SoftServe will become a carbon-neutral business. The company announced environmental goals for the next ten years

SoftServe, one of the largest global software development companies with Ukrainian roots, is expanding in Romania. Local development center was launched in May, aspired to have grown to 800+ associates by 2025.

Recently, the company has adopted an environmental policy for the next ten years. According to this plan, the company undertakes to achieve the following goals by 2032:

• becoming a carbon-neutral business
• reaching net zero waste
• designing eco-resistant offices
• developing IT solutions that help fight environmental challenges.

To meet these goals, the company plans to reduce energy consumption and switch to renewable energy sources where possible. Further, develop the format of remote work, adhere to the UN Principles of Sustainable Development in developing products and services and reduce the use of materials that are not recyclable.

In Romania, office space starts with co-working in Bucharest. However, the company remains open to hiring in all regions of the country, as hybrid work became the common approach – associates are free to choose working from home or coming to the office. By the end of this year, SoftServe Romania plans to reach 350 people on board and move to a bigger working space, paying attention to its sustainability standards and eco-friendly approach. 

“Caring for the environment has always been among the priorities for SoftServe, and in 2021 we moved to a new level in this matter and introduced a new approach to eco-management. Last year, the company created a special environmental council and launched a detailed accounting of all waste to assess its environmental footprint. In turn, it will help us achieve the environmental goals in the future,” comments Yulia Kuvitanova, SoftServe’s Environmental Sustainability Manager.

Thus, in 2021, SoftServe has already managed to reduce direct emissions by 55.4% compared to the previous year, as stated in the Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2021.

SoftServe donates computer and office equipment to charity to minimize waste and sells it on the internal marketplace. What cannot be overused, the company submits for recycling. In 2021, a total of about 50 kg of such waste was disposed of, including monitors, elements of system units, fluorescent lamps, and more. This year, the company also disposed of 373.5 kg of batteries. Since 2018, most SoftServe offices have been sorting and handing over plastic, glass, metal, and paper for recycling.

SoftServe plans to get certified by ISO 14001 standard related to environmental management. All associates are provided with a special learning course on Sustainability Fundamentals, which is the next step in developing a culture of eco-awareness among employees.

The company also pays a lot of attention to organizing internal programs and initiatives — from planting trees and cognitive low-waste events to developing technological solutions for environmental organizations. In 2021, the company’s employees planted more than 6 thousand trees, and IT specialists volunteered to create an application for waste sorting for the NGO “No Waste Ukraine”. These pro bono projects can be initiated by associates as well as local NGOs, so SoftServe is looking forward to contributing to Romanian communities in the future.

SoftServe is one of the largest IT companies in Eastern Europe, with over 13,000 associates in 41 centers, offices, and client locations globally. It provides solutions for healthcare, retail, finance, automotive, manufacturing, energy, and oil industries.

The company has built the biggest Big Data and Data Science communities in Eastern Europe with more than 200 engineers as well as a deep-tech R&D team working on cutting-edge solutions. Among the company’s clients are IBM, Cisco, Deutsche Bank, Cloudera, and many others. SoftServe is also a trusted partner of AWS, Microsoft, Google Cloud, and Romanian unicorn UiPath.