A1- a new corporate member

Our new corporate member is A1 Hrvatska, a company whose sustainability strategy was developed under the slogan Future First. Their main sustainability goals relate to:

• reducing the impact on the environment and mitigating the effects of climate change,
• improving digital skills with a focus on future skills and creating a safer online environment, promoting social diversity and gender equality,
• managing sustainable processes in the business environment.

The telecom industry is not a big polluter, but it is a big consumer of electricity, so it is thinking about all the ways to reduce its carbon footprint. A1 Hrvatska is a user of the ZelEn certificate, which ensures that all the electricity the company consumes comes from renewable sources. The investment in environmentally friendly technologies and the promotion of innovation are in line with the European Green Plan and the goal to fully neutralise its carbon footprint by 2030.

A1 Hrvatska is also becoming a significant investor in renewable energy sources. By the end of 2024, the company will install 120 solar power plants and 200 energy-efficient cooling systems at base stations. The total value of the investment is more than €2.16 million, of which 55% was financed by the European Union’s LIFE programme. LIFE is the only EU programme fully dedicated to environmental and climate protection, and with the implementation of this A1 project, Croatia will save 404 tonnes of CO₂ annually.

They also expect their employees, users, suppliers and partners to behave and work sustainably. They do this in different ways, through new technologies, products and services. The development of new technologies opens the door to many green solutions that can improve people’s daily lives and the communities in which we live. For example, their users can bring their old mobile phones to A1 centres and be assured that they will be disposed of appropriately or that the life of the device will be extended. For their employees, they have bicycle parking, charging stations for electric bikes and scooters, organise regular bicycle maintenance, do without plastic, recycle and organise voluntary tree planting campaigns. Education is key, so they continuously work to train staff, users and the public in digital skills. With the #BetterOnline project, the company invests in promoting a positive and responsible use of technology.

We are pleased to point out that our new company member promotes gender equality. Although the ICT market is still predominantly male, the ratio of women to men is 46:54%. In various ways, they encourage women to STEM professions and career development by promoting equal opportunities and diversity in STEM through activities such as STEMfemme and STEmfemme Jr.

A1 Hrvatska, welcome!