The ESG Innovators Council, under the Polish ESG Association—the largest organization uniting leaders of sustainable transformation in Poland—has awarded ERBUD a special "ESG Visionary" title for its exceptional efforts in promoting women within the construction sector.
During this year's Innovators Forum at the Warsaw Stock Exchange headquarters, awards were presented for initiatives in sustainable development. ERBUD received the prestigious "ESG Visionary" award. The council praised ERBUD for its “outstanding proactive approach to achieving sustainable development goals, standing out in the construction industry. For promoting and undertaking initiatives that support women in a field traditionally seen as a 'male' domain."
“As a father of three daughters and the president and owner of Poland's largest independent construction group, I feel responsible for promoting diversity in our industry. First, because I believe competence knows no gender, and second, because demographic trends are not in our favor. The sector has long struggled with a shortage of specialists, and now we face a demographic downturn paired with an anticipated construction boom. We're already somewhat late in addressing this issue, which is why I'm encouraged by the rising number of female graduates in construction studies, interns, and engineers on our sites. I believe in the strength of mixed teams. Promoting construction careers among women is a long-term investment, and I thank the ESG Innovators Council for recognizing our efforts," said Dariusz Grzeszczak, President of ERBUD Group.
The ESG Innovators Council comprises a distinguished group of experts and opinion leaders specializing in implementing, advising on, and auditing sustainable development goals in business, academia, and politics. Its members include the President of the Polish Chamber of Statutory Auditors, the Rector of the Warsaw School of Economics, the President of the Responsible Business Forum, the Director General of UNICEF Poland, and representatives from top consulting firms and businesses.
"I've been in the construction industry for a long time and have seen its tremendous transformation. Not only have working conditions on projects improved, but so have salaries and career prospects. It’s projected that by 2030, the industry will face a shortage of up to a quarter million workers, leading to fierce competition for talent. I can’t imagine women missing this historic opportunity to secure excellent jobs. That’s why I personally support all movements and programs promoting diversity, including ours," said Agnieszka Głowacka, Vice President of ERBUD, who recently placed third in the prestigious "Businesswoman of the Year" competition organized by Puls Biznesu.
ERBUD actively promotes engineering professions among women through internal programs like ERWOMAN and organizes annual construction workshops for girls, called Young Builders, at the Copernicus Science Centre. This year, the program introduced a new scenario where teenage girls, guided by experts from ONDE (an ERBUD subsidiary), build wind turbines and explore renewable energy. The Young Builders initiative has attracted support from public figures, including Katarzyna Sokołowska, Roma Gąsiorowska, Damian Michałowski, and Damian Janikowski. ERBUD's campaign has won two prestigious Gold Paperclip awards, recognizing innovative communication strategies..
Additionally, in collaboration with the ERBUD Foundation, the company has published three books in the Klara Builds series for girls, written by Jakub Skworz (author of Marie Curie: A Genius and Little Chopin). The books are available in Polish, Ukrainian, German, and English. Over 1,000 copies have been sold, with all proceeds donated to the ERBUD Foundation for Common Challenges.
According to the Polish Association of Construction Employers, the industry is currently short of approximately 100,000 workers, a number expected to rise to 250,000 by 2030. This labor shortage, combined with upcoming EU recovery funds, could lead to investment paralysis. Half of the members of the Polish Chamber of Civil Engineers are over 55 years old, and interest in construction studies has dropped by 34% in the past five years. According to the Central Statistical Office (GUS), 12 of the most in-demand professions in 2024 belong to the construction sector.
