Sustainability Strategy

“We do not shape the future tomorrow but today. And whoever already reflects today about how the world will look tomorrow or the day after, and how one has to structure a company accordingly in order to be able to fulfil its responsibilities on a long-term basis, is also a responsible businessman.” - the standpoint taken by Austrian Post CEO Georg Pölzl with respect to sustainability is unambiguous. Austrian Post is committed to its responsibility towards its stakeholders and its social environment. With this in mind, Austrian Post developed new corporate principles in 2010, which comprise the foundation for the sustainability strategy of the company. In addition to the two guiding principles “Everything we do revolves around our customers” and “We are future-oriented”, the appreciation of employees and open communications with them are of overriding importance. “A company can only be successful if the employees are proud of what they are doing and can contribute to the reputation of the company. In contrast, only a successful company can seriously assume its corporate social responsibility on a long-term basis, and thus meet social and ecological needs”, Austrian Post CEO Pölzl states.

As a publicly listed company Austrian Post is naturally committed to economic success on behalf of its owners – the Republic of Austria as well as institutional and private shareholders. Moreover, the company is aware of its responsibility towards society, its employees and the environment. “It would be completely absurd to think only about
the next financial year and to focus on short-term profits.” The important thing is to lay the
groundwork for sustainable development in the coming years. “We are very intensively
dealing with issues relating to our responsibility towards our stakeholders and our social environment”, Georg Pölzl continues. “In this regard, we think in four different dimensions: society, employees, environment and economy”, he adds. The issues to which Austrian Post is devoting its attention range from the reliability of supply, social engagement and the appreciation and support provided to its employees as well as the optimal use of natural resources and the sustainable increase of shareholder value. Only a profitable company can make a meaningful contribution on a long-term basis. Accordingly, in the year 2007 Austrian Post joined the UN Global Compact, a sustainability-oriented initiative of the United Nations. Thus, the company is obliged to comply with global principles of ethical and ecological business practices.

In order to fulfil these broad-based commitments, Austrian Post has developed structures and processes designed to enable the ongoing optimisation of its sustainability strategy, and the development of appropriate measures. Accordingly, Austrian Post considers sustainability to be a management task with clearly-defined areas of responsibility and objectives.