The main message of the conference is that the application of sustainable principles and the path to a green and climate transition are inevitable for business in the future

Zagreb, October 24, 2023 - President of the board of ENNA group, Boštjan Napast, participated in the conference "Corporate management and sustainable business - the path to climate transition". The conference, co-organized by Jutarnji list and Hanfa, brought together 250 participants, including representatives from companies, government agencies, the scientific community, industry and interest groups, as well as financial and ESG experts, all gathered in one location.

The main message of the conference is that the application of sustainable principles and the path to a green climate transition are inevitable for business in the future, especially in the light of rapid climate change, and that everyone should adapt to this if they want to survive and be profitable.

Board President of Enna Boštjan Napast participated in the panel discussion "New Corporate Standards and Sustainability", which was also attended by Martina Dalić, President of the Podravka Board, Dunja Mazzocco Drvar, Director of the WWF Adria Nature Protection Program, Ivana Gažić, President of the Zagreb Stock Exchange, Gordan Kolak, president of the board of Končar Elektroindustrija and Zoran Stanković, vice president of Atlantic Grupa for finance.

Boštjan Napast pointed out that ENNA Group wants to be part of the green transformation of Europe and, he announced, will invest one billion euros in the business processes of this transformation by 2030.

Transportation is the main contributor to CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, therefore we see railways, within the business segment of ENNA Group's transport operations, as the traffic solution of the future. Likewise, through cooperation with Rimac Automobili, we want to ensure battery systems for the industry – said Napast at the panel, specifically highlighting the Rijeka Gateway project that ENNA Logic is developing with APMT and Maersk, global companies that have ESG incorporated into every business decision. He said that the Rijeka Gateway will be a remotely operated container terminal where most of the equipment will be electrified, providing employees with a more comfortable and safer working environment.

– In implementing ESG goals, we strive to create a pleasant and stimulating work environment for our employees and to establish sustainable business relationships with our suppliers. I believe there cannot be corporate financial goals that are separate from ESG goals," said Napast, with the message that ENNA has a green agenda in all sectors in which it is active.

Corporate Governance Report

The focus of the event was on the exceptional importance of the quality of corporate governance with a special emphasis on sustainability and trust in challenging times.

In his opening speech, the Chairman of the Management Board of HANFA, Ante Žigman, drew attention to the continuous improvement in the overall compliance of domestic companies listed on the Zagreb Stock Exchange with the Corporate Governance Code. Overall, the average compliance with the Code by issuers is 68%. He highlighted Croatia's progress in the implementation of the Corporate Governance Code, which is gaining increasing interest and should become part of everyday strategy.

He stated that greater transparency in managing all types of risks is still needed, along with more overall education and an increase in the number of women on management and supervisory boards.

For example, in 2022, as many as 67 percent of boards had no women, nor did 34 percent of supervisory boards, while in 2022, this ratio was 65 and 32 percent, and the goal is to reach 40 percent of women on boards and 33 percent on supervisory boards by 2026, which will become an obligation for all companies with the implementation of the EU Gender Balance Directive.

You can view the results of the Corporate Governance Report for 2022 here.

The conference was also attended by the Minister of Finance, Marko Primorac. At the conference in Esplanade, he announced, among other things, that the state will contribute to raising the quality of corporate governance in the country by adopting a new legal framework for the management of state-owned and publicly owned enterprises.

– Management of public enterprises is something we are paying more attention to, and we will make progress in this area. In the first quarter of 2024, a new legislative framework will come into force, through which the state will clearly stipulate what it wants to retain in ownership of state enterprises and with what goals, and what it does not want – said Primorac.

He added that financial and non-financial goals will also be determined, which will not be the same for all state-owned enterprises. For example, it will not be the same for the LNG terminal, which is a strategic and now profitable project, or for companies that provide public services and are not always profitable, or for companies that the state may retain precisely because of profitability, such as the Croatian Lottery.