With the rise in social inequality across the world – exacerbated by the biggest pandemic in the last hundred years – and the effects of the climate crisis increasing at an alarming rate, it is high time companies play their part in our collective bid for sustainability.
ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) reporting is a mechanism that enables businesses to highlight ways in which they operate in a sustainable and responsible manner. At NETCONOMY, the reporting is steered by the finance department.
“To ensure transparency and see the full impact of our ESG efforts, we make sure our reporting is translated into clear financial metrics. Our finance team works across different business units and has access to data around sales, supply chain, facility and travel management, customers, and other areas so we are in the perfect position to assess the company’s ESG efforts. This allows us to connect ESG relevant information, deliver insights, and report on the progress.” Andreas Schilk, NETCONOMY CFO.
The European Commission plans to make this type of reporting mandatory for all EU companies starting from 2024 onwards.
“At NETCONOMY we like to be ahead of the curve – whether that is about the cutting-edge technologies we use, the latest work principles and methodologies or making sure we run this company in a sustainable way.” Martin Barzauner, NETCONOMY CEO
We have decided to already start publishing this report annually from 2022 and highlight the different initiatives and procedures which ensure our commitment to a better tomorrow.
Environment
The topic of sustainability is firmly lodged at the core of our philosophy and shapes our working procedures as an essential component of our company culture.
We ensure our business is environmentally friendly by:
- reducing our CO2 output and switching to green energy sources
- focusing on regional and sustainable procurement
- financially compensating our CO2 emissions
All our office locations in Austria and Switzerland obtain energy from renewable energy sources.
On the other hand, we are working to replace car and plane travel with trains – saving 85,4 tons of CO2 from 2019 until 2021. This is the same as keeping 20 cars off the streets for one entire year!
In 2020 we compensated 200% of our CO2 emissions.
For this, we chose to partner with the German organization “atmosfair” which establishes sustainable energy sources in developing countries. The funding we provided helped the construction of a hydropower plant in Honduras, as well as a wind power plant in Nicaragua.
Social
A new generation has entered the workforce. One that cares about company values, having a healthy work environment, and the ability to make real change in the world. We’ve always seen the world this way and our social responsibility practices reflect that.
We Believe Our Diversity Is Our Strength
There are great benefits to having teams that are diverse in terms of age, gender, background, and culture, as they provide vastly different perspectives and experiences.
One-third of our colleagues are female and more than 30 nationalities are represented among our colleagues.
As a result of our policy of equal opportunities, about one-third of our colleagues are female – and they make up more than one-third of all our leadership positions.
We Care For Our People and the Communities Around Us
We deeply believe in helping our colleagues become the best versions of themselves. This applies to their professional development, but also the chance to give back to their communities through charity work as part of NETCONOMY.
This is rounded off with a comprehensive benefits package, which is designed to ensure a high level of work-life balance, provide flexibility to colleagues so that they feel empowered and supported, and motivates them to celebrate their success together as a team. Paid team and social events, charitable events such as the NETCONOMY charity run, and a “work from anywhere” policy are only some of the benefits offered to the team.
Underpinning it all – an open feedback culture that makes sure that crucial information is available to everyone, and that any colleague’s voice can be heard no matter their position.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we experienced an increase in the employee satisfaction score between 2019 and 2021.
We also see it as our responsibility to go one step beyond and support the communities around us, especially those who need it the most. Every year, we ask our colleagues an important question: Which causes would you like NETCONOMY to support?
In the period of 2019–2021, we donated a total of €263.000 to those in need.
There is a wide range of causes we’ve supported over the past years. To learn more about the projects we’ve chosen, read our “The Importance of Giving” story.
Continuous Learning Is One of Our Top Priorities
People who are a part of the NETCONOMY team benefit both from a wide range of external training programs and our in-house NETCADEMY. Our training services start on the first day, with a comprehensive onboarding program. With a portfolio of over 45 onboarding slots, a two-month mentorship program, and a dedicated, role-specific boot camp, we ensure that new team members immediately feel connected and have a clear picture of the company’s culture and mission.
We care about the way our industry develops, and believe young people deserve a chance at proactively shaping the way their career develops. This is why every year we organize our NETCONOMY Talent Lab – a three-month-long paid traineeship program that includes a customized set of training and workshops and mentoring from experienced colleagues. We are especially proud that most of the participants continue to work with us after the program.
Governance
We place great importance on the compliance with legal requirements and the prevention of any legal violations. Therefore, we have established a comprehensive set of structures and processes.
IT- and Information Security
NETCONOMY applies the Zero-Trust-Security-Model, which requires a strict identity check of every person and device which tries to access internal resources. Identity and Access Management (IAM) provides the opportunity to identify users and their individual entitlements. At NETCONOMY, IAM enables user authorizations based on a company-, project- or team membership considering the role of the employee.
To protect the company from spam, malware, and e-mail threats, NETCONOMY uses progressive filter technology such as URL- and domain blacklists, Anti-Malware-Engines and Capacity inspection, and AI-based detection technology.
The internal department “Information Security Office” (ISO) takes responsibility for the following areas: ISMS in accordance with ISO27001 (Information security management system, Introduction, and examination of technical and organizational measures), consulting, training as well as Security Incident Handling.
The data protection officer periodically reports to the management and the Head of Information Security about the current state and developments of information security and data protection including potential risks and serious breaches.
Prevention of Corruption
We are keen to ensure that we follow the highest standards not only on a technical level – but also in connection to ethical and social aspects. To continuously ensure this, an independent platform was established, enabling colleagues and stakeholders to report compliance violations such as fraud, sabotage, violation of human rights, abuse of data protection etc.) (https://netconomy.whistleblowing.contact)
As we move forward, it is our wish to keep improving on the remarkable things our teams have already done to underscore our commitment to our planet and the local communities we operate in. With this (and future) report, we hope to inspire our partners, competitors, and customers to take part and join us on this great journey to a brighter future for all.
For further insights you can download our full report here:
