bim.GROUP has completed its first ESG report. To mark the occasion, the Magyar Építők team spoke with Managing Director Ballay Zsolt and Creative Director Juhász Ákos about sustainability, international examples and their experience of Western markets.

“We like to be pioneers,” Ballay Zsolt emphasised. “Preparing our ESG report is another example of this. We wanted to reflect on the environment in which we operate, where sustainability considerations are becoming increasingly important.”

“This self-reflective assessment confronted us with several lessons that highlighted our shortcomings. An examination like this therefore requires honesty,” Juhász Ákos explained. “It reflects not only on how we currently operate but also provides insight into the impact we create. That impact is significant: as a design company, many of our decisions determine the environmental footprint of individual projects.”

“Our objective is also to identify a shared set of principles,” Ballay Zsolt added, “because collaborating with developers or contractors who think similarly to us can result in better and more attractive buildings.”

Ballay emphasised that the process of embedding ESG principles within the company had begun much earlier and that the report itself was preceded by extensive preparation. Before launching the process, he and Managing Director Kelemen Csaba recognised the importance of the company’s active involvement in ESG, its commitment to the subject, and the resulting business opportunities and potential for development.

As a major market participant, they also felt a responsibility to set an example for other industry players through transparent operations, sustainability initiatives and good practices.

They received valuable professional support from Kozma András, Managing Director of RSM. The knowledge and experience gained played a significant role in the decision to begin preparing the ESG report and to commission the RSM team to deliver it.

“Our work involves a great many participants. We therefore do not simply want ESG to provide us with a competitive advantage; we want to share a new perspective with every stakeholder involved in a development,” Juhász Ákos added.

When people think about sustainability, they generally associate it with environmental protection. However, only one of the three letters in ESG relates directly to environmental impact. The framework also includes numerous social and business ethics considerations.

“I spent the past 22 years working in the United Kingdom,” the Creative Director explained. “Perhaps the most important lesson I brought back is that the general mindset there requires sustainability to be considered as an integral part of professional practice. Experience suggests that people who treat their environment with respect will also treat their colleagues well. Although the three elements of ESG cover different areas, they all stem from the same fundamental principles.”

“I find it valuable to view certain patterns from a more distant perspective and within a broader context. I am working to bring to bim.GROUP an approach that has long been applied in practice across the English-speaking world. This is naturally supported by the fact that much of our work is carried out in an international environment.”

“Articulating how we see ourselves is not yet second nature in our industry, even though it is extremely important,” Juhász Ákos said, summarising the report’s value. “We can proudly state that we see what is happening in the world and want to play an active role in it rather than remain passive followers. Even a small difference can have a major impact in our field. As designers, we must therefore lead by example.”

The full interview is available on the Magyar Építők website