AmCham Conference Business sustainability with ESG principles

The American Chamber of Commerce in Croatia (AmCham) organized the third “Business Sustainability with ESG Principles” conference, which brought together more than 160 participants from the private and public sectors. 

The results of the survey conducted by AmCham and consulting firm Kearney on the adoption maturity of ESG principles in the business of AmCham members were presented. The goal of the survey is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the adoption maturity of all three ESG pillars, environmental, social, and governance, among companies in different sectors of the Croatian economy.

The most successful companies in Croatia in implementing ESG principles are A1 Croatia and Atlantic Group, which share the first place, while Arena Hospitality Group is in third place out of 36 total AmCham members that participated in the survey.

“The results of the survey show that Croatian companies are missing the opportunity to be regional ESG leaders and a top choice for investors who are increasingly prioritizing ESG criteria in their investment decisions. Although slight progress has been recorded in the environmental segment, Croatian companies lag behind the best, especially in key areas such as diversity, equity, inclusion and social impact. Although in global focus, these topics in Croatia often end up on the margins. Croatia has the potential to be a regional ESG leader, to use its full potential and become a regional ESG Champion,” Marko Derča, partner in Kearney, said during the presentation of the results.

Compared to last year’s survey, the adoption maturity of ESG among Croatian companies is on the rise, with a downward trend only in terms of social impact. Croatian companies continue to take significant steps in their commitment to applying ESG principles; however, there is still room for improvement and progress in specific sectors.

Dejan Turk, CEO of A1 Croatia, last year’s AmCham & Kearney ESG Champion, held a motivating and inspiring presentation on the successful implementation of ESG principles in practice.

Nathalie Rayes, the US ambassador to the Republic of Croatia, opened the discussion with a speech on the best practices of implementing the diversity principle in management positions in American companies.

A panel discussion followed with Josipa Klišanin, Head of the Sector for Labor in the Ministry of Labor, Pension System, Family and Social Policy, Marin Mlinarić, member of the Board and Director People and Culture at Philip Morris Zagreb, Amela Čengić, Marketing Director at Coca-Cola HBC Croatia, Andreja Gracin, Executive HR Director at Telemach Croatia, and Ante Laušić, Member of the Board at Solvership.

The panel discussion focused on the importance of the principle of diversity in management positions in Croatia, good practices within their organizations, and upcoming EU regulations governing this area.

“Coca-Cola HBC Croatia is deeply committed to issues of diversity and inclusion, as evident in our internal policies and the results we achieve. Looking at the entire organization and all management levels, we have 44% of women in management positions in Croatia, which makes us very proud. Coca-Cola HBC is recognized on the labor market for the excellent opportunities for professional development and advancement of all employees; the fact that our talent program for senior management positions this year had 100 female participants confirms this. These statistics clearly show that opportunities for advancement are available to everyone, regardless of gender,” said Amela Čengić, Marketing Director of Coca-Cola HBC Croatia.

Member of the Board of Philip Morris Zagreb, Marin Mlinarić, said, “Philip Morris Zagreb is committed to fostering a culture of equality, inclusion and diversity where everyone has equal opportunities for professional development. We base the company’s long-term growth on consistently supporting these values at all business levels, including the highest management positions. We have had an equal ratio of women and men across all organizational levels for years, including the Board. Additionally, we have held the Equal Salary certificate for over six years, confirming income equality for women and men in equivalent roles.”

“Telemach believes that successful business is based on high ethical standards; for that reason, we have successfully integrated sustainable ESG strategies into all aspects of our business. We encourage diversity through a transparent recruitment process focused solely on excellence, knowledge. and work experience, as well as through equal opportunities for professional development for all employees. We are proud that women make up 40% of the Board and 40% of the wider management team in our company. The balance that women bring to business is of great importance, so we continue to promote diversity and women, especially in technological and managerial positions,” pointed out Andreja Gracin, Executive HR Director at Telemach Croatia.