Climate Positive Event

For us, here at Perspektywy Women in Tech, it is important to be mindful of the impact of our actions and the way they affect our Planet. That is why for the last few years we have been a Climate Positive Event. We achieve it by the set of reduction practices and by offsetting the whole carbon footprint we produce.

Not only do we calculate the Summit’s total carbon footprint according to the GHG Protocol and reduce all emissions we can through a range of eco-friendly solutions, but we go a step further by offsetting our remaining footprint.

2022: The Perpetual Forest at Biebrza National Park

In 2022, in partnership with Orange Polska, we created a perpetual forest in the buffer zone of Biebrza National Park as part of the Women in Tech Forest for Planet initiative. The trees in this forest will never be harvested for industrial purposes, and their capacity to absorb CO2 far exceeds the emissions generated during the entire Summit that year.

2023: Biodiverse Forest in Podlasie

In 2023, with Orange Polska, we reforested a 1-hectare area in Brzozowo-Chrzczony, Podlasie, creating a biologically diverse forest to continue our commitment to environmental sustainability.

2024: Wetland Reclamation in Eastern Poland

In 2024, with the support of AWS, we became the first organization to engage in wetland reclamation actively. We joined a project led by the Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (OTOP) to restore three degraded peatlands in eastern Poland, spanning approximately 260 hectares (Krychów – Krowie Bagno, Holeszów, and Kamień).

Through re-wetting these areas, we aim to improve habitats for typical peatland species, including the globally endangered aquatic warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola). Additionally, this initiative achieved a climate benefit by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 20,249.67 tCO2e.

Ongoing Initiatives

• Providing free public transport for Summit attendees.
• Installing hundreds of bike racks near the Expo XXI halls.
• Offering vegan and vegetarian-only meals and Warsaw tap water.

Every year, we also create a Climate Zone at the Summit. In this space, attendees can engage in discussions and listen to compelling talks by leading environmental organizations about protecting our planet.

What's next?

In 2025, we will continue supporting Wetlands Restoration in Lubelskie voivodeship (Krychów – Krowie Bagno, Holeszów, and Kamień). Why do we choose to focus on wetlands?

Importance of Wetlands

Though covering only ca 3% of global terrestrial area, wetlands contain about 500 Gt of solid matter carbon in their peat, which is twice the amount of carbon in the global forests' biomass. Therefore, wetlands are the most space-effective carbon store of all terrestrial ecosystems.

Wetlands are precious wetland ecosystems in which – under waterlogged conditions – dead and decaying plants accumulate in the form of peat. Healthy wetlands are biodiversity hotspots, which also provide us with vital ecosystem services. They are catchments for drinking water and regulate water flows, mitigating the effects of floods and droughts. As the world’s largest terrestrial carbon stock, wetlands also play a key role in climate change mitigation.

Unfortunately, there are not many healthy wetlands left in Poland. At least 85% of Polish wetlands have been drained for agriculture, forestry, and peat extraction, turning them into sources of huge GHG emissions. In total, drained Polish wetlands emit about 34 Mt CO2 equivalent annually. To halt these emissions, degraded wetlands shall be rewetted and managed in a sustainable way.