The environment and partners
Being a part of the local environment and a bank with a sustainable development strategy means understanding the needs of the area where we operate. We are aware of the important role we have in the economies of the countries in which we operate.
The local environment and partners
Being a bank with a sustainable development strategy means creating value for all stakeholders and improving the quality of life through all of our daily activities.
Here at UniCredit Group, we understand the importance of managing environmental aspects and other possible impacts directly or indirectly caused by our operations.
Direct influence
- Reducing the carbon footprint through controlled energy consumption, rationalising the use of space, and promoting sustainable mobility.
- Measuring the carbon footprint of our products and evaluating new environmentally-friendly solutions.
- Reducing the use of paper.
Indirect influence
- Measuring negative externalities associated with our portfolio of approved loans.
- Including natural capital in our products and services.
- Financing sources of renewable energy.
Supplier relations
Pursuant to the Values Charter and the Purchasing Policy of UniCredit Group, our bank builds relationships with suppliers based on transparency, mutual respect, trust, and taking into account ethical and legal norms.
In order to ensure greater transparency and cost-efficiency, we started centralising the purchasing process in 2010. As a rule, we invite several providers to cooperate and then select the most appropriate supplier. We evaluate offers based on supplier selection criteria, which generally includes extra criteria in addition to price.
In 2014, in compliance with the Anti-Corruption Policy of UniCredit Group, we began performing an anti-corruption due diligence on our suppliers. In order to protect confidential information (business secrets), we sign an agreement on data protection with our suppliers before starting any business collaboration.
Media relations
We know that having good media relations is a vital component of our reputation and public visibility. In communicating with them, we strive to be professional, responsive and proactive in terms of providing information on topics of public interest. Journalists are also invited to selected events for customers where we host prominent representatives of the bank or UniCredit Group and thereby give them access to information about developments in the financial markets. In this way, we responsibly perform the role of educator of the public on financial subjects.
Sponsorships
Finance magazine’s project entitled Izvozniki.si aims to connect Slovenian exporters, concentrate information, and promote ideas that are relevant to exports. By supporting the project financially and substantially, we’re helping to establish a healthy, strong, and open economic environment that facilitates the successful development of Slovenian export companies as well as Slovenia as a country and as a society.
As partners of the Managers' Association of Slovenia, we contribute to the development of Slovenian management and thereby to the success and greater competitiveness of the Slovenian economy.
Donations
The bank allocates some of its funds for humanitarian purposes.
- We donated funds to support the charity action of volunteers to finish construction of a replacement house for a socially disadvantaged family under the auspices of the Šentjur Association of Friends of Youth, whose goal is to provide better living conditions.
- By collecting school supplies, books, toys, and food, we helped children from socially disadvantaged families under the auspices of the Ljubljana Moste Polje Association of Friends of Youth.
- We made donations to the Ana i Vlade Divac and Mozaik foundations for victims of the catastrophic floods in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and donated funds for colleagues in Bosnia and Herzegovina who lost their homes in the floods.
- The bank donated to the Croatian Red Cross to help people affected by severe flooding in Croatia. Bank employees also helped by collecting funds, food, and other material aid.
- In 2014, an ice storm devastated huge areas of forests in Slovenia, which are extremely important for maintaining the climate, fauna, and the environment. We reached out to the Scout Association of Slovenia to support their pan-Slovenian campaign entitled Reforestation After the Ice Storm with a donation for the purchase of 3,500 tree saplings. Bank employees and customers joined the reforestation effort in the area of Logatec.
- We made a donation in support of charity campaigns designed to help underprivileged children and young people, which are carried out by members of the women’s Nike Rotary Club.
- Debeli rtič Youth Health and Summer Resort offers curative and preventative health programmes for children and young people. To make sure children can stay there in the future as well, we donated some of our New Year’s funds to the Slovenian Red Cross for programmes that enable children from socially disadvantaged families to spend holidays at Debeli rtič.
- Bank employees used their own funds to support the humanitarian project entitled Sponsorship in Slovenia. Many children of our employees decided to donate some of the money they got at the end of the year in the form of Grandpa Frost vouchers to their peers under the auspices of the Slovenian Association of Friends of Youth. The bank has a longstanding partnership with this organisation and has made several New Year’s humanitarian donations to it for the pan-Slovenian Sponsorship in Slovenia project.