Hrvatska pošta: our business needs to be green
Croatian Post and International Post Corporation (IPC), an organisation that brings together the world’s leading postal operators, have agreed on participation in the Sustainability Measurement and Management System (SMMS).
Croatian Post is the 20th postal operator participating in the program aimed at developing and implementing sustainable business and the increasing use of renewable energy sources along with increasing the number of delivery vehicles on alternative fuels. The International Postal Corporation launched the SMMS programme in 2019 to address the sustainability objectives of the postal sector for the next ten years, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It expands on the 2009-2019 Environmental Measurement and Monitoring System (EMMS) programme, which focused on reducing carbon emissions, and broadens the remit to the seven sustainability focus areas most relevant for the postal sector: Health and safety, Learning and development, Resource efficiency, Climate change, Air quality, Circular economy and Sustainable procurement. Since the launch of their first programme, participating posts have reduced their yearly collective emissions by more than 30%.
As part of the five-year Post2022 Development Strategy, Croatian Post reduced CO2 emissions by 280 tons annually, primarily through the purchase of electric vehicles that were co-financed by the Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency. The postal fleet currently consists of more than 200 electric vehicles. Also, three charging stations for electric vehicles have been installed, which is a prerequisite for further expansion of the electric vehicle fleet.
“Today we are facing new challenges. It is no longer enough to only ensure business growth. We must thing about future and sustainability and corporate social responsibility is one of the development philosophies underlying our strategy. We will achieve ambitious goals together with help from IPC and other member organization because our business needs to be green and must have an overall positive impact on all stakeholders”, said Mr Ivan Čulo, Croatian Post CEO.
“We are delighted to welcome the Croatian Post as a new member of the SMMS programme, demonstrating the value of working together as a sector in order to make a difference for the planet”, said Mr Holger Winklbauer, IPC CEO.
In April 2021, the Croatian Post started installing parcel lockers, a new delivery channel, which is very important in combating harmful emissions. Parcel lockers increase the percentage of delivery in the first attempt, reducing the distance traveled by vehicles – both postal and those owned by customers since lockers are available 24/7 at many nearby locations.
Last week, Croatian Post also increased the salaries of as many as 8,000 workers in operational jobs by as much as 20% this year.
Chairman of the Board of the Croatian Post, Ivan Čulo, pointed out: “With all the challenges in the market and development, the impact of coronavirus and the earthquake on business, our strength has always been our people. With all the investments in infrastructure and digitalisation that we have made strategically in the last 6 years, I am glad that we have made this decision. Our people are competitive on the labour market and it is up to us as employers to be competitive. Workers are our window to the customer and as a company operating in a liberalized market for almost a decade, we know very well that a satisfied worker is the path to a satisfied customer. “