Ringier Axel Springer Poland 2014

Transcription

Sustainability Report
for 2013 and 2014
Ringier Axel Springer Poland
Table of Contents
3
4
5
6
Foreword by CEO
What is a sustainability report?
Four principles apply to GRI Sustainability Reports
Company and Group-structure
7
8
9
11
12
GRI Content Index
Strategy and Analysis
Organizational Profile
Report Parameters
Governance, Commitments, and Engagement
15
16
16
17
Employees
Social Indicators
Management Approach
Details and references for the reporting period 2013 + 2014
21
22
25
28
Society
Human Rights
Society
Product Responsibility
33
34
34
35
Environment
Environmental Indicators
Management Approach
Details and references for the reporting period 2013 + 2014
41
42
42
Economy
Economic Indicators
Management Approach
46
Contact
Foreword by CEO
For the third time in its history, Ringier Axel
Springer Polska is presenting a Sustainability
Report in which we put our business activity
into a wider social and environmental context.
The years 2013 and 2014, covered by the
report, saw tremendous changes in the media
industry relating to portfolio digitization and
the development of digital products. We
realize that Ringier Axel Springer Polska,
having a prominent position in the Polish
media market and being a leader of change
and an active participant in the process, has
a significant influence on its environment.
For this reason, we feel obliged to adhere
to the highest standards of sustainable
development.
Today, when we think about the digitization
of the media, we cannot confine ourselves
just to the media product, be it a newspaper,
a magazine, or a website. We must also
bear in mind the impact that the digitization
of information has on society, the environment,
and our employees. Therefore, in the years
2013 and 2014, while planning the company's
future, digitizing products, and identifying
new areas for expansion, we did our best
to ensure that our company has a positive
impact on its milieu, especially on the
society, which has been undergoing a digital
transformation.
For Ringier Axel Springer Polska, quality
journalism has always been and will remain
the foundation of the company and its
activity. Our goal today is to bring independent
high-quality journalism into the digital
world. As part of the process, we have
reinforced our strong press titles, such as
Fakt, Newsweek Polska, Forbes Polska,
Przegląd Sportowy, Auto Świat, Top Gear,
Komputer Świat, which during the reporting
period (2013-2014) also became digital
brands. Their success is proven by the fact
that our online products have grown by
several hundred percent and currently
occupy top positions in the Internet surveys
conducted by Megapanel. This confirms
that readers of the printed press have
recognized the uncompromising reliability
and quality offered by the brands owned
by Ringier Axel Springer Polska.
On a different note, legislation on the
protection of intellectual property on the
Internet cannot keep up with the dynamic
development of the digital world. High-quality
content produced by experienced professional
journalists working for Ringier Axel
Springer Polska is often copied illegally
without the authors’ or publisher’s knowledge.
Such actions go against the interests of the
people and companies whose main
purpose is to produce and deliver high-quality
journalistic content. Ringier Axel Springer
Polska has taken an active part in industry
projects aimed at resolving the issue of
intellectual property rights on the Internet.
Representatives of our company are
involved in efforts to change the legislation
so that it protects creators of journalistic
content while maintaining universal access
to information.
Whether our products are distributed on
paper or digitally, our social responsibility as
a media company is invariably based on the
Code of Ethics, respect for the diversity of
views, and on our values that include
courage, efficiency, honesty, and responsibility.
These values apply to the company's
relationship with its employees, readers,
advertisers, and business partners alike.
The sustainability report for the years 2013
and 2014 covers each of these aspects, and
I hope you will find it interesting.
Thank you, and enjoy the reading!
Edyta Sadowska
CEO Ringier Axel Springer Poland
Sustainability Report RAS Poland 2013_2014
3
What is a sustainability report?
As an independent and leading media company in Poland we take
our responsibility towards our users, readers, advertising and print
customers, employees, shareholders or environmental organizations
that deal with sustainability issues in our industry our interest
groups. This is why we issue a sustainability report, which is based
on the complete list of performance indicators of the Global Reporting
Initiative GRI, the internationally relevant format for sustainability
reporting, including the "Media Sector Supplement”, whose additional
indicators deal with the crucial questions affecting journalistic
companies.
Sustainability experts refer to "interest groups" with the English term "stakeholders". They
are included in the discussion on the priorities of sustainability management. A continuous
dialog with stakeholders as well as stakeholder surveys at the same time allows an assessment
of the general social interest.
Sustainability Reports emerged as a further
development of the environmental reports
published by companies in the 1990s. They
address the central topics of sustainability:
employees, society, environment and the
economy. Alongside annual reports,
sustainability reports are important
elements of a company's information policy.
This Sustainability Report
corresponds to the complete
Disclosure of Indicators of the
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI
G3.1). In addition, all GRI
indicators from the "Media
Sector Supplement" (MSS)
are taken into account.
The approximately 180 indicators from the fields of "societal-social performance", "environmental performance", "economic performance" and "product
responsibility" were extended by
30 indicators related to the
media industry. The GRI Content Index checklist contains
534 individual questions.
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) sees
itself as an ongoing international dialog
that, through the definition of performance
indicators, includes a large number of
stakeholders. The GRI operates worldwide
with the active participation of companies,
universities, governmental organizations,
as well as non-governmental organizations
from the fields of labor, social affairs, human
rights and the environment. The objectives
of reporting according to GRI are transparency,
standardization and comparability. The
secretariat of the Global Reporting Initiative
is based in Amsterdam.
4
Four principles
apply to GRI Sustainability Reports.
Materiality
Completeness:
there is an emphasis on information that
reflects the organization’s significant
economic, environmental, and social
impacts, or that would substantively
influence the assessments and decisions
of stakeholders.
essential topics should be adequately
covered to permit an assessment of
economic, environmental, and social
performance.
Stakeholder
Inclusiveness:
Sustainability
Context:
the reporting organization should identify
its stakeholders and explain in the report
how it has responded to their reasonable
expectations and interests.
the report should present the organization’s
performance in the wider context of
sustainable development.
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Company
and Group-structure
Ringier Axel Springer Media AG, to which
Ringier Axel Springer Poland belongs, has
its headquarters at Kreuzstrasse 26, 8008
Zurich, Switzerland.
Ringier Axel Springer Poland was founded
in 1994 (as Axel Springer Polska) and
encompasses successfully established
multimedia brand families such as Fakt,
Newsweek Polska, Forbes Polska, Przegląd
Sportowy, Auto Świat, Komputer Świat. The
company belongs to Ringier Axel Springer
Media AG, which was founded in 2010 by
the Swiss Ringier AG and the German Axel
Springer SE. This Joint Venture bundles the
two shareholders' activities in Central and
Eastern Europe. The company operates in
the four growth markets of Poland, Hungary,
Slovakia and Serbia with a broad media
portfolio made up of more than 160 online
and print.
Ringier Axel Springer Poland has a clear
strategic focus, which is: to strengthen its
print brands, to digitize its product portfolio
and to extend its online and offline brands.
6
GRI Content Index
1 Strategy and Analysis
1.1 Statement from our Gene-
ral Manager about the relevance
of sustainability to the organization and its strategy.
You can find the General Manager's
introduction to the 2013-2014 Sustainability
Report here.
Importance
of Sustainability
A media company that stands for independent
and critical journalism must remain being
critical as well towards its own business
practices, values and ethics. Through
reporting while taking the maximum GRI
"Standards of Disclosure" into account,
Ringier Axel Springer Poland is underlining
its special responsibility as a media company.
Corporate accountability and performance
improvement are the drivers for our
reporting. Journalistic independence, the
separation of advertising and editorial texts,
the investments in the trainings of our
employees and the safeguarding of social
and environmental standards along the
wood, pulp, paper, printing and recycling
chain are just a few examples.
Value-based
leadership culture
The vision of Ringier Axel Springer Poland
is to be the leading digital media company
in Poland. We have defined the values,
which should guide us in bringing this
vision to life. They can be summarized in:
be responsible, be courageous, embrance
change, be passionate, deliver, be honest.
Our strategy is based on the Ringier Axel
Springer Group strategy. The overriding
goal of this strategy is to ensure a long-term
increase in the company’s value. This will
be achieved by means of profitable organic
growth, as well as a focused acquisition
strategy. The company’s controlling system
has been designed on the basis of these goals.
We monitor the implementation of the
Group strategy by tracking the development
of financial and non-financial performance
indicators.
Non-financial
control parameters
The non-financial performance indicators
make it possible to measure our success in
the areas of customers, offerings, processes,
employees and sustainability. For ecological
and social performance criteria, the
company orients itself towards the indicators
of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The
non-financial control parameters are not
reflected in the company's income
statement, but are nonetheless key drivers
of the company's value-oriented development.
This way we are able to tackle an inconvenient
ethical or environmental problem so much
as the prospect of the world being 'in the
know'. The reporting provides an early
indication of whether strategic measures
are producing the desired effects, making it
possible to quickly initiate appropriate
countermeasures when necessary.
Customer retention index
To achieve the utmost customer satisfaction,
Ringier Axel Springer Poland is tracking this
by qualitative and quantitative customer
satisfaction surveys, using research
standards PBC, TGI (Target Group Index),
PBI / Megapanel (monitoring ranges and
behavior of readers / users of our brands).
This way we gain knowledge about the
satisfaction and loyalty of our readers and
advertising customers. It is determined on
the basis of the perceived quality of our
publications, the brand loyalty of our
customers, repeat purchase rates, and the
respective competitive advantage. This
(customer retention) initiative has helped us
to create products and added values, which
meet expectations of our readers, users and
advertising customers.
1.2
Description of key impacts,
risks and opportunities.
Ringier Axel Springer Poland has implemented
its “Code of Conduct”, which is a binding
guideline for all its employees. The Code of
Conduct is binding also on group level and
applies to all subsidiaries of Ringier Axel
Springer Media AG. It supports, among
other things, our journalistic credibility, our
attractiveness as an employer, our innovative
response to customer expectations and in
general, the optimization of management
processes.
Additional aspects from the
GRI "Media Sector Supplement":
Belonging to one of the leading media
companies in Central- Eastern Europe,
journalistic independence is an essential
prerequisite of journalistic quality. As
readers habits change due to new ways of
consuming news and entertainment in the
digital transformation, media companies
like ours have two revenue sources to
finance quality journalism in the digital age:
Paid advertisements as well as readers who
pay for journalistic content on the Internet
as well as on paper.
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2 Organizational Profile
The digital transformation offers promising
opportunities for Ringier Axel Springer
Poland to become the leading digital
media company in next few years. We
achieve this through the investment in
new digital offerings and business
models and through the digital extension
of our brands. We see opportunities in
monetizing our journalistic content in
the digital field, especially in the area of
paid content. Furthermore, the expansion
of digital services in the form of apps for
smartphones and HD apps for tablets
opens up strategic opportunities for our
company.
2.1
2.3
Ringier Axel Springer Polska Sp. z o.o.
founded in 1994, since 2010, the company
is part of an international media company
Ringier Axel Springer Media AG.
The company structure of Ringier Axel Springer Poland consists of Editorial, Business,
Online and Business Support divisions.
Name of the organization
2.2
Operational structure of the organization, including main divisions,
operating companies, subsidiaries, and joint ventures
Ringier Axel Springer Poland holds shares in subsidiaries:
100% shares in Viviana Investments Sp. z o.o.
49% shares in Infor Biznes Sp. z o.o.
50% shares in Media Impact Polska Sp. z o.o.
49% shares in Ofeminin.pl Sp. z o.o.
100% shares in Ringier Axel Springer Inwestycje Sp. z o.o.
Primary brands, products,
and services
The primary brands owned by Ringier Axel
Springer Poland are: Fakt, Newsweek Polska,
Forbes Polska, Przegląd Sportowy, Auto Świat,
Komputer Świat. The company portfolio
consists of printed, digital and online
products. Details can be found here.
2.4
Location of organization’s premisses
Ringier Axel Springer Polska Sp. z o.o.,ul. Domaniewska 52, 02-672 Warszawa,Poland
2.5
Nature of ownership and legal form
The company has the legal form of a limited company.
2.6
Number of countries where the organization operates, and names
of countries with either major operations or that are specifically
relevant to the sustainability issues covered in the report.
Ringier Axel Springer Poland operates exclusively within the territory of Poland.
9
2.7
Markets served (including
geographic breakdown, sectors
served, and types of customers/
/beneficiaries)
The core competence of Ringier Axel
Springer Poland is excellent journalism and
great entertainment. The company’s broad
portfolio encompasses successfully
established multimedia brands on the Polish
market. The sectors, which are served by
the company in Poland are: daily newspaper
(Fakt), current affairs weekly (Newsweek
Polska), business (Forbes Polska), computers
(Komputer Świat), automotive (Auto Świat,
Top Gear), sports (Przeglad Sportowy,
Sport). Its digital assets consist of Internet
portals associated with press titles (e.g.
newsweek.pl, fakt,pl, forbes.pl, komputer-swiat.pl, autoswiat.pl, przegladsportowy.pl),
online service (e.g. Gamezilla.pl, Ofeminin.pl,
Ks-ekspert.pl) and digital editions of newspapers and magazines (e.g. Newsweek, Fakt,
Komputer Świat).
2.8
Scale of the reporting organization:
Scale of the existing organization
2013
2014
Number of employees
699
567
Number of products on offer
More than 15 newspapers and magazines,
about 20 online services.
Additional aspects from the GRI "Media Sector Supplement":
Question: How are print circulations or online clicks counted?
Answer: Print circulations in Poland are reported by ZKDP (Związek Kontroli Dystrybucji
Prasy – Association of Press Distribution Control). Online range results in Poland
are reported by PBI/Megapanel (Polish Research of Internet).
Question: Are there relevant activities outside the media industry?
Answer: No.
2.9
Significant changes during the reporting period regarding
size, structure, or ownership
In the reporting period 2013/2014 the significant change concerns establishing the new
entity – Media Impact Polska Sp. z o.o., which is the sales organization operating for Ringier
Axel Springer Poland and Grupa Onet.pl. The entity was established as joined sales departments
of both companies owned by Ringier Axel Springer Media AG.
Additionally, in its organizational structure in Poland, Ringier Axel Springer Media AG
established DreamLab, where programistic and IT competences of Ringier Axel Springer
Poland and Grupa Onet.pl were gathered.
2.10
Awards received in the reporting period
In the reporting period Ringier Axel Springer Poland was not awarded.
10
3 Report Parameters
3.1
Reporting period
2013 and 2014.
3.2
Date of most recent
previous report
2012
3.3
Reporting cycle
Biennial.
3.4
Contact point for questions
regarding the report
Contact person: Anna Marucha,
Spokesperson of Ringier Axel
Springer Poland.
3.5
Process for defining
report content
Since the establishment of Ringier Axel
Springer Media AG, of which Ringier Axel
Springer Poland is part of, there has been a
regular internal risk mapping. (Ringier Axel
Springer Poland published its first sustainability report in 2010).
A central aspect of compiling this report
is based on our dialogue with readers,
advertising and print customers, employees,
neighbors, visitors, school pupils, students,
scientific institutes, state supervisory
authorities and regulators, suppliers, NGOs
and the media. They all have their particular
interest in Ringier Axel Springer Poland
acting responsibly and being accountable
as a “corporate citizen”.
3.6
Boundary of the report
The quantitative statements in the area
of the environment refer to the publishing
office location in Warsaw, Poland
3.7
State any specific limitations
on the scope or boundary of
the report
No specific limitations.
3.8
Developments, that can
significantly affect the
comparability from period
to period or the information
Comparability with the sustainability reports
of previous years is not affected.
3.9
Data measurement techniques
and the bases of calculations
• The environmental data are based on
documented information from suppliers
or are collected at the locations involved.
• The environmental data are collected at
the office location.
• Personnel numbers from all relevant
areas of the organization are collected in
the personnel statistics and checked for
plausibility.
• Information on openings, company
training, measures to promote equal
opportunities and the development of
our employees, etc. are generated in the
Human Resources division.
• Quantitative data are consolidated in
Corporate Controlling, checked for
plausibility and made available for
examination by external auditors.
3.10
Effects of amended
re-statements of information
Data have not been subsequently corrected.
3.11
Changes from previous
reporting periods
No changes has been implemented from
previous reporting time.
3.12
GRI Content Index
Online links lead from the tabular GRI
overview (Content Index) to respective
detailed information.
3.13
External assurance
for the report
None.
11
4 Governance, Commitments, and Engagement
4.1
Governance structure
of the organization
Ringier Axel Springer Poland regards good
corporate governance as a key element of
our understanding of acting responsibly
and therefore as the basis for sustainable
corporate success.
Additional aspect from the GRI
"Media Sector Supplement":
To ensure compliance with laws and
guidelines, Ringier Axel Springer Media AG
has introduced a Group-wide compliance
and risk management system. The Code of
Conduct, which is binding for every employee,
also includes the guidelines for safeguarding
journalistic independence.
The protection of the freedom of the press
ranges from the procurement of information
to the communication of the news. The
protection of the freedom of the press for
example, the determination of the bias of
a newspaper, the confidentiality of editorial
work, and in particular the non-disclosure of
sources of information in the interest of
a broad flow of information.
4.2
Indication of whether the Chair
of the highest governance body
is also the executive officer
The management board runs the company
on its own authority. This body currently
has two members. The management board
informs Ringier Axel Springer Media AG
regularly, promptly and extensively on all
questions of planning, business development,
risk situation and risk management, which
are relevant for the company. Every
member of the management board must
disclose any conflicts of interest to the
supervisory board without delay.
4.4
4.5
The higest governace body of Ringier Axel
Springer Poland in Management Board
composed of two members: Mark Dekan
(CEO Ringier Axel Springer Media AG) and
Edyta Sadowska (CEO Ringier Axel Springer
Poland).
Every member of the management board
must disclose any conflicts of interest to the
supervisory board of Ringier Axel Springer
Media AG without delay. Every member of
the supervisory board must also disclose
any conflicts of interest to the supervisory
board without delay.
Linkage between compensation
for members of the highest
governance body and the
organization’s performance
The management team of Ringier Axel
Springer Poland monitors whether the
principles set out in this Code are complied
with.
4.3
Mechanism for shareholders
and employees to provide
recommendations to the
highest governance body
Shareholders have the option of submitting
proposals at Shareholders Meeting.
Employees have an opportunity of making
suggestions through the group-wide
Intranet, email correspondence, or personally
during numerous corporate meetings.
Processes in place for the
highest governance body to
ensure conflicts of interest
are avoided
Edyta Sadowska,
CEO Ringier Axel
Springer Poland
Mark Dekan,
CEO Ringier Axel
Springer Media AG
The compensation of CEO and other top
management members consist of fixed and
variable components. Variable compensation
has a form of an annual cash bonus. Both
components are appropriate, both individually
and as a whole. The whole company
performance and individual performance
are reflected in bonus calculation specific
criteria.
The management team as part of their
annual reporting on business activities,
financial performance etc. reports its
observations and experiences pertaining to
the Code of Conduct and offer a general
judgement on its implementation in their
respective countries.
The Code of Conduct is part of the
compliance organization and is to be
understood as a summary of the Ringier
Axel Springer rules of conduct, which also
include the guidelines for safeguarding
journalistic independence.
12
The journalists at Ringier Axel Springer Poland:
• do not report on persons with whom they have a close relationship, especially family
members, in the form of copy or photographs unless there is an objective reason for
doing so that has been approved by their superior;
• do not use their reporting to gain advantages for themselves or others;
• shall consult their superior if the membership of or the holding of an office or a seat in
a society, political party, association or other institution, investment in a company,
permitted secondary employment or through a relationship with persons or institutions
the impression might be created that the neutrality of their reporting on such societies,
political parties, associations, persons or other institutions is thereby compromised;
• pay particular attention to the observance of the legal regulations and ethical obligations
of the press concerning inside and other information which may potentially affect
company security or operations.
Robert Feluś ,
Editor in Chief
„Fakt”
Tomasz Lis,
Editor in Chief
„Newsweek Polska”
Michał Broniatowski,
Editor in Chief
„Forbes Polska”
Michał Pol,
Editor in Chief
„Przegląd
Sportowy”
4.6
Process and criteria for determining the composition of the highest
governance body – including consideration of indicators of diversity
The appointment and dismissal of the members of the management of Ringier Axel Springer
subsidiaries as well as at companies where Ringier Axel Springer Media AG owns the
majority of the shares, is done by the Ringier Axel Springer Media AG Supervisory Board.
Additional aspects from the GRI
Ringier Axel Springer Poland is one of the
leading media companies in the country.
We stand for independent quality journalism and great entertainment. The bases of
our success are our strong brands and our
competence in publishing. Our self-understanding working for this company is
based on our corporate values, which shall
guide us in bringing our vision as a company
to life. Since 2012 we have followed our
Code of Conduct, which are self-imposed
norms, giving our employees a framework
for action in their daily work.
The Internal Control System (ICS) is an
integral part of the Ringier Axel Springer
corporate governance system and supports
the achievement of the strategic business
objectives. To ensure compliance with laws
and guidelines, a Group-wide compliance
and risk management system was introduced.
This means, that the effectiveness of the
specified risk control measures is monitored
systematically in the context of risk
management. The internal control system
has the task of ensuring that the risk control
measures also are actually carried out by
the risk owners. Every business processes
have to be controlled every year. Carrying
out ICS activities allows for the detection of
errors and irregularities.
4.8
Procedures of the highest
governance body for overseeing
sustainability
Sustainability performance is monitored by
Eliza Perkowska, Internal Auditor and Anna
Marucha, Spokesperson. A sustainability
report will be published every two years in
a format suitable for the GRI. The corporate
website also contains quantitative and
qualitative sustainability information.
4.9
Processes for evaluating the
highest governance body’s own
performance
Agreement on goals and determining when
objectives have been achieved is carried
out by the members of the management
board. The governance structure of the
company is explained at 4.1.
4.10
Precautionary principle
The overall responsibility for risk management
lies in the hands of the management board.
By comparison, the respective divisions or
group companies are responsible for the
operative processes of the early identification,
assessment, management and documentation
of the risks, the determination and execution
of suitable measures as well as all
communication concerning this.
4.7
Principles and guidelines of corporate governance
The corporate values of Ringier Axel Springer Poland are explained, among other things,
with the management approach in the section on GRI economic indicators.
13
4.11
Participation in and endorsement
of external initiatives
Ringier Axel Springer Poland participates in
many local external initiatives regarding
freedom of the press, ethics of journalism,
copyrights protection. The company is an
active member of numerous non-profit
organizations supporting Polish press
market development through creation of
relevant standards and rules concerning
digitization.
Additionally Ringier Axel Springer Poland
has signed a number of statements which
oblige a company to conduct and support
activities promoting the ethics of journalism
and press freedom, e.g. Media Ethics Card
(initiative of the Association of Polish
Journalists), Hamburg Declaration, Code of
Good Practice (initiative of Chamber of
Press Publishers).
• IAB (Internet Employers Association)
• Izba Wydawców Prasy (Chamber of
Press Publishers)
• Forum Odpowiedzialnego Biznesu
(Responsible Business Forum)
• Polskie Badania Czytelnictwa
(Polish Readers’ Research)
• Polskie Badania Internetu (Polish
Internet Research)
• Polsko-Niemiecka Izba Handlowa
(Polish-Germen Chamber of Commerce)
• Rekopol Organizacja Odzysku S.A.
(Rekopol Recycling Organization)
• Stowarzyszenie Wydawców ReproPol
(ReproPol Association of Publishers)
• Związek Pracodawców Prywatnych
Mediów Konfederacji Pracowdawców
Lewiatan (Association of Employers' of
Private Media at Confederation of
Employers’ Lewiatan)
• Związek Kontroli Dystrybucji Prasy
(Association of Press Distrubution
Control)
4.13
Stakeholder groups engaged
by the organization
4.12
Memberships
Our stakeholder groups are mainly: readers
and users of our media services, advertising
and print customers, employees, investors,
local communities, scientific institutes, state
supervisory authorities and regulators,
suppliers, NGOs and the media.
discuss the findings internally and define
concrete measures. The priorities arising
from that process serve as the basis for our
sustainability management. Additionally we
consider issues and priorities of rating and
ranking agencies in the area of sustainability.
4.15
The subject areas are addressed in the
context of this Sustainability Report.
Approaches to stakeholder
engagement
Personal contact to stakeholders comes
about, for example, through directly
addressing them, through exchanges of
views at conferences, as well as through
e-mails and phone calls.
Various sources of information are used to
rank the various concerns of our stakeholders
– from market research among readers and
surveys of the customer loyalty programs
through the various reader advisory councils
up to the regular information exchange with
Editors-in-Chief, business brand managers
and marketing managers. The tools used in
this process are: monkey surveys, qualitative
and quantitative researches (e.g.FGI, IDI,
face to face-interviews, focus groups).
In addition, there is the indicator matrix of
the Global Reporting Initiative GRI, and the
'Media Sector Supplement' followed in this
Sustainability Report.
The stakeholders concerns involve issues
of journalistic independence, the separation
of advertising and editorial copy, the
promotion of media skills among young
readers, data protection, as well as the
safeguarding of social and environmental
standards along the wood, pulp, paper,
printing and recycling chain. Within the
scope of digitization, there are also issues
of the transparency of standards along the
digital value chain.
4.16
Ringier Axel Springer Poland
is a member of:
• European Magazine Media Association
(EMMA)
• European Newspaper Publishers
Association (ENPA)
Various sources of information are used to
rank the various concerns of our stakeholders
– from market research among readers and
surveys of the customers through the
various reader advisory councils up to the
regular information exchange with Editors-in-Chief, business brand managers and
marketing managers. The tools used in this
process are: monkey surveys, qualitive and
quantitive researches (FGI, IDI, face to
face-interviews, focus groups).
4.14
Basis for the selection of
stakeholders with whom
to engage
Key topics and concerns
of stakeholders
We consolidate the findings of the analysis
of the various stakeholders' concerns into
an overview, which serves us as a basis to
14
Employees
Social Indicators
The following indicators meet the G 3.1 MSS Guidelines of the
"Global Reporting Initiative" (GRI) for the uniform, international
structuring of sustainability reports. ("MSS" stands for Media
Sector Supplement.)
GRI: Company guidelines Organization-wide policy that
defines the organization’s
overall commitment related
to the Labor Aspects.
The abbreviation "LA" in the GRI Numbers stands for
"Labor Practices and Decent Work".
Ringier Axel Springer Poland makes every
effort to give all employees scope for action,
providing transparency with regard to the
demands and expectations of their role in
the company.
1 Management Approach
Any activity of Ringier Axel Springer related
to labor aspects is based on Polish Labor
Law and associated legal acts.
GRI: Organizational
responsibility
GRI: Goals - Organization–wide goals regarding performance
relevant to the Labor Aspects, indicating their linkage to the
internationally recognized universal standards.
Our self-understanding working for this company is based on a set of values and leadership
principles, which are guiding us. They can be put together as following: We want to show
courage by actively addressing the structural change of our industry and to embrace change
as an opportunity for each of us to grow personally as well as for all of us an organization.
We strive to deliver results and we want to be responsible for what we do and for the
interests of our customers, our company our employees and colleagues as well as our
shareholders. We are driven by a deep passion for our work, and we want to be genuine and
authentic in everything we do.
In all activities in all parts of the organization, we pay careful attention to compliance with
justice and the law and our corporate Code of Conduct. Further information can be found
here (link to our CoC).
The ultimate responsibility for labor aspects
lies with the management board of Ringier
Axel Springer Poland.
GRI: Procedures related to
training and raising awareness
Maintaining our leading position and being
able to employ motivated, skillful and
innovation-oriented people for our company
is based on our investment in talented
people as much as to create a positive
working environment. For that reason we
offer trainings, seminars and coaching to
our employees.
"Media Sector Supplement"
Remuneration of rights of use: There are
different ways of acquiring rights of use. The
regulations to ensure the preservation and
remuneration of these rights of use are
accordingly diverse. They can be essentially
categorized as follows:
Salaried employees: Salaried
employees transfer the rights of use of the
results of their work (these are essentially
works created in the context of their
respective activity) to their respective
employer. The transfer is made – in so far as
this concerns computer programs –
generally without a separate agreement (in
accordance with Article 12 of the Law on
Copyright Act and Related Rights) in other
cases generally in accordance with the
contract of employment. They receive an
equitable wage for their work, with which
the transfer of rights of use is as a rule also
remunerated.
The Ringier Axel Springer Code of Conduct
ensures the safeguarding of journalistic
independence in the creation of journalistic
content.
GRI: Monitoring
Monitoring by Roman Szczepanik,
HR Director.
16
Freelance (full or part-time)
authors: Ringier Axel Springer Poland
also purchases journalistic content from full
or part-time non-salaried persons. The
acquisition of user's rights is arranged
through contracts and/or business
conditions. Remuneration is in part
individually negotiated, in some areas
collective agreements apply.
Agencies: Insofar as content is purchased
from agencies, the acquisition of rights is
either negotiated individually or based on
the agencies specified terms and
conditions. In case of doubt, the law of
copyright applies.
User content, letters to the
editor, interactive services:
generate content, which is included in the
publications of Ringier Axel Springer Poland.
These contents, which are usually without
a commercial background, are unpaid
interactive user behavior (e.g. letters to the
editors, comments on Internet forums or
online portals).
Safety at work, as well as while
working as a journalist: On the
journey between their workplace and
home, Ringier Axel Springer Poland
employees are covered by the insurance of
ZUS (Zakład Ubezpieczeń Społecznych Social Security Office) on the basis of the
Polish Labour Law. The same applies for
workplace accidents at Ringier Axel
Springer Poland. Additionally journalists
may be covered by extra insurance of Ergo
Hestia that is cofinanced by employer.
2 Details and references for the reporting
period 2013 + 2014
2.1
Aspect: Employment
LA1 Total workforce by employment
An average of 699 persons (excluding apprentices and trainees) were employed by the
company as a whole in 2013 and average 567 persons in 2014. You can find a breakdown
according to employment type, departments and gender below:
Employment
In total
By department
Editorial
Sales
Finance
Marketing
Production
Management
Distribution
IT
HR and Administration
By contract type
Enterpreneur
Honorario
Standard
By gender
Women
Men
2013
2014
699
567
362
193
33
19
34
10
16
14
18
416
0
32
22
38
8
20
15
16
97
84
518
90
98
379
298
401
212
355
The variety of employment types in Ringier
Axel Springer Poland is caused by market
conditions. Due to flexibility of employment
conditions the number of employees
is retained at the same level despite
of decrease on the press market.
The new external sales entity of RASP was
established in January 2014, what caused
the natural transfer of all employees of sales
department to the new company - Media
Impact Polska.
Average rate of employee
turnover
In 2013, the length of service of employees
in our locations in Poland averaged 7,1
years. In 2014, the length of service of
employees in our locations in Poland
averaged 8,6 years.
(Note regarding GRI Content Index: The
calculation of details regarding regional
distribution and distinction by gender asked
for by LA2 is complex, time-consuming and
not material for our stakeholders. Instead
we publish the average length of service as
an indicator of employer attractiveness.)
LA3 Benefits provided to
full-time employees
The employees of Ringier Axel Springer
Poland are provided voluntary social
benefits which include: access to private
medical care Lux Med, sports and fitness
programs (from group sports to yoga
classes on company’s premises), cash
allowance in case of misfortune, financing
for holiday rest, financing different forms of
education, small financial loans, Christmas
shopping vouchers. Additionally employees
may be covered by insurance of Ergo Hestia
SA that is cofinaced by employer.
17
2.2
2.3
Percentage of employees
covered by collective bargaining
agreements
LA6 Health and safety
committees
Aspect: Labor/ Management
Relations
No collective agreement covering employees
was covenanted in Ringier Axel Springer
Poland.
LA5 Minimum notice periods
regarding significant operational
changes
The communication of significant operational
changes is expeditious. Details are regulated
by the Polish Labour Law.
Chief Executive Officer or the Human
Resources Director is in close contact with
employees and their representatives. The
company therefore offers several occasions
for their employees to exchange their views
and on the other hand the company to
explain on strategic topics, changes or
developments within the company or the
industry. Important changes are communicated
to employees internally via the Intranet,
email, or through employee events.
Aspect: Occupational
Health and Safety
In 2013 and 2014 Specialist of BHP (Health
and Safety) was responsible for all matters
and measures relating to safety at work, fire
protection and environmental protection.
The education and counseling of employees
plays a central role here.
All the employees of Ringier Axel Springer
Poland are obliged to respect Health and
Safety (BHP) and fire-fighting (PPOŻ)
procedures. Specialist of BHP carries out
cyclical training regarding those issues.
Working Committee (BHP) Meetings:
representatives of the management and the
works council, including representatives of
trade unions existing in Ringier Axel
Springer Poland, meet quarterly to discuss
issues of occupational health and safety. At
these meetings, 100 percent of the workforce is represented by the work council.
LA7 Occupational diseases and
accidents at work
In 2013-2014 there were no occupational
accidents relating the employees of Ringier
Axel Springer Poland. The statistics are
based on the respective local statutory
regulations or the guidelines of the respective
association with the insurer (Social Security
Office – ZUS).
How did we proceed the implementation
of new HR and payroll system?
In view of the specific nature of its employment structure and of the
challenges faced by the company and its employees, in the year 2014
the Company Board decided to develop HR and payroll tools. Ringier
Axel Springer Poland decided to introduce new self-service platforms
for its staff and out-of-staff employees and to implement a module for
payroll budget planning. Eden Technology Co. provided technological
support to RASP’s Senior HR Manager and was responsible for the
implementation of the modules developed for RASP.
This project had two main objectives. The first objective was related
to the global project and involved the facilitation of data collection for
subsequent use in other tools employed in the company and the
implementation of a self-service system for staff and out-of-staff
employees. In many cases, this could only be achieved by rebuilding
the existing staff and payroll processes, thereby improving their efficiency.
The other objective, related to the implementation of the Enova Web
system for desktops, brought considerable value to the company thanks
to the implementation of the process of planning and control of
expenditures from the personnel budget for managers and directors
of editorial offices and departments.
The biggest challenge in the implementation of this project was to
ensure proper coordination of work in face of the very large number
of changes in the system and the complex organisational structure of
the company as well as of the fact that some of the solutions had to
be adopted by other entities serviced by RASP.
Dariusz Zaworski
- Director of the ERP Implementations Department, Eden Technology,
the provider of ENOVA - new HR and payroll system implemented in RASP
18
Managers were trained in the field of change
management and project management.
Training opportunities at Ringier Axel
Springer Poland also include international
programs such as the “Top Talents” and
“Mentoring Program” offered on Group-level.
There were no work-related fatalities
in the reporting period.
(Note regarding GRI Content Index: LA7 is
not calculated by gender distinction.
Background: Not material because there are
no differences in accident rates between
men and women)
LA8 Health care
The health of our employees is very
important to the company. We offer our
employees to join the special medical
program (Lux Med), which includes a wide
range of medical services. Various special
action campaigns, e.g. flu vaccination are
offered. Ringier Axel Springer Poland
co-finances different sports and leisure
activities to promote healthy lifestyle and to
support employee’s health.
LA9 Health and safety
agreements with trade unions
There were no agreements made with trade
unions concerning health and safety.
2.4
Aspect: Training and Education
LA10 Average hours of
training per year per employee
by employee category.
In our fast transforming media environment,
we offer to our employees the chance to
participate at diverse training and qualification
programs, e.g. digital journalism, advanced
client service or management courses.
Detailed data concerning hours of trainings
per employee were not collected in 2013
and 2014.
(Note regarding GRI Content Index: LA10
is not calculated by gender distinction.
Background: Not material because participation in programs of lifelong learning etc.
is completely independent of gender.)
LA11 Programs for lifelong
learning
LA12 Percentage of employees
receiving regular performance
and career development
reviews.
At Ringier Axel Springer Poland the regular
performance and career development
reviews concern obligatory top management
and mid-level managers. The company
offers its employees the opportunity to
participate in the target agreement system.
The manager and the employee decide
jointly whether it makes sense to participate
in the system.
In order to further develop the skills and to
be trained on the latest requirement of our
industry, we offer several options.
Training opportunities at Ringier Axel
Springer Poland also include international
programs such as the “Top Talents” and
“Mentoring Program” HIPO offered on
Group-level.
Talented and motivated employees are the
key to our entrepreneurial success as a
company. This is why we offer training
programs and further education.
In 2013-2014 Ringier Axel Springer Poland
offered the traing programs for journalists,
which objectives were to improve their
competences regarding new media and
modern distribution channels, e.g. video,
social media communication.
19
2.5
Aspect: Diversity and Equal
Opportunity
LA13 Composition of governance
bodies and breakdown of
employees per category
according to gender, age group,
minority group membership,
and other indicators of diversity.
The average age of members of our
management board in 2013 was 41, in 2014
it was 42.
As an innovative and internationally
established media enterprise with a diverse
workforce, the optimal and non-discriminatory cooperation among our employees is a
high priority for us. This means the mutual
acceptance of differences in terms of
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
LA14 Ratio of basic salary
of men to women
The company is in competition for qualified
employees. The remuneration systems are
based on the performance of the employees and the market conditions.
(Note regarding GRI Content Index: LA14
not calculated by gender distinction.
Background: Not material because there are
no differences in basic remuneration
between men and women.)
LA15: Return to work and
retention rates after parental
leave
The proportion of employees returning
to the workplace after parental leave is 78%
in 2013 and 60% in 2014.
Origin,
Age,
Gender,
Religion and belief,
Nationality and ethnicity,
Sexual orientation, as well as
Disability.
This diversity is of inestimable value, just
like the personal experience and individual
biographies of our staff.
20
Society
1 Human Rights
The following indicators meet
the G 3.1 MSS Guidelines of the
"Global Reporting Initiative"
(GRI) for the uniform,
international structuring of
sustainability reports. ("MSS"
stands for Media Sector
Supplement.)
The company is a member of Association
of Employers' of Private Media at Employers
Confederation ‘Lewiatan’ which co-operates
closely with Helsinki Foundation for Human
Rights. Ringier Axel Springer Poland
respects all standards that are derived
directly from this co-operation.
The abbreviation "HR" in the
GRI Numbers stands for "Human
Rights".
As a media company, both the aspect of
exercising as well as the aspect of supporting
social freedoms play a central role in the
freedom of expression.
1.1
Ringier Axel Springer Poland is an independent
media company and has defined its set of
values, behaviors and leadership principles.
Our Code of Conduct is a binding set of
rules and expresses our conviction of how
we should behave in front of our different
interest groups. Fundamental part of our
understanding is that a free press is an
essential element of our democratic society.
That is why we stand up for the freedom of
the press. The freedom of the press may
come into conflict with other values that
are protected by the Basic Law and is not
unconditionally guaranteed. In order to
preserve the freedom of the press from
being relativized, the interpretation of the
laws restricting it have always to be guided
by the significance of the freedom of the
press, which is in turn constitutive for
democracy.
Management Approach
GRI: Goals - Organization-wide
goals regarding performance
relevant to the Human Rights
Aspects, indicating their linkage
to internationally recognized
universal standards.
Ringier Axel Springer Poland acknowledges
and supports the United Nations’ “Universal
Declaration of Human Rights” and does not
tolerate any behavior that disregards this.
Regulations concerning Human Rights are
also incorporated in the Constitution of
Polish Republic.
Any influence on content from advertisers,
governments or political parties restricts
free reporting and is met with aversion by
the reader. Independence is thereby the first
prerequisite for excellent journalism.
Our Code of Conduct:
we are committed to applying high ethical
standards in all publishing and journalistic
activities, dealings with business partners,
competitors and all relations with employees.
Ethical conduct is a central part of the
culture of Ringier Axel Springer and is
expected of every employee of the company,
regardless of their position. The Ringier Axel
Springer Media AG’s Code of Conduct
therefore applies to all our employees
worldwide. It is designed to reaffirm and
promote our self-imposed norms and
standards, which foster our credibility. The
guideline supports our employees in
making responsible decisions when dealing
with colleagues, authorities and institutions
or the general public.
Treatment of sources:
Journalists are required to exercise particular care in the treatment of sources and
research. They stand up for freedom of
expression and of the press and take
decisions on the public interest in reporting,
which are determined by the law and
acknowledged rules of journalistic due
diligence.
Company guidelines Organization-wide policy that
to the Human Rights Aspects.
The company is a member of Association of
Employers' of Private Media at Employers
Confederation ‘Lewiatan’ which co-operates
closely with Helsinki Foundation for Human
Rights. Ringier Axel Springer Poland respects all
standards that are derived directly from this
co-operation.
22
GRI: Organizational
responsibility
The ultimate responsibility for matters
concerning employment lies with the
management board of Ringier Axel Springer
Poland.
In November 2013 Ringier Axel Springer
Polska introduced internal procedure
regarding preventing mobbing bullying
and sexual harassment.
GRI: Monitoring
Poland corporate governance system and
supports the achievement of the strategic
business objectives. For this, the effectiveness
of the specified risk control measures is
monitored systematically in the context
of risk management. There is a yearly
review of the risk-control matrix. The
internal control system has the task of
ensuring that the risk control measures also
are actually carried out by the risk owners.
For this purpose, the control system
undergoes a systematic self-evaluation
to verify the functionality and effectiveness
of the entire control system and ensure
a control awareness in the company.
Carrying out ICS activities allows for the
detection of errors and irregularities.
1.2
Details and references for the
reporting period 2013 + 2014
1.2.1
Aspect: Investment
and Procurement Practice
HR1 Percentage and total
number of significant investment
agreements that include human
rights clauses or that have
undergone human rights
screening.
Every significant investment or procurement
undergoes human rights screening as part
of the due diligence processes. Our
contractors are committed to respect
human rights in the agreements.
HR2 Percentage of significant
suppliers and contractors that
have undergone screening on
human rights and actions taken.
The suppliers and contractors of Ringier
Axel Springer Poland do not undergo
human rights screening human rights
screening as part of the due diligence
processes.
Business partners are informed
of the company's Code of Conduct
Axel Springer Poland is purchasing its paper
through the procurement of Axel Springer
AG, the company makes sure that paper
suppliers comply with the contractually
agreed forestry standards with respect to
the clause pertaining to the protection of
indigenous peoples. As a customer of
publication paper manufacturers in many
countries Axel Springer AG also visits on site
seeking information on the social, economic
and ecological conditions in forestry as well
as in pulp and paper production. The
International Social Policy forms a part
of the contracts of the magazines licensed
to other publishing companies for example.
100 percent of printing paper for newspapers
is purchased through the Axel Springer AG
procurement. Ringier Axel Springer Poland
regarding all standards established by Axel
Springer SE purchases 100 percent
of printing paper for magazines. Proceeding
selection of paper suppliers we consider
quality of paper, price and compliance with
sustainability issues.
HR3 Total hours of employee
training on policies and
procedures concerning aspects
of human rights that are
relevant to operations,
including the percentage
of employees trained.
As the respect of human rights is essential
to Ringier Axel Springer Poland, the
company offers employee trainings,
including seminars on equality, diversity,
health management, labor law, reflection on
the leadership role, intercultural competence,
conflict management, and press law.
The training courses offered relating to
editorial content include journalistic ethics
Code of Conduct, press law, data protection,
social media guidelines etc.
1.2.2
Aspect: Non-discrimination
HR4 Total number of incidents of
discrimination and actions taken
Incidents of discrimination are not known.
1.2.3
Aspect: Freedom of Association
and Collective Bargaining
HR5 Operations identified in
which the right to exercise freedom
of association or collective
bargaining may be at significant
risk.
No cases of this type have been reported.
Ringier Axel Springer Poland respects the
freedom of its employees to create an
association to represent themselves and to
join and actively participate in this association.
The company will work with the employees'
associations fairly, constructively and in
a spirit of trust.
23
1.2.4
1.2.4 Aspect: Child Labor
1.2.6
Aspect: Security Practices
HR8 Percentage of security
personnel trained in the
organization’s policies or
procedures concerning aspects
of human rights that are relevant
to operations.
HR6 Operations identified as
having significant risk for
incidents of child labor, and
measures taken to contribute to
the elimination of child labor.
No risks of this type were detected in the
context of our business activities. Monitoring
is the responsibility of the Internal Control
System ICS as well as the Internal Audit
Department.
1.2.5
Aspect: Forced and
Compulsory Labor
HR7 Operations identified as
having significant risk for
incidents of forced or compulsory labor, and measures taken
to contribute to the elimination
of forced or compulsory labor.
No risks of this type were detected in the
context of our business activities.
Ringier Axel Springer Poland is reporting to
its Headquarters (Ringier Axel Springer Media
AG) in the framework of a risk management
reporting, the Internal Control System,
Compliance, as well as Guidelines and
Authorization Management. This also
includes human rights issues. At the same
time both executives and employees were
given extensive information about the Code
of Conduct.
Poland corporate governance system and
supports the achievement of the strategic
business objectives. The key task of the
Internal Control System, in addition to
covering any procedural and/or operational
risks, is that of ensuring that the risk control
measures also are actually carried out by the
risk owners.
Ringier Axel Springer Poland does not
hire security personnel.
Aspect: Indigenous Rights
Commentary within the
framework of the GRI
HR9 Total number of incidents
of violations involving rights
of indigenous people and actions
taken.
Journalistic credibility and creative
and motivated employees are an
important basis for the success of a
media company. The protection of
human rights is integral part of our
responsible behavior as a company.
1.2.7
No cases of this type were detected
in the context of our business activities.
HR10 Percentage and total
number of operations that have
been subject to human rights
reviews.
The objective of good corporate governance
is responsible company management, which
is transparent and comprehensible thereby
promoting the trust of our shareholders,
investors, customers, employees and the
general public in Ringier Axel Springer
Poland. Compliance for Ringier Axel Springer
Poland means compliance with legal
requirements, voluntary commitments and
corporate guidelines.
HR11 Number of complaints
and grievances related to human
rights as well as methods and
mechanisms for resolution.
One complaint concerning discrimination
in terms of paymenta and one related to
mobbing were recorded in the reporting
period 2013-2014. In both case the Court
found the complaints to be unfounded and
dismissed the claim.
24
2 Society
Supplement.)
The abbreviation "SO" in the
GRI Numbers stands for "Society".
2.1
Management Approach
goals regarding performance
relevant in the Field of Society.
Ringier Axel Springer Poland belongs to
a Group which operates in the four growth
markets of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and
Serbia with a broad media portfolio made up
of more than 160 online and print services.
We care about the concerns of our readers
and users. This is why Ringier Axel Springer
Poland systematically carries out quantitative
and qualitative research, develops its
products in accordance with the readers and
users expectations, provides journalists with
trainings (emphasis on digital).
GRI: Company guidelines Organization-wide policy that
overall commitment related to
the Society Aspects.
Ringier Axel Springer Poland has defined a
set of values and leadership principles that
provide a framework for action for our
employees in their daily work while working
for this company.
GRI: Organizational
responsibility
The ultimate responsibility for questions
relating to social responsibility lies with the
management board of Axel Springer AG.
The range of seminars on offer, among other
things, helps to raise awareness. Human
Resources Development offers all its
employees tailor-made training programs.
These programs include:
• Seminars and workshops for employees
from all divisions
• Seminars and workshops for all executives
• Onboarding for new employees.
GRI: Monitoring
Information and entertainment in the form
of printed and electronic media form the
core business of Ringier Axel Springer Poland.
Media have both freedom and responsibilities,
rights and obligations. The journalists of
Ringier Axel Springer Poland are aware of
their responsibility and their obligations. The
search for truth and faithful handling of the
facts are at the core of journalistic work.
Ringier Axel Springer Poland can only meet
the responsibility borne by media companies
if all journalists adhere to the ethical
standards of this Code of Conduct.
Furthermore, Ringier Axel Springer Poland
requires that all journalists follow the
recognized professional standards of the
countries in which they work.
Please see more information about journalistic
integrity in our Code of Conduct here.
Anti-corruption measures: The requirements
for safeguarding journalistic independence
at Ringier Axel Springer are laid down in the
following guidelines (except from the Code
of Conduct, introduced in 2012):
25
2.2
2.2.1
Aspect: Community
SO1 Nature, scope, and
effectiveness of any programs
and practices that assess and
manage the impacts of
operations on communities,
including entering, operating,
and exiting.
Having good relations with neighbors is an
important principle in all of the company’s
locations.
• An emergency and environmental
management system has been
implemented at Ringier Axel Springer
Poland location.
• When conversions or new buildings are
planned, the company always carries out
location analyses in co-ordination with
the authorities.
• As a customer of publication paper
manufacturers, the company seeks
information in many countries on the
social, economic and ecological
conditions in forestry as well as in pulp
and paper production. Ringier Axel
Springer Polska Poland is purchasing
paper through Axel Springer SE, whose
Corporate Sustainability Office is in
continuous contact with numerous
non-governmental organizations.
• Actions taken for the dissemination and
accessibility of journalistic content
include, among other things, the
development of the sales outlets for
newspapers and magazines, the
expansion of journalistic services on the
Internet, either as audio or moving image
files as well as apps.
2.2.2
Aspect: Corruption
SO4 Actions taken in response
to incidents of corruption
Ringier Axel Springer Poland wants to raise
awareness among all of our employees, that
violations of the Code of Conduct can
adversely affect the reputation of the
company in the long term and cause
economic damage. The tasks of Compliance Management include, among others, the
detection, managing and monitoring of
compliance risks and compliance incidents.
digital media, e.g. the active participation in the Committee of Culture in
Polish Parliament, activities to
establish Act on Providing Services by
Electronic, participation in works of
Copyright Committee at the Ministry
of Culture and National Heritage,
participation in works of Copyrights
and Intellectual Property Committee
at the Ministry of Administration and
Digitization.
(Note regarding GRI Content Index: SO4 is
reported without quantitative figures
because this information is proprietary.)
SO2 Percentage and total
number of business units
analyzed for risks related to
corruption
Ringier Axel Springer Poland tracks the
compliance with legal requirements,
voluntary commitments and corporate
guidelines and reports them to its headquarters.
The Code of Conduct is permanently
published on the corporate website and
company intranet. New employees are
informed to be obliged to comply with the
Code of Conduct.
SO3 Percentage of employees
trained in organization’s anti-corruption policies and
procedures
There are no specific anti-corruption
trainings, however policies and procedures
are binding all employees and subcontractors.
Eliza Perkowska, Internal Auditor and
Compliance Manager, inspects the compliance with the anti-corruption policies and
procedures on the regular basis.
2.2.3
Aspect: Public Policy
SO5 Public policy positions and
participation in public policy
development and lobbying
Ringier Axel Springer Poland is an independent
media company, who stands up for
freedom of the press and the necessary
legal and economic prerequisites in this
context. This is why the company is
member of numerous associations, e.g.
Chamber of Press Publishers (Izba Wydawców
Prasy - IWP), European Magazine Media
Association (EMMA), European Newspaper
Publishers Association (ENPA).
SO6 Total value of financial and
in-kind contributions to political
parties, politicians, and related
institutions by country.
support any political party, nor does it make
any illicit contributions of this kind.
support any political party, nor does it
make any contributions of this kind.
One of the central concerns is
ancillary copyright for press
publishers. Ringier Axel Springer
Poland operates actively for public
development and lobbying to protect
copyrights and intellectual property
in times of change related to new
26
2.2.5
Aspect: Anti-Competitive
Behavior
SO7 Total number of legal
actions for anti-competitive
behavior, anti-trust, and monopoly
practices and their outcomes.
There are no legal actions of this type.
2.2.6
Aspect: Compliance
SO8 Monetary value of significant
fines and total number of non-monetary sanctions for non-compliance with laws and
regulations.
The publishing companies are advised by
the legal departments of the company with
the aim of avoiding fines and non-monetary
sanctions for non-compliance with laws
and regulations. Cases of significant fines as
well as non-monetary sanctions for
non-compliance with laws and regulations
did not occur.
How do we maintain high legal standards?
The law firm Kochański Zieba Rapala & Partners (hereinafter: ‘KZRP’), based on its
experience of continuous cooperation with Ringier Axel Springer Polska Sp. z o.o.
with the head office in Warsaw (hereinafter: ‘RASP’), is pleased to confirm that, in
its business activities, RASP maintains high standards and fully abides by all the
requirements of the law in its dealings with contractors, employees, and associates.
Moreover, RASP expects of all of its employees and associates that they should
perform their duties in full compliance with the applicable laws.
As an example confirming that the company maintains high legal standards, one
can refer to the case that Mr. Roman Giertych brought against RASP in connection
with the offensive comments published by Internet users on the fakt.pl website.
In the proceedings on this case, RASP was represented by lawyers from KZRP.
After the Supreme Court annulled the 2012 judgment and remanded the case, the
Court of Appeal in Warsaw re-examined it and dismissed the appeal lodged by
Mr. Giertych by a final judgment. At the same time, the Court confirmed that RASP
had fully complied with the applicable provisions of the Act on Rendering
Electronic Services. RASP had no knowledge of the existence and content of the
comments in question until served with a copy of Mr. Giertych’s claim. On having
received the said document, RASP immediately blocked access to the comments
in accordance with Art. 14 of the above-mentioned Act. Moreover, the Court
of Appeal pointed out that, considering the provisions of Art. 15 of the Act on
Rendering Electronic Services, RASP was not required to check the data it
stored/shared, and that by introducing a system for automatic removal of obscene
language it did more than was required by law.
Kochański, Zięba, Rapala&Partners
Law Office providing RASP with legal services
3
3
3
27
3 Product Responsibility
Supplement.)
The abbreviation "PR" in the
GRI Numbers stands for
"Product Responsibility".
S09 Business activities with
significant potential or actual
negative impacts on local
communities
A media enterprise does not have an effect
on local communities through the proximity
of production plants (factory chimneys, etc.)
but, if at all, then through the availability and
content of its media.
Therefore the indicators named by GRI for
survey SO9 cannot be answered for a media
enterprise in terms of relevance (materiality).
SO10 Prevention and mitigation
measures implemented in
operations with significant
potential or actual negative
impacts on local communities
A media enterprise does not have an effect on
local communities through the proximity of
production plants (factory chimneys, etc.) but,
if at all, then through the availability and
content of its media.
Therefore the indicators named by GRI for
survey SO10 cannot be answered for a media
enterprise in terms of relevance (materiality).
Nevertheless refer to our replies to GRI surveys
M2 and M3.
3.1
Management Approach
goals that are relevant for the
performance on individual
aspects relating to Product
Responsibility.
The objective of Ringier Axel Springer
Polska Poland goals areis product and offer
development whichdevelopment that
meets the widest range of needs of our
readers, users and customers. Product
policy is in line with the company strategy
what means development of both printed
and multimedia products. The core of our
business is to deliver valuable content in
any medium (carrier).
GRI: Company guidelines Organization-wide guideline
that defines the organization’s
overall commitment to the
aspects relating to Product
Responsibility.
Ringier Axel Springer Polska Poland refers
to the responsibility that the company takes
with regard to its media products when
talking about “product responsibility”. This
consists first and foremost of:
• Journalistic independence
• Care in the treatment of sources
• The distinction between advertising
and editorial copy
• The code of conduct
• Compliance with justice and the law.
GRI: Organizational responsibility
The ultimate responsibility for questions
relating to product responsibility lies with
the management board of Ringier Axel
Springer Poland.
Editors are instructed in and made aware
of quality assurance in journalism in the
course of the training they receive when
joining in organization and from their
superiors.
GRI: Monitoring
Monitoring is – apart from the responsibility
of the main editorial offices and publishing
house managers, the legal department, the
Human Resources managers, the Data
Protection officers.
28
M2: Methodology for assessing
and monitoring adherence to
content creation values
Ringier Axel Springer Poland’ s broad media
portfolio (link) encompasses multimedia
brand families
such as Fakt, Newsweek
Polska, Forbes Polska, Przegląd Sportowy,
Komputer Świat, Auto Świat. With more than
15 newspapers and magazines and over
25 online services and apps, the company
is one of the leading media companies
in Poland.
Editors at Ringier Axel Springer Poland are
aware of the responsibility they have for
information and opinion forming. Independence
is the indispensable foundation of their work.
The principles on the journalistic endeavors
stated in the Code of Conduct safeguard the
general conditions that make independent
and critical journalism possible at Ringier
Axel Springer Poland.
Protection of Intellectual Property:
Ringier Axel Springer Poland is particularly
committed to the protection of intellectual
property rights of third parties. The applicable
laws are instrumental in the protection
of intellectual property rights. Ringier Axel
Springer Poland complies with the respective
law of its country. The company joins
numerous initiatives of media industry
to protect intellectual rights, e.g. taking part
in operations of Creative Poland Association
and Polish Chamber of Press.
Treatment of sources:
Journalists are required to exercise particular
care in the treatment of sources and
research. They stand up for freedom
of expression and of the press and take
decisions on the public interest in reporting,
which are determined by the law and
acknowledged rules of journalistic due
diligence.
The editors-in-chief are responsible for
the observation and implementation of
the guidelines in the company’s day-to-day
editorial activities.
Safeguarding of these standards facilitates
the exchange with readers. This includes
the processing of readers' letters and e-mails,
the critique of papers.
M3: Actions taken to improve
adherence to content creation
values
Ringier Axel Springer Poland employed around
196 editors in 2013 and 188 editors in 2014. The
promotion of adherence to content creation
values is being supported by seeking regularly
professional advice – actions such as the
critique of papers within the editorial offices or
also publicly, and the exchange with readers.
Ringier Axel Springer Poland insists upon the
strict separation of editorial copy and advertising.
Advertisements are marked. Any influence on
content from advertisers, governments or
political parties restricts free reporting and is
met with aversion by the reader. Independence is thereby the first prerequisite for excellent
journalism. Advertisers also value this.
self-regulation of the press, as well as before
the courts.
M4: Actions taken in relation to
the dissemination and accessibility
of content
Digitization: As part
of the digitization strategy,
existing print titles and
content are being
transferred into digital
distribution channels. The
service is supplemented
through online portals. This promotes the
accessibility of journalistic content.
Readers'
satisfaction:
Monitoring of readers’
satisfaction is based on
research standards such
as PBC, TGI. Monitoring
of digital products ranges and behavior of our
users are based on PBI/Megapanel (Polish
Research of Internet).
Online privacy:
The online titles of Ringier
Axel Springer Poland
provide their users with
detailed information on
important issues, such as
privacy policy, personal data, user profiles,
disclosure, cookies / web analytics service,
right of access, and right to object.
Media Protection
of Young Persons:
The task of Media
Protection of Young
Persons is to protect
children and adolescents
from influences from the
adult world, which are likely to impair the
development of young people as independent
and active members of the community, or
even to threaten this development. Ringier
Axel Springer Poland respects the legal
requirements of the Polish law regulation on
the protection of minors.
Complaints related
to content dissemination
The company’s legal departments examine
every single complaint related to the editorial
content in our publications. Where legally
required, replies or corrections are published
and a recurrence of violations prevented;
in rare individual cases, material compensation
is also paid. The legal editing of our publishing
content at an early stage helped to keep the
number of incidents of non-compliance low.
Readers can lodge complaints against
journalistic content with the Media Ethics, the
institution for self-regulation of the press, as
well as before the courts. The complaints can
be also filled in the Legal Department of
Ringier Axel Springer Poland.
Please see the list of online privacy policies
here.
Readers can lodge complaints against
journalistic content with the Media Ethics
Council (Rada Etyki Mediów), the institution for
29
M6: Methods to interact
with audiences and results
A key success factor for our media
is to receive feedback from our
readers and users and have a regular
exchange. This includes the processing
of readers' letters and e-mails.
Important instruments for the direct
exchange with readers are: letters,
e-mails, social media comments,
Internet forums, and personal
meetings with the readers.
3.2
3.2.2
3.2.1
PR3 Type of product and service
information required by
procedures, and percentage
of significant products and
services subject to such
information requirements.
Aspect: Customer Health
and Safety
Aspect: Product and Service
Labeling
PR5 Practices related to customer
satisfaction, including results of
surveys measuring customer
satisfaction
Newspapers, magazines and online media
are not subject to information requirements
of this kind.
PR1 Life cycle stages in which
health and safety impacts of
products and services are assessed
for improvement, and percentage
of significant products and
services categories subject to
such procedures
Ringier Axel Springer Poland is assessing all
of the life cycle stages of the products and
services continuously regarding the potential
for optimization in the areas of health and
safety. There is a focus on the field of
newspaper and magazine printing.
PR2 Total number of incidents of
non-compliance with regulations
and voluntary codes concerning
health and safety impacts of
products and services, by type of
outcomes
Newspapers and magazines are
supplied to municipal waste paper
collection points for recycling by
readers.
PR4 Incidents of non-compliance
with product and service
information and labeling
regulations
Not relevant, as newspapers, magazines and
online publications are not subject to this
kind of “labeling requirement”.
Incidents of non-compliance with health
standards are not known.
30
The product and business development in
Ringier Axel Springer Poland is based on
qualitative and quantitative research
focused on our customers’ needs and
expectations. The research results are used
to optimize product content, to increase
online products statistics, to develop new
product or re-launched product concept
and commercialization.
Examples of practices related to measuring
customer satisfaction:
• qualitative research of needs and
expectations of the readers of Forbes
magazine: carried out by group
interviews and IDI's. Knowledge obtained
allowed optimizing both editorial content
and graphic design of the magazine, so
that the reader, who is usually also a user
of the Internet, finding added value /
advantage of the printed magazine and
its qualitative content.
• qualitative research of Thursday supple
ment to „Fakt” daily – „Fakt TV”: carried
out by group interviews. The 'zero' issue
was tested considering new editorial
proposals and new graphics solutions to
improve the attractiveness and practical
value of the product for its reader.
3.2.3
Aspect: Marketing
Communications
PR6 Programs for adherence to
laws, standards, and voluntary
codes related to marketing
communications, including
advertising, promotion, and
sponsorship.
In a media company a differentiation must
be made between advertisements that
customers place in the organization’s
newspapers, magazines and online services
and the advertising that the company's own
newspapers, magazines and online services
place to promote sales.
Total number of incidents of
non-compliance with regulations
and voluntary codes concerning
marketing communications,
including advertising, promotion,
and sponsorship, by type of
outcomes
How do we research
our readers needs?
This kind of incidents of non-compliance
are not known.
The distinction between advertising
and editorial copy is one of the
central points to be considered in the
guidelines for safeguarding journalistic
independence every time an
advertisement is printed in the
organization’s newspapers and
magazines. Advertisements are
examined according to standard
criteria, for example, for conformity
with the Polish Law. In same cases
advertisements are examined
according to the rules imposed by
the licensor (e.g. Top Gear, BBC
licence)
Advertising is subject to statutory
regulations as well as a series of
directives which advertising clients
keep to as part of voluntary self-regulation. Every citizen can submit
complaints to the court or to the
Media Ethics Council.
Online: Ringier Axel Springer Poland
actively supports the creation of
credible self-regulation for online
advertising being engaged in
initiatives led by IAB Poland. Also,
Ringier Axel Springer Poland is a
member of IAB Poland.
Advertising aimed to promote sales
of the publishing products of Ringier
Axel Springer Poland orients itself
towards the principles and Code
of Ethics in Advertising and complies
with its decisions when complaints
are submitted by the public.
At the beginning of 2015, RASP undertook plans
to relaunch the Fakt TV television supplement.
A pilot issue was produced as part of works on
a new formula of the supplement. We have
conducted research to evaluate the pilot issue
and identify its strengths and weaknesses in the
following four areas: magazine articles, series
guide, movie guide, and TV guide.
RASP representatives demonstrated strong
commitment and great professionalism at every
stage of the research process: they very clearly
defined their expectations, willingly shared
knowledge required for proper understanding of
the research subject, actively followed discussion
groups and accepted feedback from the readers.
As the research was progressing, they agreed to
prepare additional graphics that allowed us to
promptly verify research hypotheses. As a result,
we were able to issue specific, practicable, and
useful recommendations on what changes
should be made to the Fakt TV supplement. In
short, well done, everyone!
Monika Marzęda-Mieleniec
Qualitative Research Team Manager
Ipsos Sp. z o.o.
31
3.2.4
Aspect: Media literacy
M7: Actions taken to empower
audiences through media literacy
skills development
Ringier Axel Springer Poland informs its
readers about the possibilities of using new
distribution channels. We strive to appear
regularly articles building new technologies
awareness.
3.2.5
3.2.6
PR8 Total number of substantiated
complaints regarding breaches
of customer privacy and losses
of customer data
PR9 Monetary value of significant
fines for non-compliance with
laws and regulations concerning
the provision and use of products
and services.
Aspect: Customer Privacy
In accordance with the legal definition in
the Protection of Personal Data Act (Ustawa
o Ochronie Danych Osobowych), personal
data in Poland means "any information
concerning the personal or material
circumstances of an identified or identifiable
individual".
The European Union has regulated the
treatment of personal data since 1995 in the
Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC of the
European Parliament and the European
Council. Its implementation into national
law is through the Polish law. This
implementation allows for different
organizational forms of data protection
in companies. All personal data is stored in
a suitably protected databases, which are
controlled and recorded in the office of the
Inspector General for Personal Data
(GIODO). Relevant procedures are laid
down on the protection of personal data
policy.
Aspect: Compliance
No fines were imposed for non-compliance.
The company’s legal departments examine
every single complaint related to the
editorial content in our publications.
If legally necessary, replies or corrections
are published and a recurrence of violations
prevented; in rare individual cases, material
compensation is also paid.
32
Environment
1 Environmental Indicators
structuring of sustainability reports. ("MSS" stands for Media Sector
Supplement.)
GRI: Organizational
responsibility
Marcin Chądzyński, Administrative Manager,
is responsible for environmental aspects in
The abbreviation "EN" in the GRI Numbers stands for "Environment".
The transparency regarding the origin of
the paper our company uses to print its
newspapers is promoted through the
publication of the suppliers of printing
paper. As Ringier Axel Springer Poland is
purchasing its paper through the paper
procurement of Axel Springer SE, contracts
with suppliers contain sustainability-related
clauses such as the Forestry Standards
which are also verified by the company on
site. These included visits by Axel Springer
AG to suppliers in Russia, Norway, Canada
and Germany in 2013 and 2014. The
suppliers of printing services are also
announced. The proportion of used paper
in printing paper averages 2,82% in 2013
and 1,75% in 2014.
Management Approach
Questions concerning the ecological
optimization are integrated into education
programs. At the same time, sustainability
issues are addressed in internal
communications media.
GRI: Goals regarding performance relevant to the
Environment Aspects.
Ringier Axel Springer Poland is continuously striving to improve the efficiency in the use
of resources. It concerns the server systems and computers, the administration of offices,
the distribution of newspapers and magazines, the procurement of printing paper, the
consumption of water and energy, as well as the generation of waste and emissions.
GRI: Company guidelines: Organization-wide policy that
defines the organization’s overall commitment related to
the Environmental Aspects
No specific commitment related to the Environmental Aspects was made in the
previous report.
GRI: Monitoring
Compliance for Ringier Axel Springer
Poland means compliance with legal
requirements, voluntary commitments and
corporate guidelines. Employees’ being
aware of this is very important in this
context. Violations of guidelines and
regulations can damage the environment,
adversely affect the reputation of the
company and cause economic damage.
The efficiency in the use of printing paper is
optimized by measures used to reduce mill
broke. Returns (= unsold copies of newspapers
and magazines) are reduced through the
continually refined control of copies
delivered to the respective sales outlets.
The Code of Conduct is an example in this
context that provides reliable orientation to
our employees.
34
Where do we print our dailies and magazines?
The corporate culture of Quad/Graphics is one of continuous improvement and optimisation in all
areas of its activity, including those related to environmental protection. Ever since entering the
market, the company has been environmentally conscious and made every effort to minimise any
negative impact on the environment.
2 Details and references
for the reporting period
2013 + 2014
2.1
Aspect: Materials
EN1 Materials used by
weight or volume
Different types of materials are used by
Ringier Axel Springer Poland for newspaper
and magazines production and for office
operating.
Figures concerning input materials used for
production are documented by printing
plants and they are not accessible for
Quad/Graphics has been issued ISO 14001, ISO 9001, and PN-N 18001 certificates, confirming the
compliance of the company’s Integrated Management System with the respective international
standards.
In 2010, the company obtained PEFC and FSC certificates confirming the implementation
of systems related to the protection of forest resources. Our company is entitled to place PEFC a
nd FSC/RAC logos and use them for marketing purposes. Every year, Quad/Graphics passes
recertification audits performed by the NEPCon certification body.
The certificates give a clear signal to the existing and future customers of our company that the
highest quality products and services we supply are produced with care for the environment.
In its operation, Quad/Graphics makes use of the best technologies available to reduce negative
impact on the environment by these and other means:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
controlling the level of paper waste during production,
reducing the consumption of materials, commodities, and public utilities,
elimination from the production processes of harmful substances and preparations,
continuous monitoring of CO2 emissions into the air and of the quantities
of hazardous waste products,
utilisation of waste heat to heat the premises,
use of reusable materials,
selective waste collection.
Our printing presses are equipped with air protection systems and exhaust afterburners.
All the electric power comes from renewable energy sources.
Ewa Wojnarowicz
Head of the Environmental Protection Department
Quad/Graphics Europe Sp. z o.o.
Printing Plant for RASP
35
Commentary within the framework
of the GRI "Media Sector Supplement":
Primary energy used by Ringier Axel Springer comes
from non-renewable sources
As an indicator for efficient resource management, the presentation of specific
indicators is more important than simply listing absolute consumption figures.
The prerequisite for this is the definition of a functional unit, such as, for example,
the 'square meters of printed paper'.
2013 vs. 2014
2013
2014
Printing paper purchased for
producing newspapers and
magazines (in tonnes)
27 107
26 692
Copy paper used by office
(in tonnes)
8,42
EN4 Indirect energy consumption by primary source
The use of purchased (indirect) energy in 2013 and 2014 amounted to:
-1,53%
2013
Electricity (in MWh)
7,53
888 439
2014
850 708
2013
vs.2014
-4,25%
-10,58%
Electricity is the only primary source used by
EN5 Energy saved due to conservation
and efficiency improvements
EN2 Percentage of materials used that are recycled input materials
In 2013, around 37 percent and in 2014, around 42 percent of the newspaper
and magazine papers used to print the company's titles included used paper.
Data concerning recycling of input materials are not accessible.
The total energy requirements of of Ringier Axel Springer Poland
office have decreased in a comparison of the year 2014 with 2013
by -4,25 percent. In 2014 the company used 37 731 MWh elecricity less than in the previous year.
The tendency of energy use decrease was also presented in the Sustainability Report 2011-2012.
EN6 Initiatives to provide energy-efficient or renewable energy-based products and services, and reductions in energy
requirements as a result of these initiatives
This indicator has only partial relevance for Ringier Axel Springer Poland, particularly as reading
newspapers and magazines does not require energy and the decision as to whether editorial
content is taken up on printed paper or digitally lies with the user. In 2013 and 2014 sales of
digital editions and online services use increased what occurred a long term tendency.
2.2
Aspect: Energy
EN3 Direct energy consumption by primary energy source
In 2013 and 2014, the energy consumption for the office location according to primary
energy source was as follows:
2013
2014
2013 vs. 2014
Natural Gas (in m3)
302 188
289 313
-4,26%
Fuels (in m3)
8,06
9,34
15%
Commentary within the framework of the
GRI "Media Sector Supplement":
The gradual optimization of the energy efficiency and CO2 efficiency of servers and data
processing centers is at the forefront in the area of the increasingly used digital media
services.
36
EN7 Initiatives to reduce
indirect energy consumption
and reductions achieved
tonnes, what indicates
the downward tendency
presented in the previous
Sustainability Report
(-10,43 percent).
A range of measures has been introduced
to reduce energy consumption. These
include:
1. Raising of employees’ awareness at the
publishing office locations with regard to
energy efficient behavior (reducing
standby energy consumption, etc.)
2. Off the night-lights of the facade of the
building and passageways inside, as well
as turning off the backlight neon on the
roof.
3. Using more energy-efficient computers.
4. Replacing walls with glass dividers that let
daylight to the working areas.
5. Reducing number of light spots in the
parking lot outside.
EN9 Water sources significantly
affected by withdrawal of water.
No specific water sources are affected by
the company’s water use.
EN10 Percentage and total
volume of water recycled
and reused
Water is not recycled in the company. The
respective municipal utilities are responsible
for the treatment of water. Water recirculation
by companies is subject to strict regulation
and supervision. Numerous technical
measures contribute to the recirculatory
use of water.
2.3
Aspect: Water
EN8 Total water withdrawal
by source
The external procurement of water
decreased of 23,7 percent in a comparison
in 2014 in comparison to 2013 at the
locations involved from 3134 to 2391
2.4
Aspect: Biodiversity
EN11 Location and size of land
in, or adjacent to, protected
areas.
No Ringier Axel Springer Poland site
is located in a protected area, borders on
a protected area or is located in an area
of high biodiversity value.
EN12 Description of
significant impacts
of activities,
products, and
services on biodi
versity in areas of
high biodiversity
value
Pines and spruces from
the northern hemisphere
are processed for the
manufacture of printing paper. The
suppliers of printing paper undertake to
make sure and to check that the timber raw
materials that are used by no means come
from protected forestry areas.
Also in unprotected forestry areas, improper
forest use can disturb the ability of biodiversity
to regenerate, e.g. by interrupting the food
chains. This can happen, for example, when
insufficient amounts of old wood and dead
wood are available as habitats for insects,
e.g. those that the Finnish white-backed
woodpecker lives on.
You can find a list of suppliers of printing
paper here.
EN13 Habitats protected
or restored
The company does not own any protected
or restored habitats.
EN14 Strategies for the
protection of biodiversity
Transparency in the origin of fibers is an
important prerequisite for securing the
biodiversity quality of printing paper made
from fresh wood fibers.
The contracts concluded with paper
suppliers include the "Forestry Standards":
1) Harvesting more timber than will re-grow
is prohibited; 2) Forestry shall not endanger
animal or plant species; 3) The paper
manufacturer must perform eco-controls as
a purchaser of timber; 4) The paper
manufacturer must ensure that the
necessary ecological knowledge is conveyed
to personnel (for example, forest workers);
5) The paper manufacturer must take the
indigenous people (the Sami in Northern
Scandinavia for example) into consideration;
6) The paper manufacturer must keep the
public informed of the advances made and
problems encountered in environmental
protection.
EN15 Number of IUCN Red List
species and national conservation
list species with habitats in
areas affected by operations, by
level of extinction risk.
The timber harvesting areas of our paper
suppliers and/or their pulp suppliers are
situated in Germany, Sweden, Finland,
Canada Russia, Belgium, Holland, France,
Austria and Poland. In each of these
countries, lists are kept of threatened
species, the threat in some cases attributable
to improper forestry methods. Specific
detailed Forest Use Guidelines for the
protection of biodiversity apply in every one
of these countries.
37
2.5
Aspect: Emissions, Effluents,
and Waste
EN16 Greenhouse gas emissions
To ensure a uniform representation of the
CO2 emissions from the publishing
location, the KOBiZe Index (The National
Centre for Emission Balancing and Management)
is used for the calculation of the CO2
emission factor in the required declarations.
No significant CO2 and direct and indirect
climate-effecting emissions caused by
Ringier Axel Springer Poland operations.
EN17 Other greenhouse
gas emissions
Ringier Axel Springer Polska does not cause
significant emission of direct nor indirect
emissions of NMVOC (non methane volatile
organic compounds). The company does
not carries out any production. Electricity is
purchased by the owner of the building rent
by RASP.
EN18 Initiatives to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions
A range of measures has been introduced
to improve resource efficiency with regard
to the emission of greenhouse gases. These
include:
3. Using more energy-efficient computers.
EN20 Other air emissions, NOX, SO2, dust
No emissions of other air emissions is available.
EN21 Total water discharge by type and destination
The volume of effluent (waste water) discharged from the building where publishing office
location of Ringier Axel Springer Poland is leased amounted 3134 m3 in 2013 and 2391 m3
in 2014. No specific data for Ringier Axel Springer Poland is available.
EN22 Total weight of waste by type and disposal method
The following picture for 2013 and 2014 emerges for the office in Warsaw:
The more we transfer our journalistic
content on the Internet and mobile
readers, the more important the
question of specific energy
consumption will become and
thereby the CO2 efficiency of servers
and data processing centers. In order
to better explore opportunities for
innovation in conjunction with other
companies, Ringier Axel Springer
Media Poland has become a member
of Rekopol Organizacja Odzysku S.A.
(Rekopol Recycling Organization).
In tonnes (t)
2013
2014
2013 vs. 2014
Non-hazardous solid waste for
recycling
18,52
24,9
34,45%
Non-hazardous solid
waste for disposal
1,93
1,82
-5,7%
Hazardous solid
waste for recycling
0,05
0,032
-36%
Total Waste
20,50
26,75
-7,25%
EN19 Emissions of
ozone-depleting gases
No significant emissions are caused by
substances which could contribute towards
to the depletion of the ozone layer in the
company. The company does not carries
out any production. Electricity is purchased
by the owner of the building rent by RASP.
Commentary within the framework of the GRI
The disposal of printing ink residues, of plastic waste materials, batteries and electrical
equipment, etc. is subject to detailed national and European regulations, with which
compliance is reviewed.
38
EN23 Total number and volume
of significant spills
No significant quantities were spilled
in the 2013/2014 reporting period.
EN24 Weight of transported,
imported, exported, or treated
waste deemed hazardous under
the terms of the Basel Convention
Annex I, II, III, and VIII, and
percentage of transported waste
shipped internationally.
2.6
Aspect: Products and Services
EN26 Initiatives to mitigate
environmental impacts
Use of recycled paper in the publishing
office location, waste segregation, collection
and disposal of used batteries, more
energy-efficient multi-function machines
with automatic stand-by function and
duplex printing.
The company does not transport, import
or export any waste of this kind.
EN25 Identity, size, protected
status, and biodiversity value
of water bodies and related
habitats significantly affected
by the reporting organization’s
discharges of water and runoff.
The company does not cause any significant influences of this kind.
We optimize circulation of our
newspaper and magazines through:
improvement in the forecasting
process and better allocation of
circulations in line with the current
needs of local markets. The process is
supported by IT System Support
DAAX. We hold the downwards
tendency notifying decrease of
returns. In 2014 the number of
returns was lawer of 3 918 903
copies than in 2013.
How our newspapers and magazines
get to the points of sales?
Every day, Ruch SA delivers newspapers and magazines from fourteen Logistics
Centres to 20 thousand points of sale throughout the country, covering 300
thousand kilometres in total. Given the vast scale of our distribution activity, we
have to meet the most stringent standards of delivery process optimisation. We
define these standards in collaboration with our business partners, jointly
outlining and implementing the policies on the number of copies allocated to
individual points of sale, efficient ways of cargo consolidation, and the optimisation of warehouse operations. Ringier Axel Springer Poland is particularly active
in this respect. The company’s participation in the logistics process planning and
in the management of the quantities of distributed products yields considerable
benefits to both parties and translates into optimum availability of RASP products
at points of sale. We constantly monitor the logistics and stocking process
adopted for RASP publications to make sure that it is carried out according to
strict procedures. Any unsold copies of newspapers and magazines published by
RASP, after prior segregation, are forwarded to specialised recycling companies.
All this allows us to conduct efficient distribution of RASP publications while
minimising the negative impact of its publishing activity on the environment.
Piotr Ludwicki
Director of the Distribution and
Subscriptions Department, RUCH SA,
the company responsible for distribution
to sales points.
Returns 2013: 59 981 048
Returns 2014: 59 981 048
2014 vs. 2013 -6,53%
39
EN27 Percentage of products
sold and their packaging
materials that are reclaimed
by category.
The responsibility for the disposal of the
plastic sheeting used to protect newspapers
and magazines during transport for
recycling lies with the kiosk operators.
2.7
1. Delivery of printing paper by suppliers. Details of transport mix:
Delivery of printing paper
2013
2014
Ship
10%
17%
Rail
13%
0%
Truck
77%
83%
Aspect: Compliance
EN28 Monetary value of significant
fines and total number of non-monetary sanctions for non-compliance with environmental
laws and regulations.
No such fines were imposed in the
reporting period.
2.8
Aspect: Transport
EN29 Significant environmental
impacts of transporting products
and other goods and materials
used for the organization’s
operations, and transporting
members of the workforce.
Fossil fuels are mostly necessary for
transporting of goods and people. Three
transport areas deserve special mention
with respect to the company's operations:
2. Transport of newspapers and magazines from printing plants to wholesalers,
from wholesalers to kiosks by independent carriers.
The newspapers and magazines are primarily transported by external service providers
which are obliged to optimize transportation by rational routes planning.
3. No total data concerning transporting members of the workforce is available. It is caused
by various forms of employment and relevant methods of accounting settlements.
2.9
Aspect: Overall
EN30 Environmental protection expenditures and investments
Current expenditure - not including VAT for measures which exclusively or primarily serve to
protect the environment was connected with waste recycling and amounted 4048 zł in 2013
and 5436 zł in 2014. Destroying cofidential documents, paper and battery recycling
are based on barter settlements.
40
Economy
Economic Indicators
structuring of sustainability reports. ("MSS" stands for Media Sector
Supplement.)
Company guidelines Organization-wide policy
that defines the organization’s
to the Economic Aspects
The abbreviation "EC" in the GRI Numbers stands for "Economic".
Management Approach
EC: Economic performance and market presence
The strategy of the company is based on the core competences which are: press publishing
(newspaper, magazines, special publishing projects), information for online and digital
channel, advertising services. Our media portfolio encompasses successfully established
multimedia brands such as Fakt, Newsweek Polska, Forbes Polska, Przegląd Sportowy,
Komputer Świat, Auto Świat. With more than 15 newspapers and magazines and over
20 online services as well as more than 5 apps.
Goals - Organization-wide goals regarding performance
relevant to the Environment Aspects
Ringier Axel Springer Poland as a media company with a strong focus on digitization of
journalistic content on the Internet and mobile readers, tries to reduce specific energy
consumption and to improve CO2 efficiency of servers and data processing centers.
The business strategy of Ringier Axel
Springer Poland is based on Ringier Axel
Springer Group strategy. The overriding
goals of this strategy are to ensure profitable,
long-term growth and permanently
increase the company’s value. Ringier Axel
Springer Poland has a clear strategic focus,
which is: to strengthen its print brands, to
digitize its product portfolio and to extend
its online and offline brands.
Our corporate values help us achieve our
strategic goals. More details.
Aspect: Economic Performance
EC1 Direct economic value
generated and distributed,
including revenues, operating
costs, employee compensation,
donations and other community
investments, retained earnings,
and payments to capital providers
and governments (taxes)
According to the Polish law, data regarding
detailed financial information are not
published. The shareholders of Ringier Axel
Springer Poland - Axel Springer SE and
Ringier AG - as listed companies publish all
financial information including their
operations in Poland.
• Donations
In 2013: 313 147 PLN, in 2014 718 902 PLN
• Retained earnings
Equity capital generated as per
12/31/2013: 62 593 931 PLN
Equity capital generated as per
12/31/2014: 158 039 408 PLN
EC2 Financial implications
of climate change
• No direct effects have been identified
to date
• Indirect effects: Rising energy costs could
have implications for the distribution
of newspapers and magazines, the
operation of printing facilities and
publishing office buildings as well as the
manufacture of printing paper
42
EC3 Coverage of defined benefit
plan obligations
Fiscal year 2013:
• Social expenditure (employer
contributions to social security,
incl. health insurance) Social security
contributions: 8 659 472 PLN
• Pension costs, company pension plan,
pension plan expenditure: 315 503 PLN
Fiscal year 2014:
• Social expenditure (employer contributions
to social security, incl. health insurance)
Social security contributions: 6 599 516 PLN
• Pension costs, company pension plan,
pension plan expenditure: 382 969 PLN
EC4 Significant financial assistance
received from government
(e.g. subsidies, advertising)
In 2013 Ringier Axel Springer Poland
received last tranche of the grant from the
Ministry of Regional Development dedicated
to the project “Family Companies” of the
total amount of 580 800 PLN - project
completed and settled in 2012.
M1. Significant funding and
other support from non-governmental sources
(advertisements, etc.)
In 2013 Ringier Axel Springer Polska was
supported by three significant fundings
received from NBP (National Bank of
Poland), in total amount 782 726 PLN:
the amount of 400,000 PLN –
information campaign in the "Fakt" daily.
2. Grant "Household Finance" in the amount
of 334,840 zł - information campaign in
"Newsweek Polska".
3. Grant "Decisive time for the economy"
in the amount of 47,886.12 PLN 0
information campaign in "Forbes Polska".
In 2014 Ringier Axel Springer Polska was
supported by two significant fundings
received from NBP (National Bank of
Poland), in total amount 666 895 PLN:
1. Grant "Personal Finances" in the amount
of 284,301 zł - information campaign in
"Newsweek Polska"
2. Grant "Learn the history of Polish
currency" for the amount of 382.594 PLN
– information campaign in the "Fakt" daily."
None of the advertisers was responsible for
more than a five percent share of advertising
revenues.
Aspect: Market Presence
EC5 Ratio of standard entry
level wage compared to local
minimum wage
2013
2014
Av. wage in RASP
7 968 zł
8 400 zł
Local minimum wage (PL)
1 600 zł
1 680 zł
%
498%
500%
(Note regarding GRI Content Index: EC5 not calculated because initial salaries
at all locations lie significantly above the local minimum wage.)
EC6 Policy, practices, and proportion of spending on locally
based suppliers.
The company generates all of its revenue in Poland. Supplies come almost without exception
from local sources or the region. One exception is the procurement of printing paper,
particularly as paper for newspapers and magazines is only produced in very few countries
in the required quantity and quality.
EC7 Procedures for local hiring and proportion of senior management
hired from the local community.
The company usually exclusively employs staff and senior managers who are from Poland.
If suitable applicants are available, staffing generally takes place internally. With growing
European integration, competence and mobility however, regional origin is increasingly
fading into the background.
The work in editorial offices, marketing
departments, sales, digital publishing, online
programming and administration requires
above-average qualifications. Salaries for
men and women are based on the same
criteria. The principal of equal pay for equal
work applies. The company competes for
talented and qualified employees. Against
this background, all of the entry level
salaries are significantly higher than the
local minimum wage.
1. Grant "Primer household budget" for
43
Aspect: Indirect Economic
Impacts
Ringier Axel Springer Poland is one of the
initiators and organizers of National
Congress of Regions in Swidnica which
mission is to support local social and
business development.
EC8 Development and impact of
infrastructure investments and
services provided primarily for
public benefit through commercial,
in-kind, or pro bono engagement.
Ringier Axel Springer Poland is aware of its
responsibility within society. This is why the
company has various activities in the field
of social responsibility. This is the case in
different ways regarding our media, our
readers and employees.
In 2013 and 2014 Fakt Foundation helped
about next 60 handicapped children and
their families using the money received
from 1% tax as a social befefit institution.
We continued co-operation with Jeronimo
Martins carring out the project “Always Be
Together”. The Foundation published next
books with CD sold in Jeronimo Martins
stores.
Ringier Axel Springer Poland is an organizer
of competition “The Activist of the Year”
which promotes social persons who work
for the society. The competition goal is to
distinguish individuals and organizers of
significant and valuable social initiatives. In
2013 and in 2014 the finals of the competition
awarded activists representing different
areas of social activity.
In 2013 and 2014 Ringier Axel Springer
Poland carried out two editions of the
Newsweek Award of Teresa Torańska. The
competition goal is to support and promote
the best young journalists, authors, social
life activists and outstandingly talented
young people.
In 2014 Fakt Foundation started the
program “Heart for Children”, which part
was the charity concert co-organized and
broadcasted by Polish Television Channel 1.
Forbes Diamonds is a ranking of the Polish
businesses compiled by the Forbes business
magazine in cooperation with Dun &
Bradstreet, a renowned supplier of business
information. By means of its Diamonds
awards, Forbes promotes the fastest
growing companies of various sizes and
from different industries throughout the
country. Often these are companies whose
business activity has an impact on the
development of local communities.
44
The types of social commitment are
usually media partnerships, awards
for outstanding achievements,
appeals for pro bono engagement
and donations, taking over
administrative and project costs, etc.
EC9 Understanding and describing
significant indirect economic
impacts, including the extent
of impacts.
The indirect economic impacts that
repeatedly attract attention include
decisions in the area of paper procurement.
In Northern Finland, Norway, Canada,
as well as in the pulp production in Uruguay
among other places, regional conflicts
frequently flare up, for example, concerning
the use of land and forest resources.
These often have to do with the competition
between social (jobs) and ecological
(biodiversity) interests. In such cases,
the Corporate Sustainability Office of Axel
Springer SE, from whom we purchase our
paper, takes a detailed look on-site through
talking to trade unions, environmental
organizations, scientists, representatives
of the indigenous people as well as the
tourism industry and the government.
The knowledge gained in this process
influences the decisions concerning
supply contracts with paper factories
in the respective regions.
45
Ringier Axel Springer Polska
ul. Domaniewska 52
02-672 Warszawa
Please share your opinion on
Sustainability Report with us:
Anna Marucha
Spokesperson
Tel. +48 22 232 14 03
[email protected]

Ringier Axel Springer Poland 2014

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