VIVA coffee teaches a lesson: OMV supports education program in Nicaragua
September 21, 2009 - 10:00 am
- OMV launchs CSR project “VIVA mi escuela“
- One cent for every cup of VIVA coffee sold goes towards an education program in Nicaragua
- VIVA world of indulgence offers a wide selection of the finest quality of Vienna coffee as well as the highest standards in ambiance and service
The VIVA world of indulgence, available in OMV’s filling station shops, stands for the best Vienna coffee house tradition and offers more than 10 different high-quality coffee varities as well as the highest standards in ambiance and service. From now on, VIVA coffee will also teach a lesson: OMV has launched in cooperation with the renowned Austrian Development Organisation, ICEP, a CSR project “VIVA mi escuela” (“long live my school”). For every cup of coffee sold in Austria and Germany, one cent will be donated to an education program in Nicaragua, where part of the VIVA coffee comes from.
Harald Joichl, Head of OMV’s filling station business in Austria and Germany, explained the main objective of the CSR initiative:” With ‘VIVA mi escuela’ OMV wants to invest in a better future for the children of Nicaragua. It is only fair to give something back to the country that produces the coffee beans that make the VIVA coffee so delightful.”
School education in Nicaragua is lacking in many areas – especially in rural regions, where coffee is cultivated. A good education is key for the population of the developing countries to free themselves from poverty.
Bernhard Weber, ICEP Managing director, commented:” This CSR project is not only targeting children but also teachers and parents. We are investing, for example, in teaching material such as school books, but also in a better educational training for teachers and a stronger involvement from parents in the school system. This is of crucial importance to convince parents that regular school attendance is imperative for their children. With OMV we can therefore provide a sustainable basis for a good education system.” ICEP has already been active in Nicaragua for many years.
OMV has committed itself to donating EUR 50,000 a year to the “VIVA mi escuela” project over the next three years with the option of further prolonging this initiative. “We will be updated regularly on the project development by our ICEP partners. Thus, OMV and its customers can be reassured that their financial funds are employed according to the stated goals and in line with our Corporate Social Responsibility principles,” commented Harald Joichl on the concept behind this initiative.
Currently, there are 170 OMV filling stations with VIVA throughout Austria, thereby making VIVA Austria’s largest coffee house. The VIVA coffee owes its exquisite flavor to the 100% Arabica coffee beans and the high-quality WMF coffee machines and offers more than 10 varities ranging from Espresso to Cappuccino to Latte Macchiato.
Background information:
ICEP
The Austrian Development Organization ICEP was founded in 1996 as a private and independent initiative to make an effective contribution to global poverty alleviation.
ICEP is convinced that through education and training poor people in developing countries can become the driving forces behind their own development. This approach has been defined by ICEP as “empowerment”. The first step of empowerment is to provide new perspectives and stimulate a sense of initiative. Thus, ICEP invests in brain power and supports people in developing countries through education and training programs to discover and develop their own talents and skills and build up their expertise. ICEP conceives and implements projects in Africa, Latin America and Central Asia with the support of local partners.
In Austria, ICEP’s main task consists in sensitizing and raising the awareness of Austrian companies about the needs and possibilities in developing countries, addressing the fight against the world’s poverty as a benefit for the global economy and motivating Austrian corporations to join this cause within the framework of their CSR strategies.
Homepage: www.icep.at
OMV Aktiengesellschaft
With Group sales of EUR 25.54 bn and a workforce of 41,282 employees in 2008, OMV Aktiengesellschaft is one of Austria’s largest listed industrial companies. As the leading energy group in the European growth belt, OMV is active in Refining and Marketing (R&M) in 13 countries. In Exploration and Production (E&P) OMV is active in 17 countries on four continents. In Gas & Power (G&P) OMV sells approximately 13 bcm gas per year. Via Baumgarten, one of the most important turntables for gas in Europe, approximately 66 bcm gas is transported annually. OMV’s Central European Gas Hub is amongst the three largest hubs in Continental Europe.
OMV is the leading energy group in the European growth belt with oil and gas reserves of approximately. 1.2 bn boe, daily production of around 311,000 boe and an annual refining capacity of approximately 26 mn t. OMV now has 2,483 filling stations in 13 countries. The market share of the group in the R&M business segment in the Danube Region is now 20%.
OMV further strengthened its leading position in the European growth belt through the acquisition of 41.58% of Petrol Ofisi, Turkey’s leading company in the retail and commercial business.
In June 2006, OMV has established the OMV Future Energy Fund, a wholly owned subsidiary to support projects in renewable energy with more than EUR 100 mn to initiate the change from a pure oil and gas group to an energy group with renewable energy in its portfolio.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
OMV is a signatory to the UN Global Compact, and an active supporter to the values enshrined in its Code of Conduct. These include a strong sense of responsibility towards the social and natural environment, especially in economically weak regions. OMV continuously addresses economic, environmental and social issues related to its business in a responsible manner. The Company reports on its CSR activities in a sustainability report in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative Guidelines. This report is published at the same time as the annual report.