THE FUTURE BELONGS TO SUSTAINABILITY

The ambition of continuous development is inscribed in the strategy of every company. However, one must remember that developing business operations based on existing paradigms most often means increasing the impact (which is usually negative) on the environment. In such circumstances, doing business in the spirit of sustainability becomes a necessity. This requirement is imposed on companies not only by the planet suffering from climate change and depleting resources but also by a wide range of stakeholders: local communities, partners, and customers.

Such an approach is particularly close to Raben Group which, as a family company, is aware of its responsibility. That is why, it cares not only for its employees, here and now but also for future generations, to ensure that they have access to everything we can enjoy today. With this in mind, in 2019, the company adopted the sustainability strategy that is based on three pillars: Environmental Protection, Social Impact, and Responsible Business. For Raben, it is a kind of a roadmap of sustainable development which sets the directions to follow and the goals to achieve. In turn, the sustainability report is in this sense a kind of travel journal — a record of progress in specific areas, helpful for the company itself in the process of improvement, and which is also a report for its stakeholders.

DRIVE TO MEASURE AND REPORT

“I believe that the first step to improving anything is to measure it well — just like we measure, for instance, the CO2 emissions in our daily transport and warehouse operations. It is the base for further work: setting goals followed by implementation and optimization in the course of normal business operations. Reliable reporting is always the first step. The first Raben Group Sustainability Report is also a tool used for this purpose,” says Ewald Raben, CEO of Raben Group.

“Drive to Sustainability” is the seventh report published by the firm, but it differs from the previous ones in its assumptions and content. It presents the aspects of sustainability in the company in a comprehensive and detailed way (not just the scope of CSR), which are included in specific strategic thematic blocks: governance, social impact, environmental impact, and additionally, economic impact. Through activities undertaken within the aforementioned areas, Raben contributes to the implementation of selected UN sustainable development goals: (3) Good Health and Well-being, (8) Decent Work and Economic Growth, (9) Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, (12) Responsible Consumption and Production, (13) Climate Action and (17) Partnerships to achieve the goals.

The report covers practically the whole Group in 13 countries — Polish and German markets account for as much as 85% of the business in terms of revenues, number of employees, and shipments — and includes information and data concerning more than 30 thematic indicators. It is a response to the needs expressed by more than 1,000 stakeholders formulated as part of the social dialogue.

SUSTAINABILITY SEALED BY SEVEN BANKS

The importance of sustainability for the company is proved not only by the aforementioned strategy, the report, or the special decision-making committee headed by the CEO but also by the company's latest financial venture. The Group signed a five-year Sustainability Linked Loan (SLL) for €225 million with seven financial institutions. This is one of the first SLL club loans in the European logistics industry and the second such transaction in Poland. It will help the firm pursue the goals set in the sustainability strategy, such as reducing the intensity of CO2 emissions of the entire business, ensuring equal opportunities for women and their presence in management positions, as well as others in the field of ethics, risk management and support for the local community.

Ewelina Jabłońska-Gryżenia, head of sustainability at Raben Group, says: “We recognize the responsibility that rests with us. Responsible management in terms of the needs or expectations of the environment is of key importance for us.”

“We are consistently implementing the sustainability strategy of the Group, which defines our actions for the years 2020-2025. In particular, we are focusing on implementing the Code of Ethics inside the organization and planning the communication of our principles to our suppliers, on reducing our carbon footprint and supporting diversity within the organization.”

FROM CARBON FOOTPRINT TO GREEN CONTRACT

The “Drive to Sustainability” report pays special attention to the company's impact on the environment, which is not surprising considering the fact that Raben operates in the industry responsible for about 15% of global CO2 emissions. To establish a starting point for change, the operator analyzed three areas of carbon footprint production in its operations. In order to limit this negative phenomenon, the Group relies on a modern fleet (Euro 5 and 6 emission standards), solutions related to infrastructure (energy-efficient warehouses), and transport organization (appropriate filling of trucks, route planning, reducing the number of empty runs), and finally, tools taking advantage of modern technologies and software (Smartour and CO2 calculator).

Raben Group has recently signed a seven-year contract with PGE Obrót for the purchase of green energy (Purchase Power Agreement) which may significantly contribute to the reduction of emissions. The company has contracted renewable energy until 2022, so it can already reduce its carbon footprint. Pursuant to the aforementioned agreement, Raben in Poland will use 100% zero-emission energy starting from 2023. It will then stop relying on the current infrastructure of the energy provider and instead, dedicated photovoltaic farms will be built to meet the needs of the logistics operator. It means that thanks to the Group, new locations generating green energy will appear on the map of Poland.

TOGETHER WE CAN DO MORE

Jakub Krzewina, sustainability manager at Raben Group, emphasizes: “A concerted effort can pay big dividends because for any change you need the support of those around you. Let's be honest, change costs money and so do technologies that reduce emissions. More responsible transport management may also involve changing existing expectations on the part of customers. Therefore, dialogue, transparent communication, and educating stakeholders is extremely important.”

Jabłońska-Gryżenia adds: “Raben Group wants to be an active participant and also the driving force of change for present and future generations. We want to set an example for other organizations in our sector to actively join the fight for a better tomorrow.”

The latest initiative of the company is a perfect illustration of such an approach. The operator, which celebrates its 90th anniversary of operations this year, invited Internet users to participate in the celebrations in an unusual way — by supporting the places negatively affected by excessive human interference, which had been presented during the ECO2WAY anniversary tour. You can vote for one of three eco-projects: saving 10,000 bats in Germany, cleaning up Italian beaches with an underwater drone, or building an oasis for white storks in the Czech Republic. Voting takes place from October 30 to November at www.raben-group.com. The project with the biggest number of votes will receive financial support from the Group, thanks to which the planet will catch a breath and the next generations will have a chance to enjoy nature. At this point, it is worth mentioning that Raben in Poland will also help nature in October: it will plant 10,000 trees in the Stołowe Mountains National Park in cooperation with the Aeris Futuro Foundation. The company has been carrying out planting campaigns for many years and so far, together with the Foundation, it has planted nearly 30,000 trees all over Poland.

With such a philosophy and assistance, the company can look boldly into the future. The CEO of the logistics giant adds: “I am positive that both the market and the awareness will evolve over the next 3-5 years and customers will turn to companies that place sustainability at the heart of their operations.

“When thinking about the years to come, I see no specific challenges as such, but certain targets to accelerate the Group’s sustainability within the practically available technologies. They are as important as our business targets and we have to act in a disciplined way to achieve them effectively.”