One of the main threats to the environment in the 21^st century is pollution on a global scale. This consists of land and marine-based pollution, overfishing, deforestation, acidification and numerous other elements. As the population grows and our impact on the planet intensifies, so do the risks and challenges we face. As a Company, we acknowledge that with appropriate actions, the environment can be preserved for future generations. For that reason, Griffin undertakes many significant actions that generate positive change.

• Griffin ensures effective waste management. In every communal kitchen we have special recycle bins to aid correct waste removal. In doing so, we are reducing our workplace’s negative environmental impact.
• We continue to install various innovative technologies. In order to reduce water consumption and use of plastic bottles we’ve introduced eco-friendly water dispensers, containing touch control panels to limit water wastage. Moreover, our dispensers are safe for the environment and meet RoHS – European Union directives on material safety.
• Our energy strategy focuses on providing the most comfortable conditions for our employees while being as electricity efficient as possible. We reduce energy consumption by installing eco-friendly lighting to optimize energy use. We have energy-efficient LED light sources with individual control, and motion/presence sensors. External lighting for dusk-to-dawn operation is controlled by a programmable astronomical timer switch. Light pollution has been reduced by automatic control of internal lighting devices along the glazed facades. Facade lighting has been reduced to the ground floor and main entrance area.

Environmental issues in architecture and construction are more important than ever. At Griffin Capital Partners, we believe that it is our job as citizens of the world to identify new approaches to sustainability and implement them. That is why our new office building has been built and constructed in accordance with appropriate Green building certifications meeting climate change adaptation requirements.

• Our building has received the prestigious LEED Platinum certification. The LEED System (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) promotes the idea of architecture designed in such a way as to minimize environmental impact and demand on resources. LEED is a set of guidelines that form a building rating system based on USGBC standards. All aspects of the design are considered: the location of the building, the land on which it is built, consumption and use of materials, electricity and water, indoor air quality and health aspects, the innovativeness of the design and the environmental impact of the chosen architectural solutions. Depending on the number of points accumulated, a project can be awarded Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum certification. The highest level is the LEED Platinum certificate which our office building has received.
• The architecture of the building has, as a guiding principle, a focus on biodiversity. The building incorporates indoor plants and gardens into the office designs. The use of bryophyta (moss) on our office walls requires no watering, and makes use of one of the best carbon-conversion plants in the world. Our office also has several green, plant-rich terraces, occupying 210 square meters in total.
• The office leaves no negative impact on the environment. All installation systems have been equipped with appropriate filters, silencing and soundproofing devices.
• The trees on the roof of the lower section, together with the shrubs and perennials, form a continuation of the site’s garden. The technical level on the upper part roof and the outbuilding is sheltered by a wooden trellis hosting five-leaved akebia, and ivy grows on the highest terrace level. The house space aesthetic is defined by its visible structural elements: concrete columns and ceilings with tactile textures and installations. The office building’s open floor spaces are designed with a three-level patio and inner garden providing a uniting theme that runs throughout. Green walls give a unique microclimate to the skylit interior. The three-storey ficus elevations give a calming, oxygenated atmosphere of peace and separation.
• The building has electric car charging stations and bike racks.
• Unlike most offices, our building has windows which can be freely opened to reduce air conditioning use. Additionally, our air-conditioning is provided by the company which offers the lowest environmental impact on the market. Our refrigerant R1234ze offers the best possible GWP (Global Warming Potential) of 6, reducing uncontrolled refrigerant loss into the atmosphere.

Griffin Capital Partners ethically and effectively monitors the health and safety of all our employees. Our immediate response to the Covid-19 outbreak further reassured us that good organization and integration are the key elements in facing risk together, as an entity. At Griffin, we are committed to three fundamental rights:

The right to know about health and safety matters.

The right to participate in decisions that affect us and others.

The right to refuse work that could compromise our health and safety.

• The Covid-19 pandemic prompted us to implement strict safety measures for every employee. We acted quickly to guarantee each individual’s safety by making Covid tests available to everyone, each day.
• Griffin implements an array of health and safety protocols in order to maintain the highest work standards in our office. We provide ergonomic furniture and promote regular exercise and sport among our employees. Our BHP (Health and Safety) Protocol sets out clear guidance on how to make computer work less strenuous and provides advice on prohibitions and recommendations regarding safety in the workplace. These include: necessary qualifications for the job, appropriate health condition confirmed by a medical certificate, completion of initial training course covering occupational safety and health, pre-work activities, correct use of equipment and machinery in the workplace. The BHP, Health and Safety Protocol improves the quality of work for all, evaluates different risks and, most importantly, focuses on our employees’ well- being and physical concerns.
• In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have aligned our work to the imposed restrictions and introduced remote work and meetings in order to halt the spread of the virus. In light of the ongoing nature of the pandemic, we continue to offer Work From Home to all, according to their individual needs.

Our company is fully aware of the social responsibilities it carries. One of our most important duties is to act in the best interests of our employees; this is why we have introduced an array of significant programmes and initiatives to further improve our daily life:

• Each Friday, we organize healthy breakfasts for all our employees in order that everyone can socialize and enjoy a rest at the end of the working week. This initiative is very much appreciated as it brings people together and fosters deeper connections. During the pandemic, we have continued with the breakfasts, introducing breakfast boxes to meet all necessary restrictions and ensure employee safety.
• Daily, we provide a fresh delivery of different seasonal fruits and healthy snacks. We are aware that our employees are busy with work and sometimes do not realize how important it is to maintain a balanced diet. This initiative promotes a healthy lifestyle and general wellbeing. In such a way, we promote health awareness whenever and wherever we can.
• We have adapted our new office, which we moved into in May 2020, in every way possible to ensure the comfort and wellbeing of our employees. By installing movable desks and providing ergonomic chairs, we promote an appropriate level of comfort in the workspace. All employees have access to the terrace garden, offering both a great view of the city and a place for mental relaxation.
• We have also ensured that our new building is accessible to all, without exception.

Griffin Capital Partners believes that aspects such as the promotion of culture and peace, cultural diversity and personal development are the key factors in having a highly skilled and motivated workforce. As part of our engagement in the self-improvement of each employee, we organize a number of social activities and voluntary initiatives throughout the year.

• The impact of Covid-19 has affected everyone, with some of our employees losing loved ones. Griffin launched a programme to help and support people with their tragic losses. We jointly organized a fundraising initiative, with the donors being not only our employees but also the company itself.
• We took part in Gaszyn Challenge. The campaign’s main objective was to help children suffering from spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Each participant raised money and performed squats and push-ups to symbolize the unity and integrity of the initiative.
• We participated in the Bikes For Kids Challenge – showing our support and participating in fundraising to provide pupils of the Happy Kids Foundation with bikes and other sporting equipment. This challenge was designed to encourage employees to be physically active and strive to win, while giving financial support to a worthy cause. Each company partner put up one or more teams of 5 cyclists for the undertaking. The main goal of the initiative was to cycle the longest distance in km within the allotted time of 1 week. The challenge resulted in the raising of PLN 100k, and the cycling of the globe twice over by all of the partner companies.
• Another initiative which Griffin took part in was the Helpdesk for Kids – the main aim of this programme was to provide support to children from foster families with no access to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected funds and computers to improve the children’s online educations.
• During the winter we collected blankets, towels, bed sheets and bedding for dog shelters. We believe that helping animals is a great way to make a perceptible difference. Animal welfare is a sizeable issue, but even the most modest actions improve the lives of animals in significant ways.
• The Let’s take a picture action was designed to raise money for Maks (diagnosed with SMA and a serious autistic-spectrum developmental disorder) and Szymon (a 4-year-old with Down syndrome and leukaemia). As part of the initiative, each of the participants was encouraged to take a picture with the programme coordinator and make a donation.
• During the pandemic, together with our investment platform, Echo Investment (as leader of the initiative), and numerous other companies, we decided to support hospitals and medical workers as they were facing the immense challenges and unknown hardships of the pandemic. We reached out to 11 hospitals and medical facilities across Poland, including in; Gdansk, Katowice, Kielce, Krakow, Poznan, Szczecin, Warsaw and Wroclaw. In total, we delivered 970 meals a day – in particular during the spring lock-down and the autumn peak of infection and hospitalisation. Over the course of the campaign companies from the industry delivered a total of over 40 thousand meals.

Griffin Capital Partners’ employees are the heart and soul of the company; that is why we place great emphasis on gender equality and the engagement of women at all stages of their careers. We support the principles of inclusivity and diversity for all, and promote a safe and ethical environment.

• We actively empower women to enter our sector. Our Chief Legal Counsel and Senior Partner, and one of the Board Members are female, along with many of the chairpersons, chief officers, attorneys and managers in our company.
• Griffin supports a culture of learning and development. We offer internships in almost every department, ensuring the highest possible quality of training. Our youngest intern is 18 years old, and we take great pride in the initiative that offers this opportunity, as it promotes better prospects for personal development, equal opportunity and youth employment.
• Griffin pays great attention to age diversity in the workplace. We believe that age diversity brings different experience, outlooks and, most importantly, contributes to a lessening of age discrimination in society.

We have a number of policies in place to manage ethical practice and integration in our organisational structures. The main aim of our strategy is to strengthen corporate governance, attain effective risk management, and minimise impacts that reduce value. Each employee is expected to conduct themselves with honesty, integrity, and the highest ethical standards.

• Our Code of Conduct is adopted in its entirety and sets out principles and guidelines for promoting honest and ethical conduct in business. Our Code also provides each investment platform with an effective instrument of the internal risk management and control system.
• Griffin has adopted a General Policy on Compliance with Anti-Corruption Principles which ensures all employees, partners and directors of the company are prohibited from promising, paying or providing any amount of money or anything of value to a Public Official or Private Sector Counterparty Representative for the purpose of improperly obtaining, directing or retaining business or securing an improper advantage for Griffin.
• Our KYC form is in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (“GDPR”), providing measures to protect employee data and laying out Griffin’s legal obligations on processing personal data.
• We have also implemented Anti-Money Laundering Policy (AML) to actively prevent and take measures to guard against being used as a medium for money laundering activities and terrorism financing activities and any other activity that facilitates money laundering or the funding of terrorist or other criminal activities.
• Given that Griffin is an entity which pays special attention to meeting its obligations resulting from the tax law, we have implemented procedures that prevent failure to comply with obligations to provide information on tax schemes.
• Our Whistleblowing policy is part of the Griffin Capital Partners’ internal compliance system. Employees and associates of the company and target companies are encouraged to report, via this procedure, any (suspected) irregularities of a general, operational or financial nature which, in the opinion of the officer, constitute a breach of law, regulatory rules, regulations or codes of conduct, to improve our procedures and everyday practice.
• Griffin conducts training sessions for employees concerning the compliance procedures recently implemented within the Group. The scope of the training sessions includes the following areas: prevention of conflicts of interest, relevant reporting procedures, reporting channels for whistle-blowers, identifying compliance-sensitive issues in Griffin’s day-to-day operations, pre-approval and reporting requirements for transactions involving public officials or persons associated with them.
• We have appropriate policies and procedures to ensure that employees and associates are aware of AML regulations and procedures. In addition, we continuously monitor regulatory changes in our responsibilities and, in the event of changes, provide refresher / follow-up training in the context of such changes. Within three months of employment, all Griffin personnel must attend training on this procedure, provided by an external advisor.