Material issues – Poste Italiane

Poste Italiane Group adopts an integrated decision-making process, providing for specific actions aimed at creating value in the short, medium and long term and taking into consideration the connections and interdependencies among the many factors affecting the Company’s ability to create lasting value over time.

Poste Italiane Group’s Materiality matrix

The materiality matrix below summarises the priorities of Poste Italiane’s management (internal engagement), its personnel and all the categories of stakeholders with whom the Group interacts in the conduct of its business (external engagement). The matrix thus identifies eighteen themes it considers especially relevant and that are necessary to adequately understand the trends and economic, social and environmental impact of corporate activities. The order of priority of the issues has been defined taking into account the strategic relevance of each issue for the Company and the perceived importance for external stakeholders.

Description of material topics

MATERIAL TOPICS	WHAT THIS MEANS FOR POSTE ITALIANE
Innovation and digitisation of products, services and processes	Contribute to the modernisation of Italy and digital and technological evolution through the development of new products and services and the adoption of digital technologies to be incorporated into products, services and business processes, in order to be ready to respond to changes in scenario, new customer needs and opportunities offered by social and environmental changes.
Environmental impacts of logistics	Monitor the environmental impact of logistics activities and encourage a process of change aimed at safeguarding the environment by adopting lower-impact solutions regarding the provision of postal and logistics services, including: the use of hybrid/electric vehicles, rationalisation of distances travelled, correct waste management, development of recharging infrastructure for customers’ vehicles.
Work with transparency and integrity	Prepare appropriate internal control measures and spread a corporate culture within the organisation based on integrity, professional ethics and honesty in order to build relationships of trust with its stakeholders and conduct its activities correctly and transparently in every single operation, especially in combating active and passive corruption
Staff training and development	Guarantee our employees ongoing development of their knowledge and skills and the opportunity to reach their full potential through training courses aimed at ensuring growth and strengthening of know-how in line with the needs they and the market have expressed, also with a view to better managing business and organisational changes
Support for the socio-economic development of local communities	Contribute to Italy’s socio-economic well-being through direct, indirect and induced impacts in local areas (e.g. in terms of GDP and employment), and initiate or support social activities that respond to the needs expressed by society, including those identified through dialogue and collaboration with the third sector
Environmental impacts of real estate facilities	Spread a culture of respect for the environment and adopt concrete solutions for the efficient management of energy resources, water resources and waste, from a circular economy standpoint. For example, procurement of renewable energy, installation of renewable energy production plants, building efficiency projects, organisation of separated waste collection, etc.
Staff welfare and well-being	Provide staff with modern, flexible working tools and models that respond to specific personal needs and ensure work-life balance (e.g. smart working initiatives, improved maternity and paternity arrangements, the provision of benefits in the field of healthcare, etc.).
Occupational health and safety	Safeguard our people’s health, safety and physical and mental integrity, also in terms of workplace quality, and foster the development of a robust in-company culture in compliance with the highest national and international standards in this regard.
Financial inclusion	Extend the financial products and services offering to traditionally excluded categories, in order to guarantee access to services that are essential for economic livelihoods, and make the customer purchasing experience more aware via financial education initiatives, especially with regard to savings, investment, payments, pensions and insurance.
Dialogue and transparency in relations with the authorities	Promote systematic and transparent dialogue with national and local authorities, based on a quest for shared solutions that makes it possible to respond to communities’ social needs, positively affecting the social fabric in the areas in which the Company operates and, at the same time, increasing competitiveness and business continuity.
Cyber Security, IT Security and Privacy	Guarantee the privacy of customers’ data, protect intellectual property and provide an effective management system for IT security and cyber security in order to ensure business continuity, protect the information assets of the Company, customers and other stakeholders, and the security of transactions.
Quality and customer experience	Respect implementation deadlines and procedures for activities (level of service and performance) and provide customers with a quality experience that goes beyond making use of a traditional product or service. In addition, build a relationship of trust by activating customer engagement channels to be always informed on customers’ expectations, needs and satisfaction regarding products and services offered, and the correct management of complaints.
Relations with social partners	Consider dialogue with personnel and labour union representatives as essential in finding shared solutions relating to issues that can have significant impacts on the organisation, the business and above all human capital, a vital corporate asset for the Company.
Legality and incorporation of ESG criteria within the procurement process	Procurement processes based on pre-contractual and contractual behaviours aimed at achieving complete respect of legality and transparency, and adoption of selection, assessment and monitoring criteria to measure the social and environmental performance of suppliers, in order to guarantee high levels of functionality and quality for supplies and mitigate ESG risks.
Integration of ESG factors into investment policies	Incorporate ESG aspects within the investment process in order to better manage nonfinancial risks and consider new investment opportunities that also support sustainable development and a low-carbon future.
Equal career development opportunities	Ensure equal opportunities in the development of individual careers, by promoting career development paths for all employees regardless of their personal characteristics (age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, ethnic origin, nationality, political opinions and religious beliefs) in accordance with the principles of impartiality and non-discrimination.
Protection of human rights at the Company	Guarantee the protection of human rights and the promotion of non-discriminatory behaviours within the Group, including through compliance with recognised standards, incorporation of the risk of violation within the Group’s risk assessment model, and development of diversity elements (in terms of differences in age, gender, knowledge and experience) which foster the development of a “corporate culture” and a response to new challenges and market opportunities.
Integration of ESG factors into insurance policies	Incorporate ESG aspects within insurance policies, insurance product development strategies and customer communications.