We pursue our five-year environmental management strategy and objectives with a sense of urgency and responsibility.
Responsible environmental management policy leads to long-term competitiveness since our customers value our our sustainability stance.
We take care of the environment and respect environmental regulations, and also cooperate with the local community and beyond. Responsibility to the natural environment is included in our environmental and energy policy as well as the Krka Group’s sustainability policy. In 2001, we were awarded the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) certificate, which requires us to constantly reduce our environmental impacts. We integrated environmental care in the earliest development stages of our activities and projects.
The aim of the comprehensive environmental management system is: (i) a high level of environmental protection throughout the life-cycle of a product; (ii) constant reduction of our environmental impact; and (iii) to provide regulatory compliance. We are aware that the best effects can be achieved at the start of a process. In our case this is at the product development stage, selection of a raw material with a lower environmental burden, and in the production process.
We use the best available techniques to manage the waste that remains after certain processes and must not be reused according to strict requirements applicable to the pharmaceutical industry.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
We have committed ourselves to:
- Consider the sustainability aspect throughout the life cycle of a product;
- Constantly reduce our impacts on the environment and improve the situation as regards our environmental impacts in every way as we aim to achieve the goals of the European Fit for 55 package, the European Green Deal, carbon neutrality by 2050, the Resolution of the Republic of Slovenia on Long-Term Climate Strategy until 2050, and the taxonomy regulation (Regulation (EU) 2020/852 on the establishment of a framework to facilitate sustainable investment), and national legislations of the countries where we operate;
- Undertake the planned activities from the action plan for reducing our carbon footprint in the Krka Group,
- Reduce impacts on climate change in accordance with the best available techniques, guidelines, and legislations;
- Incorporate the efficient use of energy, water and other natural resources in our current operations, development strategy and investments;
- Increase the proportion of utilities using alternative and renewable resources;
- Apply the circular economy system in the waste management process;
- Upgrade the hazardous materials management system and reduce the environmental risk;
- Regularly monitor emissions for compliance with legislation and environmental protection permits;
- Ensure constant monitoring of direct and indirect carbon emissions in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol);
- Include the responsibility towards the natural environment to the largest extent possible in the activities of subsidiaries outside Slovenia;
- Increase employees’ responsibility for sustainable development through education and increased awareness about the environmental issues and promote the responsible environmental policy also throughout the value chain;
- Ensure the preservation of the ecological, biotic and landscape features of the natural world; Encourage the use of alternative, for the environment less harming means of transport to commute to work and act towards sustainable mobility.
ENVIRONMENTAL MILESTONES
Over the last five years, we have allocated more than €45 million to environmental protection, of that €12 million in 2022. Direct costs amounted to €7.7 million and included costs of waste water discharge and treatment, waste management, waste air treatment, noise reduction, monitoring costs, environmental levies and other direct costs of environmental protection. We invested €4.3 million in equipment and technology for environmental protection to further reduce environmental impacts.
We reduced disposable waste by 13%.
We reduced paper use by 9 tonnes by optimising the patient information leaflet design.
A total of 492 tonnes of waste composites were sent for processing, from which the contractor recovered 206 tonnes of aluminium and 255 tonnes of plastic.
We cut the specific energy use, measured in TJ per billion product units, by 6% on average over the past few years.
We reduced our carbon footprint by 320 t CO2-eq per year through our energy efficiency improvement projects
River water consumption was reduced by 4%.
We substituted 4.3% of river water used to supply cooling towers with rainwater.
We collect and analyse data about environmental management system by various methodological tools. We use all available resources, such as monitoring results for our processes or activities that can significantly impact the environment, findings of self-inspections and audits, internal audits, security checks, inspections, customer claims, and risk analyses. This demonstrates that the environmental management system is performing properly and efficiently, and also gives us an opportunity to make improvement. We report our findings on the efficacy of our environmental protection system to state authorities and other stakeholders.
The European Union has set down strict environmental standards for all Member States. We comply with them on all our markets around the world, incorporating our responsible approach to the natural environment in all our subsidiaries abroad to the highest extent possible.
We transfer good environmental protection practices to all subsidiaries through permanent cooperation, information exchange, and investment, always taking local legislation into account.
Each and every employee can contribute to better environmental protection results. We encourage our employees to constantly upgrade their knowledge and handle the environment with a high level of awareness. We significantly improved the response of individuals and groups by regularly raising awareness through our communication campaign Environment Counts which promotes energy saving, print savings and separate waste collection. We inform the public about our environmental activities via public announcements in the media and at seminars, symposia and round tables. We actively participate in the preparation of environmental legislation. We cooperate closely with professional and scientific organisations in Slovenia and abroad. Sustainable improvement of the environment also depends on good relationships with social environment representatives, especially our closest neighbours, since our activities have an impact on their living space and the quality of life.
Every other year we organise a traditional meeting with local residents, informing them of our actions, results and environmental protection plans. These meetings help us maintain an open dialogue and exchange opinions. We learn what the local community thinks and consider this when planning environmental goals and programmes.
Goals
- Constantly improve and upgrade the established Environmental Management System (EMS) in compliance with the ISO 14001 environmental standard and other commitments.
- Ensure: (i) compliance of buildings and technological equipment with planned functionality and requirements for quality and reliable operations throughout their life cycle; (ii) efficient use of energy; (iii) lowest possible hothouse gas emissions; (iv) lowest possible environmental impacts; and (v) safety of people and property.
- Undertake the planned activities from the action plan for reduction of our carbon footprint by 2025, 2030 and 2050.
- Become a carbon-neutral company by 2050 as far as electric and natural gas supplies are concerned.
- Increase the proportion of alternative environment-friendly and renewable energy sources by 3% per year on average.
- Ensure the procurement of renewable and low-carbon primary sources of energy.
- Ensure efficient use of energy, water and other natural resources.
- Reduce specific quantities of waste by 3% per year on average and apply the circular economy system in the waste management process.
- Constantly upgrade the hazardous material management system and reduce the environmental risk in order to prevent any environmental disasters.
- Increase by 30% the pool of electric vehicles and vehicles with minimal impacts on the environment by 2030.
OBJECTIVES BY 2026
Specific use of energy (TJ/billion pieces): < 80.00
Specific use of energy by production volume (TJ/billion pieces) in last years
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