SUSTAINABILITY

The concept of sustainable development is extremely relevant, especially for construction firms, thanks to the nature of the activity: construction profoundly alters the natural and social environment. This is why incorporating economic, social and environmental criteria into the business strategy encourages construction that is more sustainable and which can help create equitable, transparent and prosperous economic relations. 

For OPWAY, sustainability means developing in the market in a manner that is steady, competitive and stable, for our customers and employees alike. It means dealing with the challenges posed by the sector for sustainable development; it means being prepared for risk management.

Opway aims to build a strategy of sustainability and talk about its good practices in this area.

Our first steps towards creating a sustainability strategy were taken when we set up an internal working group to take charge of this process - the Consultative Committee for Sustainability.

The composition of this committee reflects all the areas of the Company, bearing in mind that sustainability is a an across the board issue (involving economic, social and environmental aspects); some members are decision takers; some members have a specific vision and experience in more sensitive areas from the standpoint of the sector's challenges, such as production and on-site management, with reference to safety, the environment and subcontractors.

The chief mission of this committee is:

(1) To devise and monitor the Company’s social responsibility/sustainability policy;
(2) To take an active part in internal discussion forums and meetings about sustainability;
(3) To monitor activities, projects and initiatives that may be decided under the sustainability strategy;
(4) To suggest the promotion of actions/activities and good practices that are likely to foster the development of social responsibility/sustainability;
(5) To publicize the strategy and activities undertaken in the context of sustainability, both internally and externally;
(6) To promote and encourage a culture of innovation in the organisation, if necessary, through initiatives that stimulate internal creativity (for example: thematic challenges);
(7) To coordinate activities and participate in the definition of routines related to research, development and innovation (RD&I);
(8) To monitor the global evolution of the RD&I projects in partnership with the project teams;
(9) To analyse the results obtained and report them to top management;
(10) To participate in the definition of the means that help value the knowledge that arises from innovation.

Membership of the Consultative Committee for Sustainability::

António Francisco -  International Production
Carlos Prestes - Production
Helena Meneses - Supplies
Manuel Cunha - Commercial
Manuel Delgado - Equipment
Maria Gabriela Madeira - Administration
Patrícia Martins - Administration and Finance
Pedro Mata - Geotechnical Production
Pedro Vasco - Safety
Rui Miguel David - Quality and Environment
Teresa Loureiro Rocha - Human Resources and Sustainability
Teresa Lopes - Administration

This committee was entrusted with the task of preparing our 1st sustainability report.

The basis for this document was the analysis and description of the merger, as recounted by various parties: our employees, the consultants involved in the process, and also the people who lost their jobs.

The other chapters focused on publicizing and analyzing our main indicators, i.e. describing OPWAY’s performance in its first year, ending by setting out our plans for the future, in relation to the chief stakeholders – shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers and the community.

Preparation of this document started in September 2008, with the assistance of a specialist consultant in communication for sustainable development – Inspire – so as to ensure the confidentiality of the statements.

It was published internally in the last week of November, at the Annual Meeting of Senior Management. It is currently available for external dissemination.

OPWAY Engenharia is a member of BCSD Portugal (Business Council for Sustainable Development, whose main mission is to see that leaders of enterprise are the catalyst for a change of direction towards sustainable development and to promote eco-efficiency, innovation and social responsibility in firms.

Sustainability is an integral part of OPWAY’s business.

“We have to choose between a global market driven only by calculations of short-term profit and one that has a human face. Between a world which condemns a quarter of the human race to starvation and squalor, and one which offers everyone at least a chance of prosperity, in a healthy environment.  Between a selfish free-for-all in which we ignore the fate of the losers, and a future in which the strong and successful accept their responsibilities, showing global vision and leadership.”

Kofi Annan

Qualidade e Ambiente | Segurança e Saúde no Trabalho | Relatório de Responsabilidade Social
Balanço Social | Código de Conduta | Apoio à Cultura