What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2019 Integrated Report LW Bogdanka SA identified a range of material issues, such as employee health and safety, anti-corruption, energy and emissions, impact on biodiversity. Among these, protecting water resources stands out as a key material issue for LW Bogdanka SA.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards              

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups LW Bogdanka SA engages with:

To identify and prioritise material topics LW Bogdanka SA engaged with its stakeholders through the following channels:

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement
Employees	·      Mailing ·      Cyclical meetings with the Management Board ·      Announcement boards ·      Multimedia boards ·      Bogdanka company newsletter ·      Intranet ·      OHS communications ·      OHS screens
Investors	·      Regular contacts ·      Meetings with representatives of the Management Board ·      Publishing of periodic reports ·      Participation in industry meetings ·      Conferences
Local communities	·      Regular meetings twice a year with representatives of the public administration ·      Educational initiatives ·      Press releases ·      Interviews ·      Investor relations website ·      Sponsored articles ·      Partnerships ·      Letters of intent ·      Meetings ·      Cooperation within the framework of sponsoring ·      Donations ·      CSR actions
Customers	·      Ongoing communication ·      Meetings
Industry regulators	·      Contacts depending on current needs
Suppliers and subcontractors	·      Regular contacts on operational level depending on the current needs ·      Audits
Natural environment	·      Contacts depending on current needs ·      Meetings

What actions were taken by LW Bogdanka SA to protect water resources?

In its 2019 Integrated Report LW Bogdanka SA reports that it took the following actions for protecting water resources:

• Launching a Water Treatment Station
• Since 2015, in the context of the circular economy model, LW Bogdanka SA has been operating a Water Treatment Station. Thanks to this environmentally-friendly initiative, which was accompanied by modernisation of the sewage treatment plant in Bogdanka, the mine significantly reduces consumption of water. Benefits of the Water Treatment Station at LW Bogdanka SA include the following:
  • Potable water is produced from mine water and treated storm water, which secures the mine’s current and future needs (the water not only meets the applicable legal requirements, but also has better physical and chemical parameters than water from deep intakes).
  • Process water is produced from mine water and treated sewage and storm water, which secures current and future demand for various types of water, for example for fire-extinguishing purposes or for the Bogdanka field air-conditioning system.
  • Circulation of water, sewage and storm water is closed within the Bogdanka mining field, resulting in a decrease in groundwater withdrawal in Bogdanka and Stefanów by about 260,000 m3/ year and a decline in removed treated wastewater by about 300,000 m3/year.
  • A sewage treatment plant is now operating in accordance with applicable legal requirements and in a much more efficient manner.
  • Water for the firefighting water cooling system is to be produced – this project is due to take place in 2021–2022.
• Water production at the Water Treatment Station in LW Bogdanka SA is based on state-of-the-art technologies. This process includes pre-treatment of water, sedimentation, filtration, and demineralisation. In 2019, construction began and the next stage of the expansion of the Water Treatment Station and the sewage treatment plant was launched to fully close the water and sewage circuits. The last stream of filtrate from the Water Treatment Station was fed into the new treatment system and will no longer be returned to raw or mine waters. Therefore, the Water Treatment Station, together with the sewage treatment plant, is ready to generate only solid waste, apart from the production of process and potable water, and to feed all process leachates into the technological processes of water treatment or sewage treatment.

• Monitoring discharged water
• Unused mine water is pre-treated by LW Bogdanka SA in a tank before being discharged, in a controlled manner, along with any leachates from the mining waste treatment facilities, to the Świnka River through the Żelazny Ditch. In 2019, about 14,738 m3 was discharged a day. LW Bogdanka SA monitors the quality and quantity of the discharged waters in accordance with the guidelines contained in the discharge permit. Tests show that the maximum permissible parameters specified in the permit are not exceeded. Furthermore, coal mining does not pose any direct hazard to the nearby environmentally valuable lakes. Meanwhile, sewage from the Bogdanka field is treated and then added to process waters (there is no discharge of treated sewage into the environment). On the other hand, sewage from the Nadrybie and Stefanów fields is treated and then discharged into the drainage ditch.

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?

The GRI Standard addressed in this case is: Disclosure 303-4 Water discharge

Disclosure 303-4 Water discharge corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all
• Targets: 6.3

 

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

7 GRI sustainability disclosures get you started

Any size business can start taking sustainability action

GRI, ISEP, CPD Certified Sustainability courses (2-5 days): Live Online or Classroom  (venue: London School of Economics)

• Exclusive FBRH template to begin reporting from day one
• Identify your most important impacts on the Environment, Economy and People
• Formulate in group exercises your plan for action. Begin taking solid, focused, all-round sustainability action ASAP. 
• Benchmarking methodology to set you on a path of continuous improvement

See upcoming training dates.
References:

1) This case study is based on published information by LW Bogdanka SA, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:

http://database.globalreporting.org/

2) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

Note to LW Bogdanka SA: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2020 Sustainability Report INPEX identified a range of material issues, such as complying with laws, preventing bribery and corruption, respecting human rights, securing occupational health and safety, strengthening climate-related risk management. Among these, promoting sustainable water use stands out as a key material issue for INPEX.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards              

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups INPEX engages with:

To identify and prioritise material topics INPEX engaged with its stakeholders through the following channels:

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement
Project Partners	·      Regular meetings ·      Regular communication
Contractors	·      Indication of qualifications to prospective suppliers ·      Briefings on qualifications ·      Regular meetings ·      HSE Audits
Customers	·      Designated contact ·      Provision of product information ·      Identification of customer needs at service ·      stations
Shareholders and Investors	·      The General Meeting of Shareholders, briefings and exhibitions, IR meetings ·      Issuance of reports (securities report, annual report, presentation slides, etc.)
Local Communities	·      Environmental and social impact assessment ·      Community briefings ·      Various pamphlets ·      Social contribution activities
NGOs	·      Information gathering to solve global social issues ·      Round-table discussions
Employees	·      Face-to-face meetings with managers ·      Consultation between labour and management ·      Various training and study abroad programmes ·      Internal magazines
Oil and Gas Producing Countries	·      Communication at each project phase (tender, approval process of development plan; development and production; decommissioning)

What actions were taken by INPEX to promote sustainable water use?

In its 2020 Sustainability Report INPEX reports that it took the following actions for promoting sustainable water use:

• Identifying high water stress areas
• INPEX has checked to see whether its operational sites are included in a high water stress area using “AQUEDUCT,” a water risk mapping tool developed by World Resources Institute (WRI). The tool is used to assess and investigate water availability prior to the commencement of a project. As of December 31, 2019, there were no projects operating in high water stress areas.
• Promoting the efficient use of water resources
• The effective utilisation of water resources is one of INPEX’s corporate environmental targets. Based on this target, INPEX strives to use water resources efficiently in its domestic and overseas operational sites. INPEX’s domestic sites use tap water, industrial water and groundwater as coolants. Groundwater is also used as a coolant for power generation and for snow melting. INPEX has adopted a circulating system for cooling water and installed a sensor equipped with an automatic shutoff system for snow melting to reduce water consumption. For overseas projects, from FY 2019, INPEX started field surveys of water use at facilities within the LNG plant of the Ichthys LNG Project which started operation in FY 2018. To reduce water use at the plant, INPEX is looking into the feasibility of reusing water—such as wastewater from processing as well as wastewater and condensed steam from power generation facilities—taking into consideration cost effectiveness.

• Developing water treatment technology
• From FY 2015 to 2017, INPEX conducted a pilot project at its Sotoasahikawa plant in Akita Prefecture in collaboration with Chiyoda Corporation and METAWATER, under the support of JOGMEC (Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation) to test the ceramic membrane filtration of produced water. This technology is expected, once established, to further reduce the environmental negative impacts of produced water discharges. The joint studies have started to collaborate with JOGMEC since FY 2018 and the pilot test for commercial use of this technology has been currently ongoing. Together with achieving a total operation time of 10,000 hours by March 31, 2020, INPEX has constructed a produced water processing facility and continues to operate without accident and occupational injury during the entire operating period of approximately four and a half years.

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?

The GRI Standard addressed in this case is: Disclosure 303-1 Interactions with water as a shared resource

Disclosure 303-1 Interactions with water as a shared resource corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all
• Targets: 6.3, 6.4, 6.A, 6.B
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
• Targets: 12.4

 

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

7 GRI sustainability disclosures get you started

Any size business can start taking sustainability action

GRI, ISEP, CPD Certified Sustainability courses (2-5 days): Live Online or Classroom  (venue: London School of Economics)

• Exclusive FBRH template to begin reporting from day one
• Identify your most important impacts on the Environment, Economy and People
• Formulate in group exercises your plan for action. Begin taking solid, focused, all-round sustainability action ASAP. 
• Benchmarking methodology to set you on a path of continuous improvement

See upcoming training dates.
References:

1) This case study is based on published information by INPEX, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:

http://database.globalreporting.org/

2) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

Note to INPEX: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2018 Corporate Sustainability Report PTI identified a range of material issues, such as business performance, workplace safety, ethical management, regulatory compliance, supplier management, labour rights. Among these, optimising water use stands out as a key material issue for PTI.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards              

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups PTI engages with:

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement
Shareholders/ Investors	·      Shareholder meetings ·      Public financial reports ·      Investor conferences ·      Spokesperson and investor relations department ·      Company website
Employees	·      Employee welfare committee ·      Electronic platforms and company announcements ·      Policy improvement proposals ·      Labour-management meetings ·      Employee mailbox ·      Occupational safety and health committee ·      Employee psychological counselling ·      The World of PTI Quarterly
Customers	·      Business meetings ·      Customer satisfaction survey ·      Customer complaint system ·      Customer audit
Suppliers	·      Supplier meetings ·      Supplier audit ·      Supplier assessment ·      Supplier Social Responsibility Communication Workshop
Government Agencies	·      Official letters and emails ·      Advocacy meetings and hearings by the authorities ·      Issuing official letters
Communities	·      Company website ·      Public contact of the factory management department ·      Courses and visits

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics PTI engaged with its stakeholders through an online and paper-based survey, recovering a total of 541 valid copies of the survey’s questionnaire.

What actions were taken by PTI to optimise water use?

In its 2018 Corporate Sustainability Report PTI reports that it took the following actions for optimising water use:

• Promoting process water conservation
• PTI is keen on the utilisation and protection of water resources and has actively implemented, since 2009, a Process Wastewater Recycling System in all its plants, solving the problem of large amounts of silicon dioxide particulate matter from the process of wafer dicing and grinding. With the use of ultra-filtration, PTI filters out insoluble solids through the hollow fiber membrane, and steadily recycles and reuses the wastewater from the dicing and grinding process. The PTI Taiwan Plants capable of packaging process water recycling are the Hsinpu Plant (Plant 1), Hukou Plant (Plant 2), Datong Plant (3A Plant), Datong Plant (3C Plant), and Hsinchu Science Park Plant (P8). These Plants are installed with dicing/grinding wastewater recycling systems and the manageable hourly volume is designed based on the estimation of production needs. In response to PTI’s production plans the recycling systems are constantly expanding, with the recycling equipment efficiency rate reaching more than 85% from 2014 to 2018. The packaging process water consumption in 2018 was 2,388,357 tons, increased by 53,919 tons from 2017 – approximately a 2.3% increase – and the recycled water from the packaging process in 2018 was 1,227,588 tons, increased by 175,394 tons from 2017 (approximately a 16.7% increase). PTI continues to optimise the system, to increase water recycling volume and recycling effectiveness. In 2018, PTI Taiwan’s recycled water from the production process had a ratio of 90%, while recycled water from the packaging process had a ratio of 34%.

• Following the ISO 14046 Water Footprint Standard
• PTI cares about the issue of water resources and spontaneously and proactively takes part in the projects of the Industrial Development Bureau, Ministry of Economic Affairs. PTI follows the ISO 14046 Water Footprint Standard and has established the procedure for the inventory check of the water footprint of products, tools, forms, and fundamental inventory check ability, among others. The complete water management system is set up in order to meet the international requirement for disclosing water information. PTI’s Hukou Plant (Plant 2), Datong Plant (Plant 3A), and Datong Plant (Plant 3C) passed the verification procedure of SGS Taiwan Ltd. in 2017 and acquired the organisational and product (Flash) water footprint verification declaration, continuing to promote consistent water resource management within the factory and reducing the consumption of water resources, ensuring co-existence and co-prosperity between business operation and the environment.

• Managing wastewater responsibly
• PTI’s factories follow the applicable wastewater treatment requirements of the competent authority, with wastewater going through the factory sewage treatment system and processed till it reaches the effluent or control criteria before it is released. Wastewater management is also done through the real-time monitoring equipment and the flow meter and detector are calibrated periodically in order to ensure the accuracy of data and the stability of the processing system. Meanwhile, the plants go through impromptu water quality inspections from the competent authority and have been meeting the requirements. For rainwater gutters, periodic monitoring is carried out as well, in order to prevent against impacts from overflowing of wastewater to an external environment as a result of a storm. The total amount of wastewater discharged by PTI TW in 2018 was 1,784,241 tons, a decrease of 18,867 tons from 2017, mainly because of the increased re-utilisation rate of recycled water and the reduced emissions of wastewater (sewage).

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 303-1 Water withdrawal by source

2) Disclosure 303-3 Water recycled and reused

3) Disclosure 306-1 Water discharge by quality and destination

4) Disclosure 413-2 Operations with significant actual and potential negative impacts on local communities

 

Disclosure 303-1 Water withdrawal by source corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• Business theme: Sustainable water withdrawals

Disclosure 303-3 Water recycled and reused corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• Business theme: Water efficiency, Water recycling and reuse
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
• Business theme: Water efficiency
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
• Business theme: Water efficiency

Disclosure 306-1 Water discharge by quality and destination corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages
• Business theme: Water quality
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• Business theme: Water quality, Water-related ecosystems and biodiversity
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
• Business theme: Water quality
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
• Business theme: Water discharge to oceans

Disclosure 413-2 Operations with significant actual and potential negative impacts on local communities corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
• Business theme: Access to land
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
• Business theme: Access to land

 

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

 

 

FBRH GRI Standards Certified & ISEP recognised Sustainability Course | Venue: London LSE

By registering for the next 2-day FBRH GRI Standards Certified & ISEP recognised course you will be taking the first step in gaining the many benefits of sustainability reporting.

 

References:

1) This case study is based on published information by PTI, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:

http://database.globalreporting.org/

2) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

Note to PTI: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2019 Sustainability Report Oriflame identified a range of material issues, such as female empowerment, economic and value creation, sustainable sourcing, climate impact, sustainable packaging. Among these, reducing its impact on water resources stands out as a key material issue for Oriflame.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards              

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups Oriflame engages with:

To identify and prioritise material topics Oriflame engaged with its stakeholders through the following channels:

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement
Employees	·      Employee NPS – quarterly survey collecting information and feedback on important elements of employee satisfaction and experiences ·      CEO Connect – annual live broadcast where employees ask the CEO questions both during and in advance of the event ·      Continuous trainings and feedback, e.g. the Oriflame way ·      Dialogue and sharing through Oriflame’s intranet and internal social media
Consultants	·      Consultant NPS – permanent feedback from Consultants about experiences and possible improvements ·      Business meetings, trainings, conferences and events ·      Sustainability study – through a web panel collecting information on what Oriflame’s Consultants prioritise most regarding sustainability
Investors	·      Meetings/calls with investors ·      Conference calls for the financial community in connection to quarterly reports ·      Attending seminars for the financial community ·      Corporate affairs meetings incl. Direct Selling Association (DSA) meetings ·      Yearly roadshows ·      Responding to ongoing investor questions and data reporting requests
Consumers	·      Consumer research, primarily product focused ·      Consumer surveys, sometimes including Oriflame Consultants in their role as consumers ·      Oriflame Brand Image Index, OBII (Annual)
Suppliers	·      Regular meetings/site visits with Oriflame teams regarding purchasing, packaging etc. ·      Regular sustainability site audits ·      Supplier self-assessment survey
NGOs	·      One-on-one meetings discussing both general strategy and more specific topics ·      Discussions at industry events
Society	·      Participation in industry initiatives and standardisation bodies ·      Community involvement, including Oriflame Foundation initiatives ·      Participation in conferences and events

What actions were taken by Oriflame to reduce its impact on water resources?

In its 2019 Sustainability Report Oriflame reports that it took the following actions for reducing its impact on water resources:

• Stopping using plastic microbeads and plastic glitter in cosmetic rinse-off products
• Microplastic contamination is identified as a cause of water pollution. A variety of pollution sources have been identified, including the use of plastic microbeads in cosmetic formulations. Oriflame has therefore decided to stop using plastic microbeads and plastic glitter in its cosmetic rinse-off products and started testing alternatives in early 2013. Oriflame identified a number of alternatives of natural origin, including plant waxes, nutshells and seeds that all met its high performance and safety expectations. By the end of 2016, Oriflame had stopped manufacturing older rinse-off products with plastic microbeads and glitter and, in 2019, continued to use only natural origin scrubs in all of its exfoliating cosmetic products.

• Increasing raw materials’ biodegradability
• Rinse-off products have a high end-of-life impact. They end up in the water system and may have an impact on ecosystems. It is therefore important to Oriflame that it improves its raw materials’ biodegradability. Oriflame’s goal is that all newly developed skin care and personal care rinse-off products will be biodegradable by 2025. To add credibility to its developments, Oriflame independently tests its products to make sure they pass the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) testing protocol for biodegradability. This is also a vehicle to help educate Oriflame Consultants and consumers about responsible product usage and respect for water resources. In 2019, Oriflame relaunched the Love Nature skin care range with all rinse-off products having biodegradable formulations. Not only are the formulations biodegradable, but they also contain organically sourced extracts and natural origin exfoliants. Additionally, the material Oriflame uses to make cosmetic wipes, cloth sheet masks and nail polish remover pads has been biodegradable since 2015. This means the material will break down naturally, as long as it is disposed of correctly and not flushed down the toilet.

• Improving water management at manufacturing sites
• At the end of 2019, Oriflame sent out water questionnaires to five of its manufacturing sites to collect more information about their water usage. Oriflame’s wellness factory in China was excluded from the water reporting, since they manufacture products that do not require water. Oriflame’s manufacturing sites withdraw groundwater from wells and/or water from a municipal supply source. To make sure it has a secured water supply, Oriflame either has two wells on site or complements one well with a municipal supply. Four of Oriflame’s manufacturing sites have effluent treatment plants, where the wastewater is discharged into the municipal sewage network after treatment. Oriflame’s wellness factory in India is designed to reuse 100% of its water, for example by using the water from the effluent treatment plant for irrigation purposes. Rainwater is collected in rainwater harvesting pits at two sites, to replenish groundwater (Wellness factory, India) and to reuse for lawn watering (Russia). All manufacturing sites have water meters installed that are measured daily and/or weekly. So far, none of these manufacturing sites have experienced major water delivery interruptions. Oriflame focuses on improving water efficiency and is committed to reducing water use at its manufacturing sites by 15% per produced unit (compared to a 2015 baseline) by 2020. Since 2015, the water usage per produced unit decreased by 18%.

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 303-1 Interactions with water as a shared resource

2) Disclosure 303-2 Management of water discharge-related impacts

3) Disclosure 303-3 Water withdrawal

 

Disclosure 303-1 Interactions with water as a shared resource corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• Business theme: Sustainable water withdrawals

Disclosure 303-2 Management of water discharge-related impacts corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages
• Business theme: Water quality
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• Business theme: Water quality, Water-related ecosystems and biodiversity
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
• Business theme: Water quality
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
• Business theme: Water discharge to oceans

Disclosure 303-3 Water withdrawal corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• Business theme: Sustainable water withdrawals

 

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

7 GRI sustainability disclosures get you started

Any size business can start taking sustainability action

GRI, ISEP, CPD Certified Sustainability courses (2-5 days): Live Online or Classroom  (venue: London School of Economics)

• Exclusive FBRH template to begin reporting from day one
• Identify your most important impacts on the Environment, Economy and People
• Formulate in group exercises your plan for action. Begin taking solid, focused, all-round sustainability action ASAP. 
• Benchmarking methodology to set you on a path of continuous improvement

See upcoming training dates.
References:

1) This case study is based on published information by Oriflame, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:

http://database.globalreporting.org/

2) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

Note to Oriflame: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2017 CSR Report Wistron identified a range of material issues, such as economic performance, environmental and socioeconomic compliance, product development, customer privacy, occupational health and safety. Among these, promoting sustainable water use stands out as a key material issue for Wistron.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards              

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups Wistron engages with:

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement
Customers	·      Regular business review meetings
Employees	·      Business overview meetings ·      Quarterly welfare committee meetings ·      Wistron Employee Relations Committee ·      New supervisor training ·      Orientation to new employees ·      New employee seminars ·      Performance reviews
Customers	·      GP, CSR, RBA, QPA/QSA audits ·      Customers’ GP/environmental protection requirements Customer satisfaction survey ·      Customers’ supplier conferences ·      Questionnaire survey for CSR topics ·      Product RFQ
Suppliers	·      Green Product Management (GPM) System ·      SQP system ·      Onsite inspections ·      Supplier workshops ·      Vendor conferences ·
Shareholders/ Investment Institutions	·      Company (quarterly/annual) financial reports ·      Annual reports ·      Investor seminars ·      Annual shareholders’ meetings ·      Investor meetings ·      Material information on the Market Observation Post System ·      Corporate social responsibility reports ·      Company website
Competent authority for securities	·      Official documents ·      Company website ·      Market Observation Post System ·      Questionnaires and related briefings
Environment and charity groups	·      Project meetings ·      Semi-annual/ annual report
Media	·      Financial report ·      Online investor conferences ·      Company website ·      Press conferences ·      News release
Directors (including independent directors)	·      Board of Directors
Independent directors	·      Audit Committee

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Wistron carried out a questionnaire survey among its stakeholders, collecting a total of 217 questionnaires.

What actions were taken by Wistron to promote sustainable water use?

In its 2017 CSR Report Wistron reports that it took the following actions for promoting sustainable water use:

• Reducing plant water consumption
• A number of plants and offices at Wistron typically use tap water, except for its Mexico plant, where groundwater is used. The Mexico plant is located in an industrial park which is not a preservation zone or water supply reservoir, so water usage does not affect the local environment or biodiversity. The production lines at Wistron, except for those in Taizhou plant and Kunshan OPT plant, are primarily composed of the assembly line, which does not require the use of water. The plants primarily use water resources in domestic activities and cooling towers and water replenishment for air conditioners. Large volumes of pure water are used in the processes of the Taizhou plant, accounting for 12.81% of total water consumption. To effectively manage and reduce water usage Wistron takes the following actions:
  • Making promotional posters and strengthening water conservation advocacy among employees
  • Taking records on the water meter on a daily basis, tracking water levels, and responding immediately to any leakages or irregularities
  • Retrofit old and water-consuming equipment
  • Using equipment with water conservation labels
  • Cleaning water towers every year
  • Inspecting the quality of drinking water every year

• Implementing water conservation plans and projects
• To achieve its goal in water conservation, Wistron has devoted robust efforts to promoting all types of water-conserving projects, including: The Taipei Headquarters and Hsinchu plant plan to use a raft foundation water collection engineering to collect rainwater for reuse in cooling towers, thereby reducing the use of tap water and lowering overall water consumption. Wistron’s Mexico plant is also planning and constructing a water treatment facility to process domestic wastewater for reuse in irrigation. Wistron introduced water recycling measures to several plants, to reduce their water consumption. They recycled 173,650 tons of water in a single year, which accounts for 3.27% of their total water consumption. Compared with 2016, this reflects a reduction of 2.55% based on water consumption per revenue unit (km3 water consumed/NTD billions of revenue). Furthermore, Wistron has also started to develop a product water footprint inventory method with reference to ISO 14046, to monitor the influence of its products on water resources. 

• Using a smart water meter
• For a more effective water management, Wistron’s Chengdu, Kunshan, and Chongqing plants have initiated a smart water meter project, which integrates smart water meter signals into the energy billboard management system to display the plant’s water consumption status, thus enabling administrators to monitor and analyse the consumption of water in different regions, identify the cause of irregular consumption, and devise a proper solution.

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 303-1 Water withdrawal by source

2) Disclosure 303-2 Water sources significantly affected by withdrawal of water

3) Disclosure 303-3 Water recycled and reused

 

Disclosure 303-1 Water withdrawal by source corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• Business theme: Sustainable water withdrawals 

Disclosure 303-2 Water sources significantly affected by withdrawal of water corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• Business theme: Sustainable water withdrawals

Disclosure 303-3 Water recycled and reused corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• Business theme: Water efficiency, Water recycling and reuse
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
• Business theme: Water efficiency
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
• Business theme: Water efficiency

 

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

FBRH GRI Standards Certified & ISEP recognised Sustainability Course | Venue: London LSE

By registering for the next 2-day FBRH GRI Standards Certified & ISEP recognised course you will be taking the first step in gaining the many benefits of sustainability reporting.

 

References:

1) This case study is based on published information by Wistron, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:

http://database.globalreporting.org/

2) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

Note to Wistron: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2019 Integrated Sustainability Report CDL identified a range of material issues, such as energy efficiency and renewable energy, product quality and responsibility, occupational health, safety and well-being, cyber security and data governance, product safety and customer well-being, talent attraction, retention and development. Among these, promoting environmental compliance stands out as a key material issue for CDL.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The organization should identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups CDL engages with:   

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement
Employees	·      Regular dialogue sessions, town halls and forums fronted by Senior Management ·      CDL 360 – Company intranet ·      Daily news bulletin ·      Staff Connect (SC) – an inter-department committee that organises company-wide activities to foster work-life balance and reinforce team spirit ·      Frequent employee activities ·      Biennial Employee Engagement Survey ·      Employee Assistance Programme (counselling service) ·      Employee grievance handling procedures ·      City Sunshine Club (CSC) – employee volunteering platform
Customers	Homebuyers: ·      Integrated customer and call centre ·      Homebuyer e-portal ·      Residential services ·      Green Living Guides ·      Defects management tracking app and procedures ·      Post-TOP customer satisfaction surveys ·      Show suites feedback system Tenants: ·      CDL Green Lease Partnership Programme ·      CDL Green Ambassadors ·      Green fitting out kits ·      Project: Eco-Office kits ·      Recycling programme ·      1°C Up Campaign ·      Curated events and activities for C-suites and office community (e.g. Healthy Workplace Ecosystem and Health screenings) ·      Annual tenant satisfaction surveys ·      Precinct improvement with Raffles Place Business Improvement District
Builders and suppliers	·      Policies including climate change, EHS, human rights and universal design ·      Supplier code of conduct ·      Green procurement specifications ·      CDL 5-Star EHS assessment ·      Quarterly seminars and peer sharing ·      Annual EHS Awards ·      Declaration of EHS commitment through letter and pledge-signing ·      EHS risk assessments at concept, design and construction stages ·      Construction vision casting ·      Bi-annual vendor evaluation
Investors, analysts and media	·      Annual General Meetings ·      Bi-annual financial results briefings and webcasts ·      Quarterly financial results announcements ·      Regular analyst and investor meetings ·      Post-results luncheons ·      Non-deal roadshows ·      Conferences, meetings and site visits ·      Media releases and interviews ·      Annual reports ·      Integrated sustainability reports ·      Company website ·      Sustainability microsite ·      Timely response to ESG rating agencies and analysts ·      Global sustainability rankings and indices
Government agencies and regulators	·      Senior management representation on boards of various industry bodies ·      Participation in tri-sector and sustainability-related consultations and dialogues ·      Longstanding partnership of various national programmes ·      Thought leadership in support of public policies and regulations pertaining to sustainability, green buildings and reporting
Community	·      Public communications plan with residents within a 100-metre radius of new developments ·      Builders’ contact details displayed at construction sites for public feedback ·      Participation in sustainability-related conferences/forums ·      Consultation and dialogues with academics, NGOs, and business associations ·      Annual reports ·      Integrated sustainability reports ·      Company website and social media ·      Corporate advertisements ·      Collaborations with charity and NGOs partners for community development ·      Universal design for homes and offices

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics, CDL engaged with its stakeholders through an online survey and one-on-one stakeholder interviews.

What actions were taken by CDL to promote environmental compliance?

In its 2019 Integrated Sustainability Report CDL reports that it took the following actions for promoting environmental compliance:

• Managing construction noise
• In Singapore, NEA (National Environment Agency) regulates the noise levels from construction sites with a set of permissible noise limits that vary depending on the time of the day and neighbouring premises. To protect nearby residents, CDL makes sure its builders comply with the construction noise limits at all construction sites. To minimise noise-related complaints, builders are encouraged to put in place an active management programme, and to take all necessary action to address and resolve related complaints. As part of CDL’s efforts to keep the community informed about construction status, schedules of the progress at each site are communicated to pre-empt the community about upcoming works that may affect them.

• Implementing vector control at construction sites
• To keep the incidence of vector-borne diseases low in Singapore, local authorities leverage on vector management systems complemented by education, enforcement, and continuous research to achieve this goal. Recognising that construction sites, if not well managed, could become environments for mosquito breeding and rodent infestation, CDL works closely with its builders to make sure effective systems are in place to prevent pests, curb dengue transmission and protect workers and residents around work sites against dengue fever. Besides making sure that its builders schedule and carry out regular housekeeping on site, CDL requires that they maintain comprehensive pest surveillance and control programmes. Additionally, CDL actively engages its contractors and their workers through awareness building and educational talks, to ensure effective vector control and minimise incurring fines for vector breeding.

• Managing water discharge at construction sites
• The discharge of wastewater into the public sewerage system and open drains, canals and rivers is strictly regulated by the PUB (Public Utilities Board) and NEA (National Environment Agency). CDL works closely with all its contractors to track the quality of water discharged to public sewerage and drainage systems, and to make sure that Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) readings of the discharged water do not exceed the legal limits. At all construction sites, Earth Control Measures (ECM) and live-monitoring and alert systems are used to prevent silt from polluting CDL’s waterways. If the TSS limits are exceeded, prompt corrective actions, such as lean concreting to prevent soil discharge, are implemented.

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed? 

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 303-2 Management of water discharge-related impacts

2) Disclosure 303-4 Water discharge

3) Disclosure 307-1 Non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations

 

Disclosure 303-2 Management of water discharge-related impacts corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages
• Business theme: Water quality
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• Business theme: Water quality, Water-related ecosystems and biodiversity
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
• Business theme: Water quality
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
• Business theme: Water discharge to oceans

Disclosure 303-4 Water discharge corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages
• Business theme: Water quality
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• Business theme: Water quality, Water-related ecosystems and biodiversity
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
• Business theme: Water quality
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
• Business theme: Water discharge to oceans

Disclosure 307-1 Non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
• Business theme: Compliance with laws and regulations

 

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

7 GRI sustainability disclosures get you started

Any size business can start taking sustainability action

GRI, ISEP, CPD Certified Sustainability courses (2-5 days): Live Online or Classroom  (venue: London School of Economics)

• Exclusive FBRH template to begin reporting from day one
• Identify your most important impacts on the Environment, Economy and People
• Formulate in group exercises your plan for action. Begin taking solid, focused, all-round sustainability action ASAP. 
• Benchmarking methodology to set you on a path of continuous improvement

See upcoming training dates.

 

References:

1) This case study is based on published information by CDL, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning.  If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:

http://database.globalreporting.org/

2) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

Note to CDL: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2016 Sustainability Report Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group identified a range of material issues, such as guest health and safety, human rights and diversity, supply chain management, biodiversity, information protection. Among these, reducing water consumption stands out as a key material issue for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group engages with:  

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement (in 2016)
Guests	·      Guest Satisfaction Survey ·      Solicitation of Direct and Target Feedback to Inform Quality Programmes
Colleagues	·      Colleague Engagement Survey ·      Career Development Plans and Performance Reviews ·      Hotel Corporate Responsibility Committees ·      Safe, Sound and Sustainable Programme
Owners and developers	·      Close Partnerships and Regular Communications Throughout Design, Development, Construction and Management of Properties
Local communities	·      Participation in Local Stakeholder Groups Including: – Hotel Associations – Chambers of Commerce – Business Development Councils – Convention and Visitors’ Bureaus and Promotion      Organisations – Travel and Tourism Associations – Community Benefit Organisations – Local Heritage Preservation Initiatives – Training and Local Talent Retention Organisations – Local Collectives for Recycling – Employer Organisations and Professional Associations
Shareholders	·      Ongoing and Routine Discussions With the Controlling Shareholder Jardine Matheson Group on Financial Performance, Risk Management and other current issues ·      Financial and Sustainability Reporting ·      Shareholder Feedback Mechanisms
Vendors, suppliers and contractors	·      Supplier Meetings to Discuss Sustainable Sourcing Opportunities ·      Food and Beverage Conference ·      Partnerships with Local Farmers, Ranchers and Fisheries
Industry peers and trade associations	·      Participation in World Travel and Tourism Council’s Task Force on Industry Strategies for Climate Change ·      Participation in Industry Hotel Carbon and Water Measurement Initiatives ·      Monitoring and Evaluating Industry Corporate Responsibility Initiatives
NGOs and outside advisors	·      Interviews and Panel Discussion to Discuss Opportunities to Improve Corporate Responsibility Programmes and Reports

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group engaged with its stakeholders through a stakeholder panel, which integrated perspectives from various organisations such as Conservation International, the International Tourism Partnership, National Geographic Traveler, the United States Green Building Council and the World Wildlife Fund.

What actions were taken by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group to reduce water consumption?

In its 2016 Sustainability Report Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group reports that it took the following actions for reducing water consumption:

• Conducting water risk assessments
• Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group carried out a Group-wide water risk assessment, using the World Resources Institute’s Aqueduct tool. Based on the properties’ location, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group considered its exposure, on a site-by-site basis, to a series of risks that included baseline water stress, flood occurrence and drought severity. The assessment reviewed the current condition, as well as a projection for 2020. The water risk assessment identified 13 properties in Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s existing portfolio and seven development projects that were located in high water stressed areas, and its key findings were used to identify and prioritise target water conservation actions and programmes. For example, Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok ran a campaign to educate employees on water conservation during the 2016 drought in Central Thailand.

• Implementing water conservation measures
• To achieve the goal of a 20% reduction in water consumption per guest night from 2007 levels by 2020, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group implements best practices to conserve water, including the following:
  • Motion Sensors and Low Flow Fixtures: Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group continues to retrofit motion sensor and low flow fixtures in its properties’ common areas, back-of-house areas and guestrooms. In 2016, Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong installed new low flow toilets in their guestrooms.
  • Process Improvements and Water Efficient Technologies: From Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s buildings’ heating and cooling systems to its kitchen, laundry and gardening operations, the stimulation of process improvements that conserve water has helped to support the Group’s progress toward its 2020 goal. Each of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s hotels and residences are actively identifying and implementing water efficiency technologies and process improvements to conserve water. In 2016, Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong introduced an alternative system for defrosting food, eliminating the traditional use of freshwater and Mandarin Oriental, Boston has begun to offer soakless pedicures to reduce water associated with spa services.
  • Behavioural Change Initiatives: Due to behavioural change initiatives, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has been able to support a culture of conservation. At Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, overnight cleaning water consumption is monitored daily and water saving opportunities are reviewed with the kitchen team on a monthly basis. In 2016, employees at Mandarin Oriental, Marrakech began placing water conversation labels next to all back office water taps as a gentle reminder not to be wasteful when using water.

• Recycling and reusing water
• Central to Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s water conservation plan is to increase the amount of water that the Group is able to recycle and reuse, as well as using alternative methods to provide cooling to the chiller system whilst maintaining high system efficiency. This is best implemented at the design stage or in conjunction with major system or property renovations. Best practices are beginning to emerge across the Group and throughout its properties, such as the following:
  • Mandarin Oriental, Sanya uses recycled treated grey water for irrigation throughout the resort’s extensive gardens. At Mandarin Oriental, Marrakech, ground water is used for irrigating its landscaping and vegetable garden.
  • Mandarin Oriental, Milan is using groundwater for the chiller system rather than evaporative cooling towers. Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum engages in a similar process, using seawater instead.
  • Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong and The Excelsior, Hong Kong recycle water from the cooling towers for toilet flushing. Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo also uses recycled water for toilet flushing in part of the building.

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?

The GRI Standard addressed in this case is: Disclosure 303-1 Water withdrawal by source

Disclosure 303-1 Water withdrawal by source corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• Business theme: Sustainable water withdrawals

 

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

7 GRI sustainability disclosures get you started

Any size business can start taking sustainability action

GRI, ISEP, CPD Certified Sustainability courses (2-5 days): Live Online or Classroom  (venue: London School of Economics)

• Exclusive FBRH template to begin reporting from day one
• Identify your most important impacts on the Environment, Economy and People
• Formulate in group exercises your plan for action. Begin taking solid, focused, all-round sustainability action ASAP. 
• Benchmarking methodology to set you on a path of continuous improvement

See upcoming training dates.

 

References:

1) This case study is based on published information by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:

http://database.globalreporting.org/

2) http://www.fbrh.co.uk/en/global-reporting-initiative-gri-g4-guidelines-download-page

3) https://g4.globalreporting.org/Pages/default.aspx

4) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

Note to Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2016-2017 Corporate Social Responsibility Report Wyndham Worldwide identified a range of material issues, such as business ethics and compliance, long-term economic trends/issues, data privacy/cyber security, labour standards. Among these, optimising water use stands out as a key material issue for Wyndham Worldwide.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The organization should identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process s of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups Wyndham Worldwide engages with:   

Stakeholder Group

Associates

Shareholders

Suppliers

Communities

Customers

Global partnerships

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics, Wyndham Worldwide conducted surveys and follow-up interviews with more than 50 stakeholders. Wyndham Worldwide also carried out a survey with a sample representation of its stakeholders, to develop its materiality matrix.

What actions were taken by Wyndham Worldwide to optimise water use?

In its 2016-2017 Corporate Social Responsibility Report Wyndham Worldwide reports that it took the following actions for optimising water use:

• Promoting water conservation
• Wyndham Worldwide locations in all business units globally, including franchise locations, are encouraged to use low flow showerheads, faucet aerators and consider other conservation programmes, including low flow toilets, urinals and minimising water loss due to poor landscaping management practices. On a quarterly basis, Wyndham Worldwide’s properties purchase over 9,000 efficient fixtures through the company’s Strategic Sourcing website. Those fixtures, save approximately 40 million gallons over the life of products. Additionally, Wyndham Worldwide has developed a series of programmes and engagement initiatives with its guests, suppliers and franchisees to support its water conservation plan. Guest sustainability programmes, in particular, are a priority. By participating in Wyndham Worldwide’s towel and linen re-use programme at its hotels, guests can choose not to have their linens and towels laundered every day, reducing both water and energy consumption. Wyndham Worldwide calculates that this programme saves more than 300 million gallons of water, on a yearly basis.

• Assessing water risks
• Wyndham Worldwide has assessed its water risk from owned, managed and leased properties in its portfolio using the World Resource Institute’s Aqueduct tool and the World Wildlife Fund’s Water Risk Filter. Based on the location of its properties, Wyndham Worldwide considered a series of risks which included water scarcity, water stress, flood occurrence, pollution and overall water risk, across thousands of properties in its portfolio. Based on the findings of Wyndham Worldwide’s water assessment, 26 properties in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Thailand and Singapore were prioritised due to overall water risk and/or degree of water scarcity. The results of the water risk assessment were presented to Wyndham Green Council, in order to develop targeted programmes to address communities and properties with the greatest exposure to water risks.

• Recycling and reusing water
• At Wyndham Vacation Resorts Seven Mile Beach Club in Australia, Wyndham Worldwide implements several programmes to help save water, through recycle and reuse. The property harvests 23,650 litres of rain water and uses it for laundry, when available. The water supplies two washing machines and two laundry troughs. In addition, the property treats all onsite sewage and grey water from its apartments and other infrastructure and recycles it into irrigation water that feeds into an underground drip system below resort lawns. The above ground irrigation is supplied via a water storage dam, which saves approximately 100,000 litres of water per week.

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 303-1 Water withdrawal by source

2) Disclosure 303-2 Water sources significantly affected by withdrawal of water

 

Disclosure 303-1 Water withdrawal by source corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• Business theme: Sustainable water withdrawals

Disclosure 303-2 Water sources significantly affected by withdrawal of water corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• Business theme: Sustainable water withdrawals

 

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

7 GRI sustainability disclosures get you started

Any size business can start taking sustainability action

GRI, ISEP, CPD Certified Sustainability courses (2-5 days): Live Online or Classroom  (venue: London School of Economics)

• Exclusive FBRH template to begin reporting from day one
• Identify your most important impacts on the Environment, Economy and People
• Formulate in group exercises your plan for action. Begin taking solid, focused, all-round sustainability action ASAP. 
• Benchmarking methodology to set you on a path of continuous improvement

See upcoming training dates.

 

References:

1) This case study is based on published information by Wyndham Worldwide, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning.  If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:

http://database.globalreporting.org/

2) http://www.fbrh.co.uk/en/global-reporting-initiative-gri-g4-guidelines-download-page

3) https://g4.globalreporting.org/Pages/default.aspx

4) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

Note to Wyndham Worldwide: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2018 Sustainability Report Banpu identified a range of material issues, such as human capital development, occupational health and safety, community engagement, social compliance, supplier management. Among these, improving water use efficiency stands out as a key material issue for Banpu.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The organization should identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process s of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups Banpu engages with:

To identify and prioritise material topics Banpu engages with its stakeholders through the following channels:

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement
Government	·      Occasional visits ·      Support to governmental initiatives and activities ·      Response to requests for data disclosure ·      Publication of Annual Report and Sustainability Report ·      Public information on Banpu’s website
Employee	·      Communication between human resources department and employees ·      Employee involvement in committees ·      Complaint channel ·      “Banpu Heart” behavioural survey ·      Employee engagement survey ·      Town Hall Meeting
Customer	·      Customer satisfaction survey ·      Complaint channel ·      Occasional visits ·      Response to requests for data disclosure
Supplier	·      Regular meeting with supplier
Contractor	·      Regular meeting with contractor ·      Annual meeting of mine contractor
Financial Institution	·      Analyst meeting ·      Publication of Annual Report and Sustainability Report
Business Partner	·      Board meeting at subsidiaries and associated companies ·      Publication of Annual Report and Sustainability Report
Shareholder	·      Annual general meeting of shareholder ·      Publication of Annual Report and Sustainability Report ·      Complaint channel ·      Public information on Banpu’s website
Investor	·      Opportunity investment roadshow ·      Presentation on Opportunity Day organised by Stock Exchange of Thailand ·      Publication of Annual Report and Sustainability Report ·      Public information on Banpu’s website
Media and NGOs	·      Response to requests for data disclosure ·      Fact sheet summary ·      Public information on Banpu’s website
Community	·      Communication between community development officers and local community ·      Establishment of Community Consultative Committee (CCC) ·      Community satisfaction survey ·      Complaint channel ·      Public information on Banpu’s website

What actions were taken by Banpu to improve water use efficiency?

In its 2018 Sustainability Report Banpu reports that it took the following actions for improving water use efficiency:

• Conducting risk identification and assessment
• Banpu has assigned all business units to carry out risk identification and assessment of water resources and report the result and risk mitigation plan to the Risk Management Committee on a quarterly basis. One of the risk identification processes is to verify whether sites are located in a water stressed area under the database of the Aqueduct water risk atlas of the World Resources Institute. Initial assessment found that 3 CHP plants and 6 solar power plants in China, along with 5 coal mines both operating and non-operating in Australia, are located in a water stressed area. As a result, Banpu prepared short-term measures to minimise potential impacts associated with water use by each business unit and is preparing a long-term plan to cover the management at watershed level (both surface water and groundwater) by developing a water accounting framework and water balance.

• Reducing water loss
• To increase efficiency of water consumption, Banpu implements projects for production improvement to reduce water loss. The projects include improvements in the efficiency of the water treatment system, water reuse in the original production process such as coal washing or water reuse in other processes, such as water spraying on road to control dust dispersion. Additionally, Banpu has collaborated with a power plant (Banpu’s customer) by utilising treated water of the Springvale mine in Australia that is normally discharged into the public waterways to be used as water in the cooling system. This project can reduce water withdrawal from public water sources.

• Managing water discharge
• Due to the increasingly stringent environmental quality control announced by the Chinese government, Banpu will implement measures to manage water discharge and will also change production technology to reuse water in the production process or other activities within the operational sites, as much as possible. For example, Luannan power plant has a plan to construct a new water treatment plant to receive wastewater from both internal and external sources for recycling water in the production process. This will not only reduce the volume of water withdrawal from natural water sources but will also reduce the discharge of wastewater.

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed? 

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 303-1 Interactions with water as a shared resource

2) Disclosure 303-2 Management of water discharge-related impacts

 

Disclosure 303-1 Interactions with water as a shared resource corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• Business theme: Sustainable water withdrawals

Disclosure 303-2 Management of water discharge-related impacts corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages
• Business theme: Water quality
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• Business theme: Water quality, Water-related ecosystems and biodiversity
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
• Business theme: Water quality
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
• Business theme: Water discharge to oceans

 

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

7 GRI sustainability disclosures get you started

Any size business can start taking sustainability action

GRI, ISEP, CPD Certified Sustainability courses (2-5 days): Live Online or Classroom  (venue: London School of Economics)

• Exclusive FBRH template to begin reporting from day one
• Identify your most important impacts on the Environment, Economy and People
• Formulate in group exercises your plan for action. Begin taking solid, focused, all-round sustainability action ASAP. 
• Benchmarking methodology to set you on a path of continuous improvement

See upcoming training dates.

 

References:

1) This case study is based on published information by Banpu, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:

http://database.globalreporting.org/

2) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

Note to Banpu: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2017 Sustainability Report Gildan identified a range of material issues, such as product quality and safety, business ethics and compliance, human and labour rights, energy and emissions management. Among these, optimising water use stands out as a key material issue for Gildan.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards              

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups Gildan engages with:

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement
Shareholders	·      Annual General Meeting ·      Earnings Release Conference Calls ·      Conferences and non-deal road- shows
Investors (Institutional)	·      Investor Relations Day ·      Materiality Assessment ·      Earnings Release Conference Calls ·      Investor perception study ·      Comprehensive facility tour ·      On-request meetings with Board members
Board of Directors	·      Board meetings
Employees	·      Global employee engagement survey ·      Pulse surveys ·      Materiality Assessment ·      Worker-Management Committee Meetings ·      Employee Meetings – Headquarters ·      Gildan TV Internal Communications ·      Round tables
Customers	·      Materiality Assessment ·      Benchmarking ·      Audits
NGOs	·      Memberships ·      Audit requests ·      Participation in Roundtables ·      Committee Meetings ·      Conferences ·      Webinars ·      Workshops ·      Materiality Assessment
Local Communities	·      Memberships ·      Audit requests ·      Participation in Roundtables ·      Committee Meetings ·      Conferences ·      Webinars ·      Workshops ·      Materiality Assessment ·      Town Hall Meetings
Students / Academia / Schools	·      Mentoring ·      Internship Programme ·      Participation in research projects
Government	·      Meetings

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Gildan carried out interviews with internal stakeholders (senior leaders from different business functions) and engaged with over 25 external stakeholders (including civil society organisations, printwear and retail customers, investors and trade associations) through focus groups.

What actions were taken by Gildan to optimise water use?

In its 2017 Sustainability Report Gildan reports that it took the following actions for optimising water use:

• Improving water consumption
• Gildan’s average global water consumption for the dyeing of its textiles was calculated in 2017 to be 56-57 litres of water per kilogram of product, while the indicated industry average water usage needed to create a white cotton t-shirt is, approximately, 65-70 litres per kg of product in the apparel industry. Thus, Gildan’s performance regarding water consumption is strong, relative to the textile industry average. In addition, Gildan sources the vast majority of its water needs from wells (97%), and only a small percentage is supplied by the municipalities (3%). Gildan also makes sure that its water usage does not significantly affect any water source, and does not use water from any Ramsar-listed wetlands or from water bodies recognised as being particularly sensitive.

• Reducing water intensity
• In 2010, Gildan first established five-year environmental goals based on its environmental footprint, which included a 20% water reduction in water intensity per kg of product. During the 2010-2015 period, Gildan achieved a reduction in its water intensity by 17% per kg of production. This reduction translated into savings of around 3.85 million cubic meters of water, or the equivalent of more than 1,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

• Improving wastewater management
• Effective management of its wastewater effluent is a top priority for Gildan and an area where it has adopted innovative solutions for many years. For example, Gildan’s Biotop system, located in its Honduran and Dominican Republic manufacturing hubs, is a highly efficient biological wastewater treatment system that has been used since these facilities’ inception, has yielded excellent results, and maintained an extremely rich ecosystem adjacent to Gildan’s production facilities. Unlike traditional chemical-based treatment systems, the system’s purpose is to treat wastewater through a series of interconnected lagoons, which naturally eliminate dyes and chemicals from the effluent and stabilise the wastewaters’ pH. Additionally, Gildan implements a series of biological reactors for the treatment of effluents, and to increase its wastewater treatment capacity at textile hubs. These systems leverage biological oxidation as an effective wastewater treatment process, operate at a low operational cost and work together with the Biotop system, guaranteeing a continuous and safe wastewater treatment system. Moreover, Gildan does not discharge water into any protected rivers and/or wetlands and strict controls are enforced on all effluents discharged from Gildan’s wastewater treatment plants. All treatment facilities are required to meet local discharge regulations and exhaustive biological surveys are carried out at least every two years, to review the impact that the facilities may have on the environment.

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 303-1 Water withdrawal by source

2) Disclosure 303-2 Water sources significantly affected by withdrawal of water

3) Disclosure 303-3 Water recycled and reused

4) Disclosure 306-1 Water discharge by quality and destination

 

Disclosure 303-1 Water withdrawal by source corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• Business theme: Sustainable water withdrawals

Disclosure 303-2 Water sources significantly affected by withdrawal of water corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• Business theme: Sustainable water withdrawals

Disclosure 303-3 Water recycled and reused corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• Business theme: Water efficiency, Water recycling and reuse
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
• Business theme: Water efficiency
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
• Business theme: Water efficiency

Disclosure 306-1 Water discharge by quality and destination corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages
• Business theme: Water quality
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• Business theme: Water quality, Water-related ecosystems and biodiversity
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
• Business theme: Water quality
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
• Business theme: Water discharge to oceans

 

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

7 GRI sustainability disclosures get you started

Any size business can start taking sustainability action

GRI, ISEP, CPD Certified Sustainability courses (2-5 days): Live Online or Classroom  (venue: London School of Economics)

• Exclusive FBRH template to begin reporting from day one
• Identify your most important impacts on the Environment, Economy and People
• Formulate in group exercises your plan for action. Begin taking solid, focused, all-round sustainability action ASAP. 
• Benchmarking methodology to set you on a path of continuous improvement

See upcoming training dates.

 

References:

1) This case study is based on published information by Gildan, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:

http://database.globalreporting.org/

2) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

Note to Gildan: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.