Experts of different specializations in cooperation have created five modules on key aspects of social responsibility:

Module 1: Introduction in Social responsibility and business ethics
Module 2: Social responsibility for sustainable development and environment protection
Module 3: Socially responsible managing human resources and affirmation of human rights in working environment
Module 4: Socially responsible investing into community
Module 5: How to organize reporting on Social responsibility and sustainable development?

CHRONOS Info's consultant participated on all the five seminar modules held during March and May this year.
After each module participants took part in focus group and carried out their impressions about the seminar for the PULS agency research. All the modules were very highly rated and improved by the suggestions of the pilot’s participants.
Within the workshops the participants were pleased to review the existing sustainability reports, social responsibility reports and reports on environment protection of several Croatian companies.

Here, on our web site we bring you our consultant's review of Sustainable development report of Swiss company Holcim's branch, Holcim Croatia from the year 2004.linked to the fifth module: How to organize reporting on Social responsibility and sustainable development?

Holcim Company is one of the worlds leading cement, concrete aggregate and construction services provider; in Croatia there is one Holcim cement factory, two cement terminals, six concrete factories and one aggregate quarry. Currently they employ 350 people.
You can find Holcim company’s report, together with other company’s reports on Croatian business council for sustainable development web site www.hrpsor.hr.

HOLCIM Croatia
As the cement producer the unfamiliar could easily classify Holcim as a pollutant, but things are a bit different in their “house”, there is a lot of “cleaning” being done, each business segment is being “cleaned”, and those that already are elaborately improve, while the attention is dedicated to the segments that are in need.

In it's sustainable development Report from 2004. Holcim as ably and on interesting and accessible way reports about it's three-balanced business approach, informing public about their financial state, working environment, human resources, and cooperation with the local community.
The big part of the report has been dedicated to the technology and production processes and the way they take care about the environment, quality and security. They also reveal future plans from which one can easily read out the will to further business improvement based on sustainable development.

They recognized the management of the three-balanced thinking as the key attribute in business decisions making process, and that environmental- and social influence questions are necessary to be included into report from the early beginning.
In Holcim they see their strategy as a house with the slogan „Home, sweet home“. They brought out in their report an attractive graphic demonstration of the house which is based (ground floor) on people. Principles are „living“on the next floor: environment preserving promotion, better expense management, human resources excellence and responsibility to the community.
Strategy “stays” on the next floor: focus on the product, globally evenly representation, local people, and global standards. And as the “roof” goal they stress a value creation.

Total finances item (turnover) in the financial part of the Report is represented simply, by the number that is not commented further on, while the Total expenses are given a bit more attention, so we can find all the expenses transparently demonstrated in the Balance of 2004.
While making a new report Holcim management team could consider an enlargement of the Balance sheet, to acquaint public with a bit detailed overview about finance business and business results such as Import, Export, etc.
They should also consider, while making a new Report, to acquaint public specifically about each factory (nine locations in Croatia), and have the social responsibility measurements been systematically used in each of the locations or only in the company headquarter.
While this is the only such a Report, the reports and results of the past years are not comparable with.

In Holcim's Report from 2004. it is not specified when will the next Report be published, so public doesn’t know what is the reporting period This information is available only on their web site, just there we find out that the next Report on sustainable development is expected on 31.st of July 2007.

In an introductory speech, president of the Board informs about the challenges that the next year 2005. is bringing, and reviews the achievements of the previous year that was significant for the company in many ways. Production employees set out the new record in producing clinkers, as well in the concrete transport segment. They have entered into one of the most valuable investments in the industry, cement mill improvement that makes them one of the energetically most efficient cement industries in Europe.
Objectives concerning reduced electric energy consumption that will be accomplished, equals the yearly consumption of 3000 households in Labin area.

They have heighten the chimney to accomplish better emission dispersion, they created the noise protection project, continued activities of setting up the automatically imission station.
Envying results were accomplished in cooperation with local community, through sponsorships and partner relationships with many NGO’s and schools. They are continuing the constant education programs for their employees. It has been stressed that their behavior is eco-efficiency. Total Quality Management, Environment management system and the cement segment have been certified by ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 in the 1998. and the concrete segment has been certified by ISO 9001 certificate.

Holcim crew „admits“ that there are still segments of work which they are not completely satisfied with. In particular, it comes to security and protection at work. They are planning continuous education, working and persisting when it comes to this field, because, as they say, the price of overseeing is too high.

Regarding the procedure of Report production they stress the importance of the usage of the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines, but also that they didn’t use them. The goal was to touch all the areas relevant to Report’s integrity and make them comparable to it. They have framed the Report as the communication tool. “…Through the Report we wanted to announce those information we assumed would be of most usage to most people who hold the interest.”
I believe they made a success and made a readable and accessible report, even with technical descriptions, e.g. cement production, alternative fuels or air emission.
Their will, commitment and seriousness are, maybe, best visible through the question they put into their Report: To quote them, “If we don't succeed making business in a sustainable way, should we even make business at all? “

Through several examples they show their care and specific actions on environment preservation, about alternative fuel and raw material usage, as an important business aspect with goal of cost savings that undoubtedly have influence on environment and effect on social community

As a contribution here lies a fact that they continuously measure and monitor emissions in Koromačno since 1997. with the obligation of constant work improvement, and for the year 2006. they plan construction of facility for reducing those emissions.
The same stands for the principle of civil society projects sponsorship, that they support and whish to promote exactly those projects that are implemented in the sustainable way that can assure its own durability thru longer time period.

The slogan that attracts attention „Global standards – local people“ reveals the part of the Report about balanced relationships between Holcim group and world standards with local knowledge and abilities.
Approach towards the employees is really commendable, as well as way they are gaining respect, not with rashness but in the only valid way – with education!
“… To get all of our employees respecting and maintaining demanding measures, we have created certain measurement program, trainings and revisions to lift the consciousness about significance of these principles. In Holcim Croatia we have decided to create information and document packet for each employee.”
Packet contains Behavioral code, Interest conflict principle, Informatics security principle and Market competition regulations, that assure employees responsibility and loyalty, their security but also contribute to transparency and firm’s business totality.

Protection at work and Human resources chapter easily extends to the previous chapter, and stresses the fact that in Holcim, they don't hide behind the statistics because they know their employees by name.
By the end of the year 2005, they plan to have a totally green pyramid. What is the word about here? Holcim has developed a set of tools and procedures for easier monitoring of the business course, so they formed different business segments into a pyramid.
Depending on the state of progress of each process or the activity, rectangle in the pyramid changes color from red, representing insufficient development level, than yellow, to green showing that the procedure for successful performance of business tasks is implemented into everyday life.
For time being, since 2004, their pyramid was mostly yellow, processes of change and inspection and industrial hygiene and supervision were green, while inspection plan, cause of accident inspection and corrective actions, working rehabilitation and change management were red.
I salute Holcim’s plan to accomplish such an ambitious goal in one year, and hope that the second Report will bring, if not entirely green, than at least pyramid without red fields.

By the end of the year Holcim traditionally organizes employee satisfaction analysis, observes the results and takes necessary measures to eliminate causes of possible disappointments.
For employees to rest of everyday working atmosphere, several times a year company organizes team building gatherings.

From a wish for transparent communication with local community Holcim crew started publishing a magazine for local community where they try to inform what is happening around them, and does not strictly involve Holcim.
The name of the magazine is “Ca je novega?/What’s new?” and through this question suggesting (positive) neighbor curiosity. They also started civil watch where thru open dialogue they attempt to create a platform for exchanging ideas about possible improvements in local community.

To provide the possibility for improvement and success, they provided their suppliers and customers with specialized magazine. Magazine Plus is focused on exchange of ideas and experiences between customers. It provides useful information on projects, cement usage and security at work. Further on, they introduced traditional customer meetings, for customers to meet and add human characteristic to business relationship beyond numbers. They also have organized series of workshops for customers to educate on production terms, alternative fuel and materials usage, an obligation of reducing CO2 emission…

By creating the foundation for sustainable construction, Holcim foundation in 2003, the company is trying to respond the challenge of growing global awareness of environmental values implementing new priorities and construction conceptions and deducting. It is not only about the material being used but simply about the context of the way people live, work, move, and operate.

Holcim Croatia started a comprehensive noise protection project, that began by making a noise map (first in Istra county) and computerized model, that can simulate and determine noise reducing intervention, with full awareness of costs and duration of the project, which shows, along with sponsorships and donations, Holcim’s investment and care for local community

They stress the willingness for cooperation in an area of local community where they live and work, first of all because of the small number of business subjects, with it a small number of sponsors and proximity that provides more time for project implementation.
Holcim crew specifically helps the associations and schools that cannot shape their ideas into a maintaining process by defining the project, and even more important, educating, so the institutions can further on independently prepare materials, by doing so they expand the circle of capable people and raise the project quality.

While choosing the project they aim to give the privilege to those promoting themes and actions relevant for the sustainable development, supporting value awareness strengthening, effective system of waste management, energy saving necessity, cognition of physically or mentally challenged citizen’s needs, etc.
“Cooperation with associations plan and sponsorships are the main part of our business plan.” Holcim says in its Report.
“   It is usual to link sponsorships with philanthropy. However, Holcim makes a lunge here, making our sponsorship a synergy of financial support and partnership relation with the project conductors.”
This example is the true “scholastic” statement which confirms that Holcim Company has reference and education, as well as comprehension, acceptance and implementation of Social responsibility indeed.