Priorities and goals
Our sustainability policy
We direct our actions and decisions towards the creation of value in the long term. We pursue this objective by operating in accordance with the following principles on economic, social and environmental sustainability:
- To guarantee our customers the possibility to benefit from innovative and valuable products.
- Investing in the professional development of our people, enhancing their talent and encouraging them to be creative and enterprising.
- Actively promote a culture that is accessible to all, with the awareness that the right to quality education and information is an essential element for development and growth of our country.
- Create a safe working environment for our employees and collaborators that offers equal opportunities and professional achievement and expression to everybody.
- Giving voice to different points of view, rewarding originality and plurality of thought and ensuring respect for freedom of expression in the process of developing the editorial product.
- Respect and protect the surrounding environment through responsible use of natural resources and the main energy carriers, reduction of polluting and climate-changing emissions, careful waste management and awareness of customers and suppliers on environmental sustainability issues.
Material topics
In order to identify the most relevant non-financial topics, we update our materiality analysis each year in line with the principles defined by the GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards (GRI Standards), including the Media Sector Disclosures, defined in 2016 and 2014 respectively by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).
The definition of material topics is done through a process that, while taking as a starting point the work done in previous years, introduces new activities from time to time.
We decided to investigate the context and potential challenges and opportunities of the media and publishing sector from an objective point of view: for this reason, we involved independent experts in the field (in academia, in trade associations and among those responsible for content creation and management). Thanks to these qualitative interviews and a subsequent comparison with key European peers, it was possible to develop a new proposal of materiality themes to be included in the analysis.
In addition to this activity of defining the new industry context, we also carry out stakeholder engagement activities and in-depth interviews with company management to identify priority materiality issues for the Mondadori Group and its stakeholders.
Obiettivi
- Objective achieved
- Project underway
- Project pending
| Objective | Status / results | |
|---|---|---|
| Drafting of a new anti-corruption policy | In progress | |
| Monitoring activities and compliance implementation with European Regulation n. 679/2016 on privacy | Completed | |
| Drafting of a new Sustainability Policy, in light of the changes that have taken place within the Group | Completed | |
| Redefinition of the system of internal control and sustainability risk management | A complete and systematic analysis of risks attributable to the social and environmental impacts has been introduced into the risk assessment system, updated and repeated on a yearly basis | |
| Drawing up of the policy on whistleblowing | Preparation of the policy and the system managed by a third party |
| Objective | Status / result | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Replanting of the park surrounding the headquarters | The project shared with the Municipality of Segrate and Fondazione Porcinai saw the redevelopment of the green areas surrounding the headquarters with: – the felling of 108 Italian poplars; – 183 plantings, of which 85 Italian poplars (auditorium row, west lakefront side and woods), 48 lime trees (east parking lot sporting side) and 50 trees donated to the Municipality of Segrate. Once the work was completed, the area’s tree heritage increased by over 60%, respecting the park’s design and existing species. |
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| Decommissioning of the underground gas station tanks | The works to remove the historic fuel distributor in the Palazzo Mondadori park are a work of important environmental value that goes to neutralize the potential polluting effects due to the aging of fuel containers. The intervention consisted in the elimination of the external structure (pump and canopy) and of the four underground tanks, still containing a small amount of gasoline and diesel, as required by law. Once the removal of the fuel tanks was completed, the soil removed was subjected to laboratory analysis that confirmed the absence of pollutants. It was therefore not necessary to proceed with remediation works and the excavation was filled with certified soil. A number of “green” hypotheses are now being examined to enhance the area in the name of sustainability. |
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| Project for the proper disposal of plastic at the headquarters |
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| Replacement of office printers with more efficient models and consequent reduction in toner consumption and related waste | Among the measures taken to reduce the environmental impacts of Group offices and stores, efforts have been made in recent years to raise awareness of the responsible use of toners and paper for printing in offices. Over the last three years in particular, the Group has managed to reduce the consumption of printing paper by approximately 32%. Toners have also witnessed a decrease in the three-year reporting period, thanks to the replacement in 2018 of all the printers at the Italian sites, including the directly-managed stores, with new all-in-one printers – printer, scanner and photocopier – which, together with print quality and the possibility of printing on any machine at the sites, guarantee a strong reduction in energy consumption and consumables (paper and toners). |
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| Indirect energy GHG emissions reduction | The trend in electricity consumption in Italy has been steadily falling over the past three years: the approximately 18% reduction between 2017 and 2019 is due partly to the energy saving measures and actions implemented over the year: – replacement in June of the north well pump with a new inverter pump to reduce water and electricity consumption at nighttime and in winter, with consumption proportional to actual needs, while still ensuring a minimum constant flow to the lake. Annual savings are estimated at approximately 28,000 kWh, while the reduction in groundwater use is estimated at approximately 250,000 m3/year; – replacement in March of the north tower well booster pumps with new inverter pumps to reduce water and electricity consumption, with consumption proportional to actual needs. Annual savings are estimated at approximately 7,000 kW; – for both Palazzo Niemeyer and Cascina Tregarezzo, the electrical energy monitoring system was upgraded in accordance with Legislative Decree 102/2014. The system allows to split energy consumption based on use (conditioning, motive power, lighting, auxiliary devices), crucial for implementing new saving measures.Initiatives planned or in the pipeline for 2020 – splitting of the induction system on the main building, north side; – replacement of the south well pump with a new inverter pump to reduce water and electricity consumption at nighttime and in winter; – installation of inverters on multi-purpose well booster pumps; – installation of a new geothermal unit for the treatment of technical environments such as the UPS battery room, the documentation centre and the control room; – installation of inverters on well pumps, in order to reduce water and electricity consumption proportional to actual needs. Estimated reduction in electricity consumption: 5% |
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| Calculation of emissions before and after the Group’s activities | Since 2015, an estimate of emissions related to the logistics of publications (primary transport) has been made, with the intention of expanding the scope of reporting on the supply chain with regard to the production of paper books and magazines | ||
| Creation of a company policy for waste separation and greater awareness by employees, establishment of a database for the collection of information on waste, and definition of a procedure for the management of waste generated by maintenance | Monitoring of waste management is currently in effect at the Segrate location; possible solutions to expand the scope are being examined |
| Objective | Status / results | |
|---|---|---|
| Insieme per l’istruzione (Together for education) | The project was created to promote initiatives that contribute to inclusive and quality education. The Group’s publishing houses are members and in the first year of activity (2019), in collaboration with Action Aid, it subsidised the construction of two school complexes in Ethiopia (to be completed by 2020).The second edition of the project is under development and will concern the support to situations of educational poverty in Italy | |
| Smart working | The test phase involved more than 30 employees who until December 2019 were able to work from 2 to 4 days a month in places other than their respective places of work. During lockdown, smart working was extended to the entire company population. With the gradual reopening smart working remains the preferred mode, fixed on Mondays and Fridays and recommended for employees over 55 and parents of underage children | |
| Workplace safety and prevention plan | The Group Safety Coordination Unit is the body set up by the Parent Company to oversee and coordinate activities aimed at implementing the legal requirements, providing guidelines, and monitoring the planning and discharge of annual obligations: – regular meetings: 6 regular safety meetings were scheduled for 31 retail stores and 14 Group sites, involving the employers (or their delegates) of the respective companies, health and safety managers and health and safety officers, 17 workers’ safety representatives, and 7 competent medical officers; – on-site workplace inspections: in 2019, competent medical officers carried out workplace inspections at 18 Group sites; – evacuation drills: in addition to the testing of emergency plans in the retail stores, the safety officers of the Mondadori Group sites coordinated annual evacuation drills involving all personnel. Feedback received on the drills was then used to identify and formalize the actions needed to improve emergency procedures.In implementing the range of activities planned, special attention was paid in 2019 to changes in the setup of the legal entities and locations used by staff: in all workplaces, the legally-required activities were completed, the risk assessment documents of the locations were updated, and the list of the corresponding figures, either designated or elected, involved in the management of the system for the protection of workers’ health and safety, accessible at all times in the “Prevention and safety” area of the corporate intranet Network, was updated.The occupational health service was guaranteed by the San Raffaele Resnati Hospital: the competent medical officers appointed by their respective employers visited 538 workers subject to health surveillance for the risks from the use of VDT exceeding 20 hours per week; the activities of the service are planned with the help of the workplace health and safety IT system adopted by the Mondadori Group. The platform enables the identification of the workers due for a health check-up, the planning of regular medical visits, and the management of medical records on a computerized and encrypted basis. The system is also used for the digital filing of medical reports and documents, to fulfil statutory requirements under the laws and regulation in force, and to handle training aspects.Following the initiative launched last year, while not required by regulations, AEDs (automated external defibrillators) were also installed inside Poles 1 and 2 of Segrate: 13 first-aiders joined the 14 volunteers previously trained in 2018, attending the BLSD (Basic Life Support and Defibrillation) course. |
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| Drafting of a policy for the evaluation and selection of various social partnership initiatives | Monitoring of community-support initiatives and auditing in order to permit the proper performance of activities require an internal regulatory framework and/or the appropriate tools in order to avoid dispersion of resources | |
| Stakeholder involvement initiatives throughout the entire year | In addition to the planned and regular stakeholder engagement activities, there is a need to involve individual stakeholders or groups in specific events or projects |