CSR Index Awards were presented for the 12th time at the annual corporate social responsibility conference. The awards are given to companies for the best achievements in corporate social responsibility, and they are organized by the Croatian Business Council for Sustainable Development (HR BCSD) and the Croatian Chamber of Economy. Companies have been awarded in nine categories and more than one hundred have competed this year. AD Plastik won the award in the in the category of large companies again this year.

“We are proud that our continuous work and progress have been recognized by the professional public and I hereby thank for the award. First of all, I want to thank all of our employees who have most of the credit for the fact that social responsibility is part of our day-to-day business.” said Marinko Došen, president of the Management Board of AD Plastik Group, while receiving this significant recognition.

The central theme of this year’s conference was climate and climate change. Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman praised the efforts of HR BCSD and the CCE to contribute, through concrete activities, to achieving the sustainable development goals as effectively as possible under the 2030 Agenda.

Participating in the panel discussion, Marinko Došen emphasized the fact that the number of cars in the world has been constantly increasing and that despite new trends, the automotive industry is aware of its impact and is constantly taking various measures to reduce its negative impact on the environment. “This approach is imperative in the automotive industry. You really cannot be on the automotive supplier panel, whether you are a Tier 1 or Tier 2 supplier, unless you have a clear sustainability strategy and goals. We are also obliged to influence our suppliers, to choose them according to these principles and to exercise regular control,” Došen pointed out.  

Došen emphasized that corporate social responsibility is an absolute choice of AD Plastik Group and a part of all business processes. “By researching and developing new materials, we reduce the weight of the components we produce and consequently the weight of the vehicle. We care about the emissions of gases generated in our production processes using state-of-the-art technologies according to the highest EU standards. We use recycled materials increasingly in the production itself. We have introduced a model of chemical leasing, taking care in this manner of the entire life cycle of a chemical or solvent. We dispose of the waste solvents from our painting production process to an authorized waste disposal company which regenerates the waste solvent and returns it back to the process for use. In cooperation with our customers, we have been working on reducing the amount of packaging waste, so the packaging of our products is mostly returnable,” Marinko Došen emphasized, and as an additional indicator of quality and social responsibility, he pointed out the various certificates that all production sites, where AD Plastik Group has its factories, obtain, starting with IATF 16949, to ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001, ISO 27001.

The CSR Index enables companies to objectively manage, monitor, measure and interpret their own specific impacts. Using this tool, it is more visible for the companies what is being done well regarding their stakeholders and compared to other companies, and potential areas for improvement are indicated. In order to ensure their own sustainability and development, companies in all aspects of their business and in all relationships must show continuously good results.

Croatian Chamber of Economy organized the Day of Croatian Financial Institutions Conference – Impact of the introduction of the euro on economic developments. The organizers of the conference stressed that skepticism about the euro mainly comes from ignorance and that businessmen, and especially exporters, overwhelmingly support the introduction of the euro. It was reported that about two-thirds of Croatia’s trade in goods takes place in the euro area, which is where the vast majority of total foreign direct investments in Croatia comes from.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković emphasized the numerous benefits of the introduction of the euro, from the permanent elimination of currency risk, through the reduction of borrowing costs to the strengthening of international trade. He announced that as early as next year we are entering the European Exchange Rate Mechanism II and that after two and a half to three years we should meet all the requirements for the introduction of the euro. This means that we would enter the Eurozone early in 2023 or 2024.

Marinko Došen, President of the Management Board of AD Plastik, participated in panel discussion as part of the conference, where discussion was held regarding the impact of the introduction of the euro on economic developments. “As president of the Management Board of a company that is a 100% exporter, it is clear that I am a big proponent of the introduction of the euro. The implemented exchange rate policy is not in us exporters’ favor and it is one of the biggest obstacles in increasing profitability. In these circumstances, it is very difficult to remain competitive in the demanding global market, especially in the industry in which we operate,” said Marinko Došen on this occasion.

It is our great pleasure to support Career Days, which are being organized at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture in Zagreb, especially as part of their 100th anniversary. We introduced ourselves to students and held a Career Speed Dating Workshop to prepare graduates for job interviews. Job interview simulation helps students relax and present themselves better to potential employers. This gives them insight into what questions to expect during a job interview, as well as guidelines for writing a resume. It is wonderful to hang out with you.

It is a pleasure to be a part of such a great jubilee, the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the existence of the largest international association of project managers. It was held as part of the thirteenth PMI forum in which participated our project managers Jakov and Dragan. Exchanging experiences and constantly improving your skills are extremely important in any business, especially when managing projects.

On the premises of the CCE of the County Chamber of Split, a round table was held entitled “November 3 – the day from which women work for free until the end of the year – why?”. The theme of the roundtable was the difference in personal earnings between men and women, organized by the Croatian Chamber of Economy – County Chamber of Split and the KRUG Businesswomen Association. The event was aimed at pointing out that women continue to be paid less for the same work than their male colleagues, and that there is room for improvement on this issue, as well as a will to change and improve should be found throughout the entire society.

The round table was attended by Katija Klepo, a member of the Management Board of AD Plastik Group, who emphasized that in AD Plastik there is no difference between a man and a woman in terms of promotion, nor a difference in salaries for the same job. “Men and women in the AD Plastik Group have a very similar progression path, but certain positions carry increased responsibilities and challenges such as travel, additional engagement and the like. It is very important for women to harmonize their private and business life so sometimes they do not want to take over additional responsibility. As for other developed European countries, the main difference is that in these countries women have a greater choice than in Croatia. For example, they have the option of choosing part-time after returning from maternity leave and a significantly better options regarding childcare arrangements. It is encouraging that women in the business world today have a much better status than just ten years ago. Work should continue to be done in this direction. I am sure the differences that exist will diminish in the future and I believe they will also disappear over time,” said Katija Klepo.

From November 3 until the end of the year women across the European Union symbolically speaking work for free, comparing their earnings with those of their  male colleagues at the same job. This day was called Equal Pay Day and it should serve as a reminder that women continue to be paid less for the same work than their male colleagues. The survey found that as many as 16.1 percent of women in the European Union have lower incomes than their male colleagues for the same job. The private sector in the EU is strongest in these differences, and the percentage varies across countries. In Romania, the difference is five percent, in rich and developed Germany as much as 21 percent, while in France it is 15 percent. Estonia has the biggest difference, as high as 25 percent, while in Croatia the difference is somewhere around the EU average.