
PV
photovoltaic
GWh
gigawatt hour
CO2
carbon dioxide
EU
European Union
B-CEP
Basboussa Community Empowerment Project
IPIECA
Oil and Gas Industry Association for Environment and Social Issues
NGO
non-governmental organization