Representatives of the Saldus Entrepreneurs Association, the Tukums Entrepreneurs Club and the Saldus County Municipality gathered for a meeting at the Brocēni cement plant.

SCHWENK Latvija Board Member Māris Gruzniņš and Head of the Environmental Department Santa Kļava ensured a discussion about the production situation, markets and challenges in the field of environment, shared the company’s good practice regarding the use of sorted waste as fuel in the cement production process, and also discussed issues related to sustainability, especially emphasizing the increasing importance of sustainability reports in the operations of companies.

In the webinar “Energy efficiency guide for business” organized by the Elektrum Energy Efficiency Center, entrepreneurs shared their experiences on how to analyze the company’s electricity consumption using simple and convenient tools at elektrum.lv, monitor other forms of energy and other resources, modernize lighting and properly plan ventilation.

Jegors Golubevs, a Member of the Management Board of SCHWENK Latvija, Director of the Materials Business Unit, in the webinar shared the experience of the company, emphasizing that energy efficiency is a complex measure. It is important to first perform an initial energy audit and data analysis. To clarify the energy efficiency of technological and production chains, in-depth consumption data from production cycles is needed. The more complex the processes, the more essential the role of experts. On the other hand, after data analysis, it is essential to develop an action plan, prioritizing projects with a higher ROI or changing habits, or low-budget measures. All this will allow significant savings.

The Business Sustainability Council has developed a practical guide for entrepreneurs – “Climate risk management in the company”. It includes the experience of 14 Latvian companies – members of the Business Sustainability Council and practical examples of climate risk management using the methodology of the Task Force on Climate Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

The guide introduces entrepreneurs to upcoming climate scenarios, physical and transitional stage risks and their impact on Latvian companies, outlines the main steps in assessing climate-related risks and opportunities.

Photos by Kaspars Filips Dobrovoļskis

As part of the working visit, the German Minister of Transport and Digitalization Dr.Volker Wissing  with the members of the AHK and the German Ambassador to Latvia Christian Heldt discussed the digital future of Europe and the creation of the German-Baltic innovation club to develop an agenda for defining European digitalization standards. SCHWENK was represented at the meeting by the Chairman of the Board Reinhold Schneider.

In the seminar “Sustainable Procurement: YES or NO?”, organized by the Institute for Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility, SCHWENK Latvija Board Member, Environmental and Legal Director Evita Goša shared the experience of SCHWENK in choosing responsible suppliers and implementing sustainable procurement practices.

The soil liming material offered by SCHWENK Agro has become a product appreciated and demanded by customers in the treatment of agricultural land. Once a year, SCHWENK Agro customers meet to discuss the current events of the liming season. This time the focus is on lessons and practical advice on how to lime the soil with the greatest possible return.

Our holiday greetings to you!

Winners of the title – Employee of the Year 2022 – in seven categories have been awarded:

• Employees of the Year in Cement Production: Anete Segliņa, Kristaps Graudiņš, Aija Veigure
• Employees of the Year in Commercial & Logistics: Oskars Nāburgs, Inga Norkus
• Employees of the Year in Materials: Ivars Celiņš, Pavels Ņikitajevs, Jurijs Lisovs
• Employees of the Year in Administration & Back Office: Matīss Plaudis, Inta Uzule-Rancāne
• Employees of the Year in H&S: Aleksandrs Jakušenkovs, Agris Buls
• Managers of the Year: Ruslans Lange, Krišjānis Lejnieks
• Growth of the Year: Valdis Bušs

The most sincere congratulations to our colleagues!

The Member of the Management Board, Environmental and Legal Director Evita Goša participated in the annual conference “Latvia – a country without waste”, emphasizing that the Brocēni cement plant is a cement producer and not a waste incinerator, as well as explaining the nature and use of alternative fuel in cement production.

Discussion: Latvia’s unused resources for energy independence – if and when will we put them to use? can be viewed on Latvian Green Point (Latvijas Zaļais punkts) YouTube.

Photos by Ieva Makare