Hemofarm Presented the Sustainability Report for 2017

The company Hemofarm issued its sixth Sustainability Report in a row and confirmed its leading position in this field. Having met the same number of indicators as when it has been rated the highest grade for its sustainability, Hemofarm proved that sustainable development is a part of any aspect of business. Presenting the Sustainability Report for 2017 titled ’Let’s Understand Each Other Better and Share the Same Views’, the company representatives pointed out that rational use of natural resources with correct treatment to community and employees was the key to responsible business both in the present time and in the future.

Its commitment to the sustainable development, Hemofarm showed also through reporting approach which it has harmonized with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations (UN). Namely, Hemofarm presented its activities through five primary and four accompanying goals which were selected to be most important for its business operation out of a total of 17 Sustainable Development Goals of UN. As a responsible company, Hemofarm paid the special attention to what fulfilling of these goals meant for Serbia and its citizens. Likewise, in line with the sustainable values, the paper used for printing of this report was made by pressing organic residues of kiwi, corn, grape and lemon.

’Each year as a company you are competing against yourself in the world of sustainable development, trying to achieve better results over and over again. Hemofarm managed that also in 2017 when it broke the production record – last year 5.5 billion tablets were produced in our plants. What’s more important, we set a new production record, while managing to reduce the consumption of power resources in our production process. This company have existed for almost six decades and we have helped the healthcare system in Serbia in endless occasions, and we are ready to help the state, society and professional community in this segment related to the sustainable development’, said Ronald Seeliger, Chief Executive Officer of Hemofarm and Vice President of STADA group.

Fulfilment of UN goals of sustainable development of Hemofarm has also been recognized by the Minister of Environmental Protection, Goran Trivan, because it paves the way to better position of Serbia in negotiations with the EU. ’Steps that Serbia has taken towards meeting the conditions from the Chapter 27 received an excellent feedback in the European Parliament, but we must persevere and continue with decisive steps. Hemofarm represents the right example of how we should treat the natural resources and our planet. If other companies follow the example of Hemofarm, especially when we speak about packaging, waste water management and transportation, our path to meeting all the conditions from Chapter 27 will be much easier and faster. Each of us should think about how to treat his own environment and his planet in a more responsible way’, said Goran Trivan, Minister of Environmental Protection.

Sustainable Development and Marketing Manager, Dušan Stojaković, explained that we harmonized our reporting method with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. ’We have presented our activities through five primary and four supporting goals that are among a total of 17 Goals of Sustainable Development of UN, selected as the most important for our business. Also, we demonstrated the benefits of fulfillment of these goals for Hemofarm, employees, but also for Serbia and all its citizens through three key aspects – people, achievements and planet’, Dušan stressed out.

Strategic approach to sustainable development of Hemofarm has been recognized also globally, so last year Hemofarm was admitted to be a member of the United Nations Global Compact and it was one of the finalists of the competition ’Ideas4Action’ and participated in the UN debate on sustainable development.

’The message sent from the UN debate was that reaching of sustainable development goals was not possible without the proper participation of women in business. Hemofarm is an example of good business practice where women are paid the same as men for the same jobs, and the share of women in the company management is as much as 60 percent. Women and young are in the focus of UN for the clear reason: women who make up half and young people who make up 40 percent of the world's population are great potential in creating a better tomorrow. Hemofarm has the same focus and it perceives sustainability in the long term, strategically and globally’, stressed out Sanda Savić, Director of Corporate Affairs and Communications in Hemofarm.

THE MOST IMPORTANT ACHIEVMENTS OF HEMOFARM’S SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS IN 2017

Hemofarm has always produced exactly the medicines that patients needed – by its portfolio covering products in 12 out of total 14 pharmacotherapeutic groups and com prising more than 2300 products, the company shows its responsibility to patients and by shifting the focus from the treatment to prevention and promotion of healthy life-styles and habits, it points out to the importance of personal responsibility and engagement of each individual for his own health.

The company invests in the education of employees: only in 2017 the employees of Hemofarm attended more than 3,000 in-house and external trainings and educations, worth about 300,000 euros.

Using the recycled cardboard for production of cartons for packing of more than 80 percent of Hemofarm’s products, during the last year only the company saved almost 16,000 trees, reduced the consumption of water by a quantity which would be otherwise spent during 34 working days, while it reduced the consumption of electrical power by totally 40 working days.

Hemofarm pays special attention to local suppliers from Serbia, giving them equal chances. This company constantly strives to increase the share of local suppliers empowering thus the local economy. During the last year only, the share of local suppliers in the investment segment in Hemofarm increased from 64 to almost 88 percent. Since Hemofarm is a part of German STADA Group and that it exports a major part of its output to the EU, the offer of local suppliers becomes thus more competitive also in the global market, which is a big incentive for their further development.

When speaking about the sustainable cities and communities, Hemofarm acts in that part via its foundation that implemented more than 2,000 activities worth about 12 million euros in the last 25 years.