People-centric energy transition

A crucial element of the energy transition is inclusivity and emphasis on people. We believe that only through collective inclusive action can the world progress to achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the goals of the Paris Agreement.

To achieve our ambition, Galp is focused on the following drivers:

  • Encourage social dialogue and stakeholder engagement
  • Skill all employees for the challenges of the energy transition
  • Empower communities through social investment

Encourage social dialogue and stakeholder engagement

Galp aims to foster closer connections and relationships with customers, suppliers, partners, communities, governments, academia and other relevant stakeholders. Their insights present opportunities for mutual value creation that will benefit both the company and society.

Our stakeholders

We cultivate long-term partnerships with the countries and communities where we operate, to create value and mutual trust.

Stakeholders mapping and prioritization is a dynamic process, and its suitability is verified when there are context changes and/or a revision of Galp's strategy. This process uses the following criteria:

  • Influence - represents the impact/ decision-making power of the stakeholder on Galp's activity, namely its ability to influence the achievement of Galp's strategic objectives
  • Dependency - represents the impact/ decision-making power that Galp's activity has on the stakeholder, including stakeholder dependence on Galp's activities, products or services.

Our materiality assessment

We prioritise active communication with our stakeholders, with a crucial aspect being the ongoing materiality assessment process. Through this process, we identify the key sustainability concerns for our business by including the perspectives of our stakeholders. In 2023, we started a Double Materiality assessment process, incorporating the new EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requirements, for which we expect to have results by the second quarter of 2024.

For 2023, we considered the results of our latest materiality assessment where we identified six key aspects, all embedded in our Sustainability Roadmap and for which Galp has established goals and targets, with progress being monitored and publicly disclosed. More information can be found at the beginning of each chapter of Part II (Sustainability Journey) of the Annual Report.

 

Climate policy engagement

Galp actively collaborates with relevant stakeholders at the community level. We aim to serve as a positive contributor, creating value and supporting both national and local economic development.

The Company actively participates in climate policy initiatives and engages with entities like the European Commission and steers business associations towards responsible climate policy to ensure compliance, foster innovation, and address environmental challenges effectively.

We regularly engage with trade associations to ensure alignment with key climate agreements and principles. Our trade associations report transparently showcases their perspectives and any disparities, this assisting our selection process for future affiliations.

Our presence in key engagements

Throughout 2023, we continued to take part in events and initiatives addressing the energy transition and sustainability topics.

  • Galp Electric Summit: Galp representatives discussed topics such as REPowerEU and Oil&Gas evolution and took part  in insightful discussions alongside other companies and organisations such as Repsol, BP and Prio.
  • Sustainability and Society Forum: Galp attended meaningful panels on “Global Energy Trends”, “Goals and policies for a sustainable Europe” and "Building a sustainable and inclusive future”.
  • Lisbon Energy Summit: the 1st edition of the event was co-hosted by Galp and EDP and promoted debate on the opportunities and challenges of the energy system of the future.
  • Web Summit: for the 3rd consecutive year, Galp was present at the event with an approach centred on its people and the innovation projects it supports. Around 300 employees were invited to become involved, thus providing an opportunity for their personal development. 
  • COP 28: Galp was once again present at the 28th edition of the COP in Dubai, UAE. Our External Affairs team had the opportunity to take part in several events and conferences where key issues such as energy transition to renewable sources, climate and loss and damage financing, energy taxation, methane emissions and accelerating low emissions technologies were debated.

Galp also engages with a number of investors through dedicated meetings, and with associations (e.g., WBCSD, BSCD Portugal, UN Global Compact, World Economic Forum, Energy Impact Partners, etc.). This provides an opportunity to exchange knowledge, participate in discussions and influence various issues.

In addition, Galp promoted several Town Hall events open to all employees in all geographies. Each event had around 2,000 attendees and covered issues such as the current context and where the future challenges lie, business evolution and new governance structure, the imperative for business continuity and the relocation to the new Lisbon headquarters.

Engagement with customers

Customers and consumers are critical for the development and the longevity of our Company and, in this context, our involvement with them is based on listening, understanding and satisfying their interests, needs and expectations, based on principles of ethics, conduct and transparency.

Services and products available

The needs of our clients are the starting point for developing new offers. In a segmented way, we offer a set of energy services and structured products.

Energy services:

Domestic segment Offer of an exclusive range of services for Galp’s customers, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Business segment Service that promotes energy efficiency and minimises potential risks or faults through 24-hour assistance and equipment and network maintenance.
Energy solutions (integrated energy solutions) Integrated energy solutions tailored to clients' needs.
Provide a more rational and efficient use.
Quality of customer service

We believe that our ability to listen to and to exceed the needs and expectations of our clients is fundamental to our success.

At Galp we seek to guarantee high levels of service excellence, through the effective response of the customer service system to each and every customer, at all times.

The customer service system is structured and prepared to listen, understand, explain, clarify and present solutions on a daily basis that guarantee the satisfaction of all who come to us with a request, question, suggestion or a complaint.

Customer orientation

The entire customer service system is focused on ensuring a high quality of service to customers.

In recent years, we have invested in the continuous improvement the customer service system and associated training. We are focused on careful management of service quality, which is based on the following activities:

  • Client questionnaires to evaluate satisfaction with products, services and customer service;
  • Routine and customized audits, with the aim of continuously improving clear and well-defined processes and procedures;
  • Appropriate incentive system and well-defined responsibilities;
  • Quality management system certification;
  • Specific training in customer service quality;
  • Appropriate technology/information systems support.
Components of the customer service system

The service system incorporates all the resources and employees from the various units who have a mission to meet, contact, or relate to customers:

  • Network of stations and shops (attendance in person);
  • Contact Centre (non-face-to-face service);
  • Digital channels (specific web portals and websites that provide information and services over the internet);
  • Gas emergency centres (non-face-to-face and face-to-face, by patrols, when applicable).

Our employees who perform the service are the primary component of the whole system, since they deal daily with multiple situations with different degrees of complexity, which requires good preparation and appropriate training.

Implementation of customer services for clients with special needs

We have a special customer services provided in the Portuguese market for deaf people. We provide a customer service line via internet for video calls from deaf customers on the Portal do Cidadão Surdo. This service is provided by a team of interpreters certified by Serviin who, through a video call, provide on-line interpretation of the Portuguese sign language. Find out more about this service on the Portal do Cidadão Surdo.

At the Galp Stations, we have an assisted service for disabled customers. The assisted service is available in several Galp service areas and is exclusively for people with reduced mobility and drivers of adapted vehicles. These service areas are identified with specific signs on the porches and supply spots.

 

Skill all employees for the challenges of the energy transition

As the pace of energy transition accelerates, so does the need to carefully plan and promote reskilling and upkilling training programmes to the workforce, as well as relocation opportunities and to nurture talent in a fair, inclusive and equitable way, safeguarding the workers more likely to be impacted by loss of employment and automation. This will have to be done in a systematic way, covering all geographies and businesses, through careful planning adapted to the specificities of the local activities.

During 2023, we continued to promote initiatives on topics related to the energy transition, reskilling, etc. These initiatives involved employees and other stakeholders.

  • Skilling sessions on Energy Transition

We intensified the energy transition and climate change training initiatives for employees, executives, and board members. The numerous meetings held throughout the year included workshops, and upskilling sessions, covering various ESG topics such as the sustainability roadmap, green H2, GHG emissions, voluntary carbon market, and biodiversity. A dedicated session was conducted for the Sustainability Committee to deepen analysis of GHG emissions fundamentals, Galp’s decarbonisation metrics, performance and ambitions. Some of the employee engagement activities included Earth Day celebrations and Sustainability Week events.

  • Business Roundtable Portugal

The ultimate goal is to reskill 20,000 unemployed individuals in Portugal by 2025. This national project counts with Galp’s commitment and active participation.

  • Data Literacy Programme

Galp continued its partnership with the Porto Business School and International Data Corporation, and conducted over 200 hours of formal learning sessions, on-the-job learning and direct support in data projects. This involved more than 100 employees over 4,900 hours.

 

Empower communities through social investment

Social licence to operate

Securing a social licence to operate remains a top priority and entails ongoing dialogue and engagement with local communities and other stakeholders to transparently address risks and opportunities in each context and geography where Galp operates. In São Tomé and Príncipe we support the local community through social projects involving several stakeholders in order to understand their expectations and obtain social acceptance to operate.

 

Galp and Matosinhos create an innovation program with €500,000 to accelerate projects for citizens and startups.
The collaborative innovation project aims to boost entrepreneurship and energy transition in Matosinhos. The program will run for three years and has a total allocation of half a million euros in prizes for the winning projects. Applications are open until September 27th and are divided into two initiatives: IN.COMUNIDADE, for citizens, and IN.STARTUP, for companies. The Colmeia program seeks to position Matosinhos as an international reference in social innovation and energy transition, and it was co-created with the help of partners such as the Yunus Social Innovation Center and the Galp Upcoming Energies.

Click here for more information

Social impact on communities

The Galp Foundation is a private non-profit Public Utility entity, with the objective of deepening and promoting the Group's intervention in areas such as Citizenship and Social Responsibility.

The efficient use of energy, energy literacy and empowerment of communities is a major challenge in the context of the just energy transition.

Galp’s vision is to help shape carbon-free sustainable communities. It is our aim to promote this shared journey, empowering, supporting, and working side-by-side with society, advocating the development through the access to sustainable energy while protecting biodiversity, providing quality education, stimulating conscious energy consumption and by fostering social innovation and entrepreneurship, as aligned with our 5 strategic pillars of social impact.

 

 

In 2023, we provided targeted high-impact social advisory to 100% of our critical communities in Iberia, Brazil, and Africa, ensuring project execution support and alignment with Galp’s social impact strategy, through regular meetings and engagements.

Galp aims to support society through sustainable energy, education, conscious energy consumption, biodiversity protection, and social innovation, as aligned with our five strategic pillars of social impact.

Volunteering programme

Galp’s volunteer programme, aligned with our social investment strategy, grants employees six days annually for community engagement to foster internal alignment, skill development, and local community investment. It is fully supported by our Executive Committee and, in 2023, we reached 25% of the total headcount in volunteers, moving closer to the 2025 target of 26%. Galp volunteers spent almost 9,000 hours on volunteering activities, with a strong focus on the social emergencies pillar.

Measuring our social impact

To measure our impact, with full transparency, we monitor several indicators, evaluating the progress against the defined social objectives and using the methodology of the Business for Societal Impact (B4SI).

 

  2023
Donations (€m) 1.5
Community investment (€m) 33.9
Commercial initiatives in the community (€m) 0.7
Motivation (€m)  
Europe 9.5
Middle East and Africa 1.6
North America 0.02
South America 25
Total (€m) 36.1
Motivation (%)  
SDG 4: Quality Education 74
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy 7
SDG 10: Reduced Inequality 8
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities 2
SDG 13: Climate Action 6
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals 1
Number of beneficiaries 1,712,092
Number of beneficiary entities 5,101
Volunteering  
Number of volunteers 1,756
Volunteering hours (Galp employees) 8,937

Transforming our business, creating new opportunities

Apart from the new projects in Sines that will support the creation of job opportunities, the reconversion of the former Matosinhos refinery site will also follow the principles of innovation and sustainability. The demolition works started in October 2023 and will take place over a period of two and a half years. The macro perspective of this redevelopment project is to attract investments that guarantee qualified employment through a technological hub, structured around a university campus, a technology park and business centres.

Please consult our Social Impact page for more information.

See our Corporate Social Responsibility Policy and our Community Investment Policy.

Consult our Galp Foundation Management Report and Accounts.