Sustainable supply chain
Clean Energy of Tomorrow is CEZ Group's answer to the social demand for sustainability. We have searched in detail for and found real opportunities to achieve climate neutrality, which is one of the main priorities of the European Union and which undoubtedly matters to the citizens of our country and to ourselves. If modern technology makes it even slightly possible to produce electricity in a clean, emission-free way, it is necessary to look for ways to achieve such a goal.
Our goal is to act in accordance with the principles of sustainability throughout the CEZ Group value chain, with a special emphasis on the protection of human rights and the environment in CEZ Group's supply chain. In line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we want to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.
We consider sustainability and due diligence in the supply chain to be an essential part of the governance of our activities, existing policies and processes, including our risk management system. We promote compliance with applicable legislation, international conventions and declarations throughout our supply chain, including internationally recognized principles, standards, and guidelines related to sustainability.
In this area, it is essential for us to obtain information from you, CEZ Group's suppliers, in fulfilling our obligation to provide transparent information and to deepen our due diligence within the supply chain in the coming years, particularly in light of new legislative requirements.
Vision 2030 – Sustainable Supply Chain Goal
"Implement actions to promote ESG sustainability criteria in the supply chain."
| Environmental | Social | Governance |
|---|---|---|
| Reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris Agreement “well below 2 degrees Celsius” by 2030, reduction from 0.38t of CO₂e/MWh in 2019 to below 0.16 in 2030. | Continue to be a decent corporate citizen, cultivating good relationships with communities. | Achieve 30% female representation in management. |
| Reduce the share of of coal-fired electricity generation from 39% in 2019 to 12.5% by 2030. | Maintain our position of the most attractive employer for future talents and current employees. | Increase the frequency of employee training in the Code of Conduct — train at least 95% of employees each year. |
| Reduce NOₓ from 23 kt in 2019 to 13 kt by 2025 and 7 kt by 2030. | Ensure a just transition for all employees affected by coal phase-out through retraining, reskilling, or compensation. | Implement actions to promote ESG sustainability criteria in the supply chain. |
| Reduce SO₂ from 21 kt in 2019 to 6.5 kt by 2025 and 3 kt by 2030. | Maintain the highest Net Promoter Score (NPS) among major electricity suppliers. | |
| Implement measures to achieve a positive impact on biodiversity by 2030. | Digitize all key customer processes by 2025. |
Are you registered as a CEZ Group supplier on the SAP Ariba portal?
The ESG questionnaire will be delivered to you via the SAP Ariba portal. Feel free to use the attached manual as an aid while filling in the questionnaire.
The ESG questionnaire will be made available to you via the Startquestion portal (the related link will be sent to your email address). Feel free to use the attached manual as an aid while filling in the questionnaire.
As part of digitization and increasing efficiency in supplier relationship management, we would like to ask you to register on the SAP Ariba supplier portal, which is used for electronic communication and exchange of documents within specific business cases. At the same time, it allows you to fill in information regarding certifications, industry specialization or other relevant data. Therefore, we see its contribution not only in finding and establishing new business relationships, but also in streamlining ESG-related reporting processes.
After completing the ESG questionnaire, the data received will be analyzed. Subsequently, you will be sent individualized feedback responding to your specific answers in the questionnaire. This will give you targeted recommendations on what sustainability topics you may focus more on in detail. You can use the feedback as an internal basis for assessing the current situation and implementing future measures.
The ESG questionnaire contains an automated evaluation of four areas of sustainability.
Areas Assessed
| Sustainable reporting and due diligence | In this area, the quality and scope of ESG reporting, including due diligence issues, was evaluated. |
| Environmental | Environmental criteria included factors such as greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, waste management and biodiversity |
| Social | The social area focused on guaranteeing the protection of human rights, including adequate working conditions and safety in the workplace. |
| Governance | In the area of governance, the level of risk management, compliance, including compliance with ethical standards and transparency in corporate governance was considered. |
Scores received per area
| Area | Basic level | Intermediate level | Advanced level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sustainable reporting and due diligence | ✓ | ||
| Environmental | ✓ | ||
| Social | ✓ | ||
| Governance | ✓ |
Sustainable reporting and due diligence
|
Does your company issue a report on the ESG area (e.g., Sustainability Report or CSR Report)? |
Comment on the answer, including related recommendation |
| No | If you have not yet issued a sustainability report or CSR report, we recommend that you consider preparing one taking into account the related regulatory requirements affecting your company specifically, or proceed to publish ESG data in accordance with voluntary standards. Developing at least a basic version (for example, a brief overview of the main activities and objectives) will help to better monitor and develop sustainable practices. |
|
Has the ESG report of the company been externally audited by third party? |
Comment on the answer, including related recommendation |
| In the context of sustainability reporting, we also recommend considering the possibility of third-party verification. External verification increases the credibility of reporting, strengthens transparency towards partners or investors, and at the same time helps to identify specific areas for improvement. | |
| Has your company received external ESG rating(s)? | Comment on the answer, including related recommendation |
| No | If your company has not yet received an external ESG rating, we recommend that you consider obtaining one. Receiving a rating can be considered a proven tool for transparent reporting or verification of your sustainable activities and can contribute to a positive perception of your company by business partners |
We collect sustainability data from our suppliers as part of our compliance with legislative obligations based on the already effective CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive). The aim is to provide transparent information on the approach to sustainability not only on behalf of CEZ Group, but also on behalf of our supply chain. The topic of sustainability is very important for us, and we care about our suppliers sharing the same values.
The questionnaire will be opened within 30 days of submission. Detailed instructions can be found in the email.
The ESG questionnaire survey takes place with an annual period (at the turn of Q3 and Q4). The range of suppliers to which the ESG questionnaire is sent is defined according to the predetermined criteria for the given accounting period.
If you have any doubts, e.g. whether the questionnaire has not been delivered to you due to technical reasons, please contact us at the email address shared below.
The main selection criteria include the significance of supply (from direct suppliers) to selected CEZ Group companies in terms of financial volume, subject of performance, or the mode of concluding a contractual relationship, considering related criteria.
In connection with filling in the questionnaire, we recommend attending one of the workshop dates offered, which will familiarize you with the content of the questionnaire, the main principles of sustainability and the reasons why we require the information from suppliers. If you have any questions about specific issues or your company situation, do not hesitate to contact us at the email address supplychain@cez.cz, ideally immediately, so that the deadline for completing the questionnaire can be met.
The workshops are available annually during the period when the ESG questionnaire is conducted. In 2024, the workshops were held in October, and the same applied this year. The sessions took place on October 13 and October 22, 2025. The content of the workshops corresponds to the attached presentation that was shown during the sessions.
If you are approached in this matter, we ask for your cooperation. Although completing the questionnaire is voluntary this year, failure to cooperate may result in the supplier being automatically classified into a higher-risk category. In accordance with risk management and due diligence principles, this category is subject to follow-up mitigation measures. These may include increased frequency of corrective action requests, subsequent audits, risk monitoring via external tools, and other actions. During 2028, CEZ Group will be fully subject to the obligations arising from the CS3D Directive, including the already implemented CSRD Directive (via, among other things, the amendment to the Accounting Act). As the obligations to collect and provide ESG data are extended to suppliers, it is advisable to reflect on the ESG questionnaire now.
The information you provide in the questionnaire will be used exclusively for the purposes of the CEZ Group and will not be shared externally. Any potential disclosure will be limited to aggregated data and summary findings only. Following the completion of the ESG questionnaire, you will receive individualized, automated feedback in the coming months. This feedback will offer specific recommendations to help you advance further in your sustainability efforts.
This is only an informative questionnaire survey without subsequent direct deduction of consequences in relation to the duration of specific contractual relationships. We continue to analyze and evaluate the outputs of the ESG questionnaire survey and take the results into account in related aggregate analyses of suppliers.
Explanation of terms
ESG – environmental (E), social (S) and corporate management (G); the impact of the company on the environment, society and the way it is run, on the basis of which the "sustainability" or "responsibility" of the company can be expressed in numbers
CSRD – Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive
Sustainability Report – A corporate document whose main task is to provide information in the area of ESG to key stakeholders
ESRS – European Sustainability Reporting Standards
Due diligence – A process by which companies can identify, treat and respond to actual and potential adverse impacts related to their own activities as well as their value chains, supply chains included
CS3D – Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence
Sustainability – Environmental, social, human rights and corporate governance factors
Supply chain – The full range of activities or processes carried out by entities upstream from the undertaking, which provide products or services that are used in the development and production of the undertaking’s own products or services
Value chain – The full range of activities, resources and relationships related to the undertaking’s business model and the external environment in which it operates. A value chain encompasses the activities, resources and relationships the undertaking uses and relies on to create its products or services from conception to delivery, consumption and end-of- life
In case of questions you can contact us at supplychain@cez.cz.