Performance ESG

Organisation, Management and Control Model pursuant to Italian Legislative Decree 231/2001 has been updated to guarantee the incorporation of the internal organisational and operative evolutions. More specifically, the update has been focussed on the new aspects relating to the Group’s globalisation following the acquisition of the capital of a foreign company, on the strategic guidelines present in the new four-year “2024 Sustain & Innovative” Strategic Plan, on the corporate purpose and on the integration of ESG topics. In accordance with the principles of integrity, transparency and legality that guide the Company’s operations.

More specifically, considering that the 231 Model identifies specific control mechanisms to prevent the offences associated with Decree 231, enabling the implementation of the actions defined in the eight Sustainability Pillars of Poste Italiane and thus contributing to the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, with reference to each of the Special Parts of the 231 Model, the correlation was therefore shown between the various classes of 231 offences, the SDGs and the Sustainability Pillars.

In order to guarantee the effective implementation of the 231 Model, Poste Italiane delivers training, which is differentiated according to the target staff. More specifically, in regard to the whole workforce, starting October 2020, a 231 e- learning training campaign was launched and, with specific reference to the corporate management team, conferences were organised focussed on the Model and on the value of 231 training, the evolution of the Decree 231 and the Poste Italiane Group Whistleblowing process.

In addition, in continuing to pursue the initiatives aimed at continuously evolving the control structure, with the help of a leading consultancy firm, Poste Italiane has verified the level of implementation by Poste Italiane of the Model 231 control measures, with reference to both the control tools operating transversally to the entity and the effective respect of the control tools overseeing sensitive activities connected with a set of business processes identified through a risk-based approach.

In continuity with initiatives aimed at promoting growing attention to issues of transparency and legality, in 2020, Poste Italiane strengthened its collaboration with Guardia di Finanza (Finance Police), signing a Memorandum of Understanding to combat economic and financial crime. In order to consolidate the rooting of the company rules and standards in the processes, and in order to stress and clearly communicate – both internally and externally – the organisation’s position on such matters, in 2021, Poste Italiane renewed this collaboration for the increasingly capillary spread of the principles of legality and transparency on the market and to prevent financial crimes.

The agreement sees the Group concretely committed to the fight against tax evasion, avoidance and fraud, public spending offences, money laundering, forgery and payment fraud. In fact, the Company intends to make available to the Guardia di Finanza its wealth of information, in particular, the data in the “Identity Check” system, which is useful for combating offences.

With this initiative, Poste Italiane once again acknowledges its role of responsibility towards the public interest and undertakes to protect the entire community by safeguarding legality.

In 2021, new projects and activities were implemented under the scope of the fraud prevention management process, through an integrated anti-fraud system. More specifically, such activities regarded the first phase of release to production of the new Integrated Anti-Fraud Platform (PIAF), an innovative fraud prevention system involving all digital financial services and products of: On US monetics, e- commerce and digital banking, based on predictive analytical models and that allows – real- time in a pre-authorisation mode (as required by the regulations) – for the monitoring of transactions ordered by customers. This platform envisages the implementation of a single behavioural machine learning solution for prevention/ detection for all channels and the consequent launch of migration of all payment cards to the new Integrated Anti-Fraud Platform (PIAF).

Legislative Decree 231/2001
The online course “Decree 231 in Business Ethics” continued in 2021, describing through the stories of its protagonists the general content of Legislative Decree 231/2001 and the tools that Poste Italiane has adopted to comply with the principles and provisions of the Decree. The course is part of obligatory training and hence is intended for all Poste Italiane Group personnel. The training initiative illustrates general topics of Decree 231 that are also of interest to the Subsidiaries. Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of each Subsidiary to assess any additional training needs in this area, taking into account the specific activities carried out by its employees and the operational and organisational peculiarities of the Company. The course was updated in June 2021 in order to add the most recent updates made to the Model 231.

GDPR
Since 2019 the Group has offered the online course “GDPR – General Data Protection Regulation”. This training initiative is intended to offer an overview of the changes introduced and requirements established by the General Data Protection Regulation EU 2016/679, in particular describing the principles of responsibility and security measures that the data controller and processor must adopt to guarantee personal data protection. The course ends by illustrating control authorities, complaint methods and the penalties established in the case the regulation is violated. As part of the obligatory training programme, the training initiative is intended for all Poste Italiane Group personnel. Additionally, for employees who are delegated data processor responsibilities, for the compiler to support the delegated employee and their coworkers involved in maintaining the processing register, the Company has organised training workshops on “Data Processing”, provided through webinars that offer an overview of the organisational and regulatory aspects of the GDPR, in particular focussing on managing data processing, with the objective of strengthening accountability and specific knowledge relative to personal data processing.

IT security
As in 2020, the Group continued to provide the online course “IT Security”. The course provides information on IT security, highlighting its importance in relation to the numerous aspects of professional life it impacts. The training initiative is intended for all Poste Italiane Group personnel.

Antitrust
Starting in May 2021, Poste Italiane has offered the training webinar “New Group Compliance Programmes – Integrated Compliance and Antitrust Compliance”, intended for people holding managerial roles within the Group. Additionally, in January 2022, the Company began offering the online course “Group Integrated Compliance”. The course provides information about the guiding principles of the Integrated Compliance Programme adopted by Poste Italiane, presenting the company’s main regulatory tools by analysing the reference guidelines and contributing the establishment and dissemination of a corporate culture that is aware of and attentive to the issue of Compliance as a strategic objective and fundamental value for the company. The training initiative is intended for employees working in central and local staff functions of the Poste Italiane Group. Training continued with another online course titled “Compliance to protect competition and the consumer”, offered to the same target audience starting in February.

Anti-corruption
As in 2020, the online course “Integrated Management System for Quality and Corruption Prevention” continued to be offered. This training is intended for all Poste Italiane Group personnel and describes the new Integrated Quality and Anti-Corruption Management System that Poste Italiane has established, focussing on the provisions of the reference regulations and calling attention, through the description and analysis of concrete cases, to the best practices to follow to guarantee quality and prevent corruption within the company.

Anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism
Again in 2021, the Group guaranteed the availability of the online course “Anti-Money Laundering Legislation”, which aims to provide personnel with the necessary knowledge to operate, with awareness and in full compliance with the provisions of the law, in all phases in which the system for preventing and combating money laundering is articulated.

Sustainability and corporate policies
In this context, in 2021 the Group continued to offer two courses which had also been offered in 2020:
“Enterprise and the Protection of Human Rights”, an online training programme available to all employees, with the goal of promoting knowledge and awareness of the main guidelines adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council. The content of the course was created and certified by SIOI (Italian Company for International Organisation), and offered through digital learning.

“Documental Management” is a course aimed at all Poste Italiane Headquarters personnel, down to the third organisational levels, and describes the “Document Management” procedure, which is fundamental to ensure that Poste Italiane’s Corporate Regulatory System achieves its objectives. The Regulatory System regulates on the one hand the reference principles, architecture and life cycle of regulatory documents and, on the other, the roles and responsibilities of the various players involved in the document management process. It is therefore essential that these players, when drafting or updating company documents, know and apply the rules defined by the “Document Management” procedure;
Transport and dangerous goods safety
The Group has organised training courses on “Air Security”, aimed at employees responsible for guaranteeing, for air shipments, the performance of safety checks on goods or mail based on that established in the regulations and in agreement with ENAC. More specifically, the courses consist of “Initial Training” and “Periodic Updates”, distinguished by the activities/position in question.
Additionally, to guarantee the safety of employees responsible for driving heavy vehicles, the Group has organised a training programme for them, “CQC – Driver Qualification Cards”. Also in this case the course consists of “Initial Training” (issuing of the CQC) and later “Periodic Updates”.
Finally, to ensure regulatory compliance for the services provided by Poste Italiane in terms of dangerous goods transport, in 2021 the Company provided courses on “Dangerous Goods”. The training organised was structured around the method of transport used. For air transport, the course “Dangerous Goods Regulation” was offered, with specific training to support employees in properly managing dangerous goods. For road transport, the course “ADR: the European agreement concerning international transport of dangerous goods by road” was organised.

Poste Italiane, to strengthen its sustainable development strategy, launched “INSIEME 24 SI” in November 2021, a platform to gather ideas and contributions from the entire Group population. The platform involves all the various areas within the Company, consistent with the objective of responsible growth, the process of digitalisation and social cohesion, supporting proactive action, and to innovate and create shared value. As part of the Poste Italiane Strategic Plan “2024 Sustain&Innovate Plus”, “INSIEME 24 SI” represents a space in which the contribution of all stakeholders is taken into account, as contributors to achieving the Plan, inserted within the eight pillars of the sustainability strategy. More specifically, 24 January 2022 was the end of the phase for presentation of ideas, with 674 received, of which around 30% fall within the “Innovation” area and around 24% that of “People development”. Hence, the platform makes it possible to promote different people, ideas, skills and regions and create conditions that allow concrete projects to be begun, proposing innovative solutions able to generate a positive impact both in and out of the company.
The initiative, which will continue through 2024 in various cycles, implicitly favours the spread of a culture of innovation, preparing the Group to face the future transformations which are coming for Poste Italiane and the context in which it operates, developing adaptation skills and strengthening the Group’s ability to constantly renew itself.

In 2021, the Corporate University undertook a challenge to innovative the format of its training programmes, to continue to improve the learning experience of its beneficiaries. In fact, through the Corporate University, the Group continually looks for innovative didactic approaches, learning methods and tools for the training courses offered to all personnel. One of these approaches is gamification, using individual or team games as part of the training process. The main goal of this technique is to make use of fun to facilitate learning the skills needed for one’s job.
A practical application of this technique is the Cyber League, Poste Italiane’s cybersecurity tournament. The purpose of the training initiative is to increase employee knowledge of IT security, offering tools to prevent potential hacker attacks.
The event involved 11,500 Group employees who, divided into teams, faced off in a competition on cybersecurity issues.
The tournament included 12 training modules, one per week, each one lasting 30 minutes. Each module included three video lessons and a final test. After having watched the lessons, the employee answered a quiz to earn points, which combined with those of their team-mates resulted in medals and trophies.
Additionally, in addition to the Cyber League tournament, 2021 saw the start of other training initiatives with gamification, including the “Mission Is Possible” training course for over 160 back office services employees, focussed on Customer Centricity themes and the “Online Team Play” for 400 videocoding workings, aimed at team relations and integration themes.
The transformations, caused by the health emergency still under way, accelerated the process of modernising learning systems. In fact, in 2021 certain interesting experiments with innovative instruments were begun, with the aim of facilitating and making possible new methods of working and collaborating. In partnership with the Open Innovation function, the SkillGym platform was used to develop soft skills for 224 employees, who made use of “critical conversations” in simulated environments guided by artificial intelligence. Additionally, the TeamEQ app was focussed on teams and, through anonymous pulse surveys, made it possible to collect aggregate data that offered insights on how best to act to improve the efficiency of work groups.
Finally, innovation in training programmes also included managerial training. In fact, in 2021 the Corporate University began a numerous of dedicated initiatives which combined traditional learning and applied learning. The goal was to promote new immersive formats to strengthen, among other things, skills relative to change management, complexity management, decision making and problem solving.

NoidiPoste is the Poste Italiane app, developed to increase involvement and a sense of belonging for all Company employees, providing information about the services offered to them and facilitating usage of the same. The App is available from both the Apple and Adroid stores and has been downloaded around 140 thousand times, reflecting its not solely informational nature, offering the possibility to watch TG Poste at home in direct streaming, but also the richness of its working applications. In fact, NoidiPoste makes it possible to manage vacation and sick time and travel, making it easier to consult pay stubs and access job postings available, in the area dedicated to the corporate welfare programme. Additionally, the NoidiPoste app makes it easier to access the Poste Medical Centre, a centre of excellence for employees and pensioners, through which visits with specialists can be scheduled. All of these features contributed to the App winning at the Touchpoint Awards/ Engagement 2021 in the mobile marketing category, as well as at the 2021 edition of Intranet Italia Champions, an event dedicated to the most innovative initiatives and functions introduced through corporate intranets. Additionally, the NoidiPoste app is an important channel for listening, demonstrated by the “Your Opinion Counts” section, which offers a number of surveys, one of which determined that 90% of participants wanted to see the welfare portfolio directly on the app. Consequently, in 2021 a new function was developed for NoidiPoste, making it possible to see the welfare portfolio data in the app for those who participated in Poste Mondo Welfare 2021.

The company daycare PosteBimbi is active in Rome and Bologna for children of Group employees and, for a portion, children from municipal entities and third parties to provide support for the needs of local residents. The service is offered to over 90 families with children aged 3 to 36 months. For employees, the Company pays 55% of the monthly cost. The objective is to guarantee a flexible educational service, in relation to working rhythms, to combine professionalism and quality in respect of the values expressed by families. The distinctive nature of the educational programme is represented by the integrated relational approach used by all those involved in the process, from attention to eco-sustainability (e.g. at least 50% of food is organic, DOP, IGP and km 0 with the use of eco-compatible products), multiculturalism (bilinguism), as well as inclusion and educational alliance with families to support structured dialogue, also through the use of innovative communication methods. Among these, new opportunities for conversation and participation were utilised, such as an interactive app, seminar programmes for parental support, the creation of thematic webinars available to all employees, counselling service to give parents a possibility to be heard and reflect with regards to difficulties involved in the evolution and transition phases of their children.
To support vulnerable people and support family reconciliation, the ninth edition of the initiative dedicated to disabled children and siblings of employees was held, with two summer camps lasting fifteen days each which offered assistance and entertainment services for around 40 children provided by a team of specialised workers, providing an opportunity for socialisation and full integration and a possibility for families to have a period of respite from daily care taking requirements.

Poste Italiane has developed a new service named Poste in Pratica aimed at Public Administration bodies and citizens for submitting, checking, digitalising and sending administrative documents. The service was designed to simplify processes, streamline administrative work flows and improve submission times of administrative documents to Public Administration.
Any institutions who implement the initiative can use the Group’s widespread post office network to submit and send documents of any kind, or schedule pick-up of documents at home by a letter carrier. Citizens can use Poste in Pratica to send driver information in the event of traffic fines and to deregister property of a vehicle with the Italian Transport Police. Moreover, thanks to a newly signed partnership between the Region of Sicily and Poste Italiane, the Poste in Pratica service can now be used by pension recipients in Sicily, allowing them to send 63 different types of document towards the Pension Fund of the Region of Sicily by means of the post office network.
This service, furthermore, allows users to monitor the status of their document at any time, including through WhatsApp, by putting customers in contact with a Digital Assistant from Poste Italiane.

In order to support Italy during the extremely challenging period brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, Poste Italiane took on a leading role in the digitalisation process within Italy. Against this backdrop, during 2021 the Company supported consumers by processing twice as many settlements compared to 2020. Moreover, the Group’s employees continued to receive updates in the information newsletter “Focus Consumatori” (Consumer Focus), that examines the relationship between the Company and the consumers, showcasing important news and detailed analyses.
In addition, Poste Italiane will renew the framework agreement with the Consumer Associations, ushering in a new project called “Portale delle Associazioni” (Associations Portal), that will be an essential tool for innovation in all the Group’s activities. In accordance with the provisions of the “2024 Sustain & Innovate Plus” Plan, Poste Italiane is committed to the objective of digitalising the management processes within relationships with Consumer Associations, Trade Associations and other associations. This initiative emphasises the sustainable vocation of the Group, inasmuch as digitalisation enables both a reduction in environmental impact and greater inclusion and transparency, to the benefit of customers, consumers and businesses.

Thanks to the use of artificial intelligence and the digital assistant, Poste Italiane proactively manages customer requests, fostering the development of customer loyalty.
Specifically, in 2021, citizens who registered for Poste Italiane’s SPID (Public Digital Identity System) with the PosteID service were able to receive assistance and support through the digital assistant, including via telephone and online, 365 days. Moreover, the Group’s digital assistant also made it possible to request documents that citizens need to declare their income via ISEE (Equivalent Economic Situation Index) as well as wealth statements, such as the yearly report on insurance/financial products held in a Poste Italiane account. The digital assistant’s functionalities also comprise shipment tracking, thanks to the dedicated WhatsApp channel, and proactive assistance will be gradually extended to other areas, such as recovering login credentials for the website www.poste.it and the app.
Poste Italiane’s customer service solutions, driven by artificial intelligence (using the voice and chat channels), have enabled the orientation of over 20 million conversations regarding financial services and SPID. On the basis of this, the services will be extended to our insurance products and logistics offering. In this context, artificial intelligence does not only increase loyalty towards the Company, but also enables the Group to concentrate resources on more complex assistance activities and towards the sale of products and services.

Poste Italiane’s Punto Poste da te (Self-service Post Office) service, completely free of charge, enables users to manage shipments and payments from the comfort of their own home or office, at any time and any day, quickly and independently. The new digital Lockers, equipped with high-resolution screens, are a genuine “post office” that allows users, after registering, to receive parcels automatically, quickly and safely, even when you are not at home, simply by using a qr code to open the locker containing the parcel delivered by the courier. The new self-service machines, moreover, make it possible to send prepaid and franked parcels and collect signed-for mail, even when delivery confirmation is requested.
The Punto Poste da Te network, as a part of the wider “green delivery” model, promotes improved environmental sustainability in e-commerce, by concentrating the delivery of shipments in a single point, thereby optimising the logistical effort and avoiding the emission of 36 tonnes of CO2eq and 163 kg of atmospheric pollutants. The positive environmental consequences are also brought about by the correct disposal of packaging through municipal recycling.

PostePay plays a leading role in supporting the digital transformation, which has caused a significant increase in electronic money along with growth of the e- commerce phenomenon.
In the first half of 2021, 1.6 million users of digital transactions were recorded alongside a 130% increase in payments via app. In this fast- changing landscape, the Group has enacted measures to contribute decisively to improving the digital literacy of the Italian population, who were previously unfamiliar with digital payments. Furthermore, the Group has increased the possibilities of contactless payment in its physical network, even for small charges relating to day-to-day spending.
Lastly, as of October 2021, all Poste Italiane payment cards have been categorised as assets belonging to Poste Pay, which as a specialized intermediary has incentivised its range of innovative services for the benefit of all the Company’s customers.

Poste Italiane, through its subsidiary PostePay SpA, signed a binding agreement for the purchase of 100% of LIS Holding SpA (“LIS”) from its previous owner International Game Technology PLC (“IGT”) for a total of €700 million, based on an Enterprise Value of €630 million and net available cash of €70 million.
LIS operates in the Italian proximity payments market through a network of 54,000 authorised retail outlets and it offers services, such as bill payments, prepaid cards, phone top-ups, vouchers and other solutions for merchants and companies. By leveraging a proprietary paytech platform, LIS benefits from its economies of scale, technology and skills.
This acquisition will further strengthen Poste Italiane’s standing in the rapidly expanding payments market, creating value for the Company and all its stakeholders and marking another milestone in the Group’s integrated omnichannel strategy. Moreover, this transaction consolidates PostePay’s growth also in the proximity payments market and bolsters its acquiring services and SME offering, in keeping with the omnichannel strategy enshrined in the “2024 Sustain & Innovate” Plan.
The boards of directors of Poste Italiane and PostePay have approved the transaction which remains subject to the usual closing conditions, including attainment of the regulatory approvals. The closing is expected within the third quarter of 2022.

At the beginning of 2021, Poste Italiane inaugurated a new hub in Passo Corese in the province of Rieti. The environmental sustainability principles promoted by the Group are reflected in the next-generation automatic sorting system adopted at the new hub. Indeed, the hub in Passo Corese can process up to 140 thousand parcels a day, including extra- large parcels, thus ensuring rapid deliveries throughout the country.
In June 2021, in Landriano in the Pavia province, Poste Italiane also inaugurated the largest hub in Italy for e-commerce and express courier services, spread across 80 thousand square metres, 40 thousand of which are under cover. The adoption of advanced technological solutions enables the new logistics hub to process up to 300 thousand parcels a day, ensuring a rapid delivery service throughout the country. The automatic sorting system implemented in the Landriano hub uses the highest technological standards and operates on 4 interconnected machines that automatically sort the mail by destination and weight/volume on 694 outputs. This makes it possible to handle envelopes, small and extra-large parcels, with a capacity of up to 39,000 items an hour. The cutting-edge technology used also includes an innovative sorting system based on autonomous mobile sorting technology, equipped with 17 robots. Subsequently, the parcels are loaded directly onto the transport vehicles for distribution throughout Italy.
In line with the sustainability principles promoted by the Group, the new hub in Landriano is equipped with 2,500 solar panels installed on the roof which cover 80% of the plant’s energy needs, resulting in an annual reduction in CO2 emissions of 210 tonnes. It has a control system in place to save water and a full LED lighting system. Together with the hubs of Bologna, Piacenza and Passo Corese in Rieti, the new hub in Landriano forms the backbone of the Group’s sorting operations. The structure obtained the BREEAM In-Use Excellent certification, one of the most significant certifications at the international level in terms of sustainability, due to the design and construction decisions adopted.

The emergence of the worldwide pandemic generated and globalised need and fear but also hope, expectations, and social and economic trends amidst a widespread perception of great instability.
In the wake of the digitalisation and modernisation of the country, Poste Italiane has significantly invested in technology. As a result, it has had to reconcile technological change with the need for the business to remain flexible, proactive and reactive, and to strike a balance between its traditional physical presence and its new virtual dimension. The Group has adopted a decisive and radical knowledge-intensive approach, which sees human capital as a vitally important resource. In this perspective, combining the digitalisation of services with a constant and qualified presence on the ground is fundamentally important. Poste Italiane has succeeded in implementing both the physical and digital dimensions of the business, with over 121,000 employees and around 13,000 Post Offices and an increasing range of digital services accessible from home.
SPID and the development of the vaccination platform during the health emergency highlight the role of Poste Italiane in facilitating the technological transformation of the country.
This hybrid model became known as the “Platform Company”, a platform business that redesigns professions in line with new requirements and customs that require qualified local support, focusing on training in order to maximise the benefits deriving from the Company’s presence on the ground.

In 2021, in continuation of the process initiated in 2020, Poste Italiane, Postel and Microsoft Italia consolidated their partnership, offering customers the chance to purchase bundled offer packages aimed at simplifying business management until 31 December 2021. This initiative was part of a process of digital transformation already initiated by the Group, which facilitates the supply of advanced digital services to Italian businesses and the Public Administration.
Said partnership was built around three strategic initiatives: firstly, the creation of an “Ecosystem Platform for SMEs”; secondly, the development of the hybrid cloud National Platform and thirdly, focusing on the Group’s digital transformation process.
For business customers, various bundles relating to specific needs have been proposed; the Microsoft Standard package can be combined with the Poste Delivery Business, the Poste Italiane service designed for companies that send documents or goods to private and business recipients in Italy with delivery within two working days. It is also possible to add the Salva e-invia Web service, an integrated system of web-based services offered by Postel in order to simplify the sending of mail. Where an electronic signature is required on documents prepared using Microsoft packages, customers can use Poste Italiane’s Remote Digital Signature feature in order to securely sign electronic documents with legal value. Digital Date Certification is instead a Postel service that makes it possible to certify the date and time of production of any document. As above, the document has legal value also in this case, with the certainty of the date guaranteed by the Electronic Postal Certification Mark issued by Poste Italiane.

To emphasise the Group’s commitment to promoting an inclusive corporate culture, Poste Italiane has begun a series of courses offered through e-learning, on the central issues of Diversity & Inclusion. These meetings are intended for the entire workforce and, among the issues dealt with, include unconscious bias, that is cognitive mistakes based on prejudices and cultural stereotypes. These courses use a pragmatic approach, using situations typical of the Company, with the aim of managing fragility, creating an intergenerational view and mitigating impacts associated with conditioning.
Additionally, as part of develop and integration initiatives for the managerial community, Poste Italiane has begun the Smart Café project, conversations intended for managers to support dialogue with a high level of multiculturalism, at work but not only, through thematic courses available to increase the visibility of different cultures and knowledge, also in relation  to different generations. Using an innovative communication and relation method, the objective of the project is to generate a multicultural space to exchange contributions, points of view and different social, cultural and working experiences.

As in the previous year, Poste Italiane provided the online training programme “Business and Human Rights Protection”. This programme is open to all employees, with the goal of promoting knowledge and awareness of the main guidelines adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council. The course presents crucial issues in developing a culture that pays attention to human rights. The content was developed by SIOI (Italian Company for International Organisation) and is available through an innovative and dynamic digital learning method, including videos, readings and podcasts.
For Poste Italiane, the commitment to protect and promote human rights is a crucial element of corporate social responsibility, that the company undertakes and continues to support a culture of inclusion and closeness. The Group has joined the CEO Guide for Human Rights, presented by CSR Manager Network, the national association of professionals involved in the management of sustainability in enterprises The CEO Guide for Human Rights is a guide for companies that want to make a contribution with a positive social impact.

The economic crisis linked to the pandemic severely worsened already existing inequality and created it in new areas. In internal areas, already subject to differences, it will be much more difficult to restore the social fabric, making it fundamental to create opportunities for socialisation and work for the people who live there. Poste Italiane works with Forum del Terzo Settore to promote the development of internal areas through targeted projects and services and to support the reintegration in to work of the most vulnerable. The memorandum of understanding is part of the company’s sustainability policies and makes use of the widespread geographic distribution of the Group throughout Italy.
Additionally, this is the very first memorandum of understanding Forum del Terzo Settore has signed with a major company and defines and develops activities to promote corporate volunteering and the collection of funds for social projects in compliance with the Poste Italiane Code of Ethics. In fact, through the digital corporate volunteering platform, interested employees can find thousands of activities to support inclusion at work, with an eye to sustainable development and social responsibility. Through the initiative, 100 national organisations that are members of the Forum, representing over 158,000 local offices, will present projects that Poste Italiane employees can participate in as volunteers, outside of working hours.
Poste Italiane will participate in shared events and initiatives organised by Forum Nazionale del Terzo Settore and will establish a permanent working table with Forum, in line with its stakeholder engagement policies, making informational material available relative to Poste tools and products dedicated to the non-profit sector and to communities. The Forum will participate in activities and events organised by Poste Italiane, spreading information about the incentives offered by the Group among non-profits which are members of its organisation, to facilitate their utilisation by members. Additionally, the Forum will offer technical support to the Company when developing public financing proposals to support non-profit entities.

In March 2021, Poste Italiane conducted a survey promoted by Valore D, administered to 1,765 women with the aim of valuing female talent, The initiative involved women with a degree from the STEM area or with a work position associated with the same. The research involved the administration of a questionnaire. 32% of Group employees responded in full. The women in STEM model obtained from the analysis done by Poste Italiane shows a significant group, with an average age between 41 and 50 years (37.6% of respondents). Most respondents are middle managers (68.6%) and have at least one child (63.4%) in contrast to the general survey carried out by Valore D (only 48.1% have at least one child).
These women, specifically due to their parenting needs, state that they are more valued in their working environment, demonstrating the attention the Company pays to supporting motherhood.

For the second consecutive year, Poste Italiane participated in “4Weeks4Inclusion”, the largest intercompany marathon in Italy on diversity and inclusion. The event saw over 500 thousand participants with over 200 companies involved in the digital events held over 4 weeks, with some open to the public and thousands of interactions on social networks. The initiative, which was supported with articles on the company intranet NoidiPoste, is linked to the wider “European Diversity Month” project – 30 days promoted by the European Commission to raise awareness about the importance of diversity and inclusion at work and in society, throughout the EU.
Through 4Weeks4Inclusion, the Company carried out an initiative known as “From the Aquarium to the Sea: dialogue between generations at the company”, dedicated to the issues of intergenerational dialogue. The webinar touched on current and unique aspects with regards to sharing information, experience and perspectives between generations and offered considerations and points for reflection with regards to daily work within the Group.
During the meeting, various external speakers and Poste Italiane employees from different generations spoke, using Fishbowl methodology, entering the “fish bowl” to tell about their personal experience and point of view under a logic of complementarity and dialogue.
The webinar ended with an instant poll to identify participants’ thoughts on the main aspects and possibilities for improving this matter within the company, including a culture based on listening and the belief that sharing information can make a difference.

Thanks to PonyU, Poste Italiane’s partner in pharmaceutical logistics, the Company is able to offer “instant” delivery services – 30 minutes after the order is made or at a scheduled time, allowing the customer to select the time window during which the medicine will be delivered.
This is made possible thanks to the agreement between Poste Italiane and Pharmap. In fact, through pharmap.it or the “Pharmap – consegna farmaci” app, or the dedicated call centre, a customer requests the delivery of any product, including prescription medicine, by selecting a participating pharmacy. A Poste Italiane letter carrier collects the medicine and delivers it to the customer, who can either pay by credit card on the platform or upon delivery.
The Company aims to cover around 1,000 cities throughout Italy with this service, especially in smaller towns and those with a large senior population.

Amongst several initiatives to support small communities, in 2021, as in the previous year, Poste Italiane continued to support a project called P.A.I.N.T. (Poste e Artisti Insieme Nel Territorio), which started again after a period of interruption due to the health emergency. The project, launched in 2018, involves the redevelopment and decoration of the external walls of post offices by 22 street artists from all over Italy. The aim of the initiative is to promote the creativity of artists, to educate people about beauty and, at the same time, to make Post Offices more welcoming and closer to the areas that host them, indirectly improving the customer experience. Moreover, through P.A.I.N.T. the Group confirms its sensitivity towards environmental protection by adopting, for the realisation of the murals, technologies based on natural materials that help to reduce polluting emissions.
From the project, 8 docufilms have been made, broadcast on Sky Arte, which tell the story of the creation of the various works.

Taking advantage of Italy’s largest ground fleet, Poste Italiane has put itself at the service of the country to deliver vaccines.
From the start of the national vaccination campaign, SDA, Poste Italiane’s express courier, has delivered over 25 million doses of vaccines in Italy, with more than 2 million in just September 2021. This commitment is in addition to that made by the Company from a technological point of view, by developing the booking platform. The numbers achieved by SDA serve to confirm the commitment Poste Italiane has made to support the plan to immunize the Italian population and develop useful synergy with institutions.
To continue distribution, the Group’s fleet was reinforced in line with the needs of the country. In order to guarantee the correct management of the cold chain, all shipments were packed in professional isothermal containers, able to maintain the temperature at -2°C for more than 36 hours. Additionally, vehicles have been equipped with two types of cold rooms: one capable of guaranteeing a temperature of 0 to 10°C, the other of maintaining a temperature between -20° and +40°C. Throughout the voyage, a control platform makes it possible to verify the location of the material in real time. Poste Italiane had already undertaken this type of activity in the past, having transported and delivered 5 million kits (syringes, needles and diluent) and made its pharmaceutical delivery service available to municipalities.
This intervention for the good of the country demonstrates, on the one hand, the Group’s logistical and organisational capacity to reach Italian citizens and, on the other, its great social commitment to the entire Community.
In other words, Poste Italiane succeeded in modernising its IT infrastructure thanks to investments totalling € 2.8 billion in the Deliver 2022 Plan. This led to an improvement of cloud platforms, data management and API (Application Programming Interface).

In 2021, Poste Italiane enhanced its array of offerings, launching services which share the characteristic of working to achieve a sustainable future, in all senses. To that end, the Group promoted the “risparmiosemplice” formula, a savings plan without a fixed deadline and with a schedule set by the customer, based on 4- year interest-bearing postal certificates issued by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti SpA The service allows for automatic scheduled subscription of digital interest-bearing postal certificates in a BancoPosta current account or passbook held under the same name as the postal certificates. The sums arising upon maturity of the interest-bearing postal certificates, subscribed under the Plan, are automatically reinvested in the “risparmiosemplice” savings plan including, in addition to the capital invested, the interest accrued after taxes. Further, in 2021 Poste Italiane and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti approved the terms for a new agreement on postal savings accounts, which includes postal savings passbooks, for a total of € 103 billion, and on interest-bearing postal certificates, which come to around € 216 billion. The updated agreement with Cassa Depositi e Prestiti provides the Group with sustainable remuneration for the four year period from 2021-2024, with an annual commission for funding goals between € 1.6 and 1.85 billion. Poste Italiane confirms itself as a strategic pillar for the country with this agreement.
Additionally, as in 2020, initiatives continued in 2021 envisaged under the regulations, as well as voluntary projects to provide support for the economic fabric of the country, which was hit hard by the pandemic crisis. These initiatives were carried out in cooperation with partners, for which financing products were distributed, and involved projects to support businesses suffering difficulties, focussed on aspects such as access to credit, to protect households and SME.
Finally, Poste Vita has the goal of encouraging Italians to take out insurance policies, offering an array of services not subject to the volatility seen on the market during the months of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Again in 2021, Poste Italiane continued its Digital Education Project, with the objective of supporting the acquisition of digital skills by citizens, customers and businesses, to allow them to take advantage of the opportunities coming from the technological transformation in a knowledgeable and secure manner.
In particular, the series of meetings and webinars were focussed on various aspects, including the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence, understanding PEC (certified email) and digital signatures and the application of technology to the world of finance. Additionally, again in the context of the project promoted by Poste Italiane, the crucial elements for orienting oneself among the multiple sources of information available were examined, thanks to contributions from experts on developing critical thinking to fully take advantage of the opportunities supplied by the digital evolution. The Group’s Digital Education course also offered meetings to learn about the two factor identification system introduced by the PSD2 directive on payment services, outlining the multiple advantages in terms of security.
Finally, in the first half of 2021, the Poste Italiane Digital Education Project saw participation by over 41,000 customers, who were able to interact through the chat made available for each meeting.

Poste Italiane is one of the 600 signatories of the letter presented by the We Mean Business Coalition, a global non-profit association committed to fighting climate change, supported by the Global Compact, the global UN agreement to encourage companies to actively promote ethical behaviour and responsible business, which the Group has been a member of since 2019.
The letter asks the global leaders of the G20 to commit to acting decisively to reach the 1.5°C goal established in the Paris Agreement undertaking, for example, specific actions such as gradually eliminating the use and financing of carbon-based energy, the removal of fossil fuel subsidies and the committing of € 100 billion in financing for climate projects for developing countries. As seen on the website for the project, the collective commitment made by the companies is a fundamental factor in giving politicians the necessary confidence to take effective action on the climate and to eliminate political obstacles that may prevent companies from acting.
To that end, Poste Italiane is offering a significant contribution, by making environmental protection one of the foundations of its own sustainability strategy, as described in the strategic plan “2024 Sustain&Innovate Plus”.

Continuing the initiatives to redevelop green areas begun in 2020, Poste Italiane renewed its commitment in the environmental arena, starting in the Liguria region by launching the Pilot Green Project. In addition to new plantings, the key initiatives of the Project include a plan to update the fleet with green vehicles, as part of a wider plan of emissions reductions, while at the same time creating shared value for the country.
On 21 May 2021, the first Poste  Italiane urban “full green” area in Italy was presented in Imperia, dedicated to letter and parcel delivery. The Imperia delivery centre is the first of 750 mail distribution centres in Italy in which commitments to reduce Poste Italiane’s environmental impacts have been realised. As part of the project, the Group took care of the green area, planting 10 taggiasco olive trees, a species typical of Liguria and able to absorb significant amounts of CO2. The “full green” urban line was also achieved in Viareggio, where 6 metres of laurel bushes were planted, a species able to absorb significant amounts of CO2, combined with the installation of around 10 m2 of perennial plants.

The Group participated in celebrating Earth Day, the most important international event on environmental protection, established by the United Nations in 1970. In 2021, at the 51st edition, the Group confirmed its corporate strategy, aimed at integrating sustainability in all areas of Group business, with the objective of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. At the event, always on the front lines in terms of environmental protection, Poste Italiane decided to sponsor and contribute to the distribution of a stamp issued by the Ministry of Economic Development and dedicated to environmental sustainability. In addition to institutional projects, the Company believes strongly in the importance of individual contributions to combating the climate emergency. In this light, the Group created the illustrative brochure “ACT NOW”, consistent with the SDGs, which presents the 10 most important actions for sustainability

Through the Green Delivery model, the Poste Italiane Group has made proximity networks available to local areas which on one hand guarantee greater flexibility for customers and on the other generate environmental benefits.
In fact, Poste Italiane customers can make use of both the PuntoPoste network (consisting of 13,168 locations, including tobacconists, coffee shops, stationery shops, news-stands, Kipoint shops, Carrefour, API and 336 lockers) as well as the network of post offices to receive their packages, in alternative to delivery to their residence.
This delivery model also improves logistics efficiency for Poste Italiane, in that a larger number of packages are delivered to a single location, consequently reducing the number of trips made and kilometres driven by the fleet. During 2021, more than 4 million packages were delivered through the PuntoPoste and post office networks. This meant more than 2 million trips were saved, with around 277 thousand fewer kilometres driven by the Group’s fleet. The trips and kilometres avoided thanks to the Green Delivery model made it possible to prevent the emission of 36 tonnes of CO2eq and 163 kg of atmospheric contaminants (i.e. COVNM, NH3, SO2, NOx, PM10, PM2.5).
In particular, every package delivered using the Green Delivery model provided savings in terms of emissions of CO2eq and atmospheric contaminants of around 8.4 grams.

Benefits:

• > 2 million trips saved and around 277 thousand km not
driven

• 36 tonnes of CO2eq avoided and 163 kg of atmospheric contaminants

* every package delivered allowed for savings of 8.4 grams of CO2eq and atmospheric contaminants

Poste Italiane participated in the third edition of the Green Postal Day, an initiative organised by the International Post Corporation to enhance the contribution of postal operators to the reduction of CO2 emissions and the global fight against climate change. In particular, together with another 15 mail companies from around the world, the Group launched a campaign to highlight the environmental and commercial benefits deriving from commitments to reduce emissions. Poste Italiane’s commitments are especially focussed on the emissions generated by buildings and transportation. By 2030 it expects to hit the threshold of 50% of vehicles powered by alternative fuels and 75% of its energy coming from renewable sources.
This challenge is in line with that indicated in the “2024 Sustain&Innovate Plus” plan, presented by the Company on the subject of sustainability and in which the environmental aspect plays a leading role. The initiative for the postal sector, considering the goals achieved in advance of the established deadlines, makes use of the efficiency of cooperation with an eye to sharing best practices and stimulating individual companies to exceed their earlier objectives. The use of a shared measuring system also supports transparency and guides sustainability decisions.

Consistent with its belief that the financial sector, by pooling its forces and resources, can help mitigate the large-scale effects of the pandemic, the Group decided in 2021 to sign an open letter, namely the Global Statement in support of an effective, fair and equitable global response to Covid-19 promoted by the Access to Medicine organisations and directed at world leaders and the pharmaceutical industry in order to request a global, fair and more equitable response.
The statement brings together over 150 institutional investors, including BancoPosta Fondi SGR and Poste Vita, that all recognise the need for joint action in order to manage and restrict the reach of the negative effects to the pandemic. Through this statement, the participants, in addition to appealing to world leaders, international organisations and the pharmaceutical industry, also undertake to collaborate on these issues with the promoting association, Access to Medicine, and to engage with participants and issuers operating in the health sector.

For the Poste Vita Group, the weighted average ESG score for the investment portfolio in 2021 was 53/100 for Corporate issuers and 77/100 for Country issuers. The results obtained are higher than the ESG performance of the reference benchmarks, Ishares MSCI World ETF equal to 41/100 for corporate investments (equity + corporate bonds) and Xtrackers Global Government Bonds equal to 65/100 for government investments, confirming the high quality of the Group’s investments in terms of sustainability. With respect to the CFET (Carbon Footprint Energy Transition) analysis, the weighted average carbon footprint of its portfolio was 4,588,794 tCO2e, with an Energy Transition score of 54/100 for corporate issuers. Both indicators exceed the level of the benchmark Ishares MSCI World ETF (4,869,475 tCO2eq, score 43/100). Finally, the CFET of government investments was 416,073,054 tCO2eq and the Energy Transition score was 74/100.
With reference to BancoPosta Fondi SGR, the weighted average score for the portfolios relating to the company’s direct and indirect asset management (€118 billion of assets) was 53/100 for Corporate issuers and 76/100 for Country issuers. BancoPosta Fondi SGR also scored higher than the ESG performance of its reference benchmarks, Ishares MSCI World ETF at 41/100 for corporate investments (equity + corporate bonds) and Xtrackers Global Government Bond at 65/100 for government investments. This result confirms, once again, the high level of quality of the Group’s investments in the field of sustainability. Compared to the CFET analysis, the weighted average carbon footprint of the Company’s direct and indirect management portfolios (€118 billion of assets) was 4,587,294 tCO2e, with an Energy Transition score of 54/100 for corporate issuers. Both indicators resulted in a higher score than the benchmark Ishares MSCI World ETF (4,869,475 tCO2eq, Energy Transition score 43/100). The CFET of government investments was 482,542,037 tCO2eq and the Energy Transition score was 74/100.

The policies offered by Poste Vita currently include three multi-class products. Of these, the class III component can be invested, at the discretion of the underwriter, in the Internal Insurance Fund, Sustainability Objective, the management of which is oriented towards the selection of investments that follow ESG principles and, in particular, towards issuers that meet certain requirements in relation to environmental, social and governance performance, thereby contributing to global sustainable development. This investment option, which is envisaged for the Poste Progetto Dinamico New, Poste Soluzione Valore New and Poste Progetto Capitale products (the latter launched in 2022) allows gradual access to the markets, with a view to safeguarding the profitability of the customers’ investments against the volatility of the market, including responsible investment options according to ESG criteria.
Indeed, the Fund is managed according to a benchmark where the ESG indices constitute the main component in percentage terms and, among which, it is expected that 20% of the equity investments will go to issuers that are distinguished by their performance in terms of low carbon emissions in order to contribute, through the finance sector, to the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Consistent with the commitment assumed when signing the Principles for Sustainable Insurance in 2019 and with the promotion of operational transparency that is characteristic of the Poste Italiane Group, Poste Vita has undertaken to periodically report on the progress made in implementing the Principles, which are summarised below.

Principle 1 – Embed environmental, social and governance issues that are relevant to the insurance business into decision-making processes. • Allocation of responsibilities relating to ESG formalised at the senior management level: Board of Directors, Product Committee – ESG Assessment, Risk Office
• Continuous training on ESG issues for senior management and employees
• Presence of an “ESG Assessments” section in the Company’s Product Committee to be responsible for examining and assessing the criteria for defining the ESG profiles and the Company’s product catalogue
• Systematic assessment of the economic, social and environmental factors that can have an impact on people and, therefore, on the business in the long term, focusing in particular on social, technological, political, regulatory and environmental factors
• Development of insurance products with social and environmental value
• Integration of ESG criteria into investment activities in line with the Responsible Investment Policy, the Guidelines on the exercise of voting rights and the conduct of engagement activities and the Guidelines for investment in sensitive sectors adopted by the Company

Principle 2 – Work together with customers and business partners to raise awareness of environmental, social and governance issues, manage risk and develop solutions.
• ESG assessment of suppliers
• Take steps to raise awareness and involve suppliers through specific actions
• Share information relevant to ESG issues with customers

Principle 3 – Work together with governments, regulators and other key stakeholders to promote widespread action across society on environmental, social and governance issues.
• Membership of the UNEP FI Executive Committee
• Participation in key initiatives such as PRI, PSI, UN Global Compact
• Participation in national and international initiatives to discuss and promote Sustainability issues
• Participation in collective engagement initiatives
• Participation in the ESG Committee of the trade association

Principle 4 – Demonstrate accountability and transparency in regularly disclosing publicly the progress made in implementing the Principles.
• Periodic reporting on the performance of responsible investment and insurance and, in general on the sustainability of the Group using various tools including the Integrated Report in the Annual Financial Report, the PRI Transparency Report, PSI Progress Report, the company website and social media*.

* All the information concerning the application of the Principles for Sustainable Insurance and their evolution can be found in these documents.