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CEZ Group

Biodiversity and Ecosystems

CEZ Group is aware of the consequences of its activities on ecosystems and their biodiversity. The strategy and planning take into account the principles of sustainable development and biodiversity aspects.

Any activity that is only expected to have an impact on biodiversity and ecosystems undergoes an environmental impact assessment in accordance with Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (in the Czech Republic Act No. 100/2001 Coll., on Environmental Impact Assessment). Both mining and all material production activities underwent this assessment. The relevant public administration bodies, institutions, associations, and other stakeholders described in the chapter Stakeholders of the Sustainability Report 2024 are involved in the impact and risk assessment. CEZ Group conducts consultations with stakeholders, which include obtaining feedback, engaging in project implementation in accordance with applicable legislation and corporate values, ensuring transparency of tenders, obtaining expert opinions and taking them into account in further procedures, and ensuring support and feasibility of projects in a given location. The assessment of the impacts of CEZ Group’s activities on biodiversity is also carried out as part of the assessment of ecological damage and as part of biological surveys conducted in the Group’s locations.

By conducting biological surveys in our locations, various species of animals and plants have been detected, and, in some cases, assessed as protected species. These species are often tied to specific conditions of a particular locality. CEZ Group strives to protect and support these particular areas to promote the existence of rare habitats and the protected species of animals and plants associated with them.

Targets for Supporting Biodiversity and Ecosystems

In the area of biodiversity and ecosystem protection, the following targets have been adopted by CEZ Group in relation to mining activities and mitigation of other impacts on biodiversity. The targets are in line with the biodiversity strategy of the EU and the Czech Republic:

  • To apply procedures within the ongoing reclamation of areas affected by brown coal surface mining, as well as to achieve the target state after the end of mining, using current scientific knowledge and principles aimed at achieving a state close to highvariability nature with elements of replacement habitats, ensuring the preservation of biodiversity and elements of the landscape left to spontaneous succession.
  • To achieve a net positive biodiversity impact by 2030.

In order to achieve the goal of net positive biodiversity impact by 2030, action plans to increase biodiversity are adopted for areas for which it has been assessed in specific cases, based on biological surveys, which actions to support biodiversity can increase species diversity:

  • An action plan for supporting biodiversity in PVPP locations based on biological surveys carried out – the purpose is to implement specific actions to support biodiversity by 2028 (actions focused on the migration of small mammals, support for insect communities and amphibians).
  • An action plan for the implementation of a pilot project of ecological management in the protection zones of very high voltage power lines and in 110/22 kV electrical substations to verify appropriate procedures for the development of biodiversity – the purpose is to implement actions based on the assessment of the locations in several alternatives (maintenance of woody plants, planting of low woody plants, establishment of flower meadows, or establishment of water pools) by 2028 based on dendrological, botanical, and pedological evaluations of selected sample locations. In the event of successful implementation of the pilot project, it will be replicated in other suitable locations.
  • An action plan for the safe landing of birds on high voltage power line support points across the supply area of ČEZ Distribuce by the end of 2035.

Ecological thresholds were not used when setting biodiversity-related targets. The targets for supporting biodiversity related to mining are applied only to locations in the Czech Republic, since the Polish coal assets have been disposed of and CEZ Group does not conduct mining operations in other countries. Regarding other biodiversity targets, the generating facilities of fully consolidated subsidiaries are located only within the EU and comply with the recommended and legally applicable EU frameworks, as verified during the data collection. Targets related to decarbonization activities and low-emission electricity generation create additional opportunities for protecting and promoting biodiversity.

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Protection Actions

In CEZ Group, a number of actions were implemented in 2024 to achieve the set targets in the area of biodiversity. CEZ Group also cooperates with scientific institutions, universities, and nature conservation organizations and adopts voluntary commitments to support biodiversity.

  • Land Reclamation After Mining
  • Rescue Transfers of Endangered Species before Mining and Dumping Activities
  • Bird Protection
  • Actions for Species Protection

More information can be found in the Sustainability Report 2024.