What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2020 Sustainability Report Air Products identified a range of material issues, such as economic performance, energy and climate, responsible consumption and production, water conservation. Among these, promoting sustainability across its supply chain stands out as a key material issue for Air Products.

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 Air Products engages with:

Stakeholder Group

Customers

Employees

Investors

Communities

Suppliers

Government regulators

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Air Products interviewed and surveyed key stakeholders to understand their sustainability priorities and concerns.

What actions were taken by Air Products to promote sustainability across its supply chain?

In its 2020 Sustainability Report Air Products reports that it took the following actions for promoting sustainability across its supply chain:

• Evaluating suppliers
• Air Products’ procurement teams have supplier qualification processes in place to make sure Air Products receives the quality supplies and services it needs. In 2019, Air Products conducted onsite evaluations of new suppliers as part of the qualification process. If noncompliance is identified through Air Products’ ongoing monitoring, Air Products works with the supplier to address the issue.

• Promoting supplier diversity
• It is Air Products’ policy and practice to provide maximum practical opportunities to diverse suppliers. In 2019, approximately 20% of Air Products’ procurement in the U.S. was from diverse suppliers. These include small, socially and economically disadvantaged, and other minority-owned and women-owned U.S. businesses that can provide competitive sources of materials and services. Air Products offers advice and guidance to assist minority business firms in building relationships and becoming successful suppliers to it.

• Protecting human rights
• Air Products completes annual human rights assessments for its operations and supply chains. From a supply chain perspective, Air Products examines human rights risks relative to procurement spend and supplier location using country-specific risk information from third parties. Most of Air Products’ suppliers are in heavy industries that are not as susceptible to human rights violations as other industries. However, to promote human rights in its supply chains, Air Products added human rights clauses to its standard terms and conditions for procurement. No significant risks were identified through its assessment, and Air Products was not aware of any allegations of violations of human rights in its supply chain in 2019. Additionally, each year Air Products reports its progress in identifying Conflict Minerals in its supply chain to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and posts its Conflict Minerals report on its website.

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

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 308-1 New suppliers that were screened using environmental criteria

2) Disclosure 412-3 Significant investment agreements and contracts that include human rights clauses or that underwent human rights screening

3) Disclosure 414-1 New suppliers that were screened using social criteria

 

Disclosure 308-1 New suppliers that were screened using environmental criteria does not correspond to any SDG.

Disclosure 412-3 Significant investment agreements and contracts that include human rights clauses or that underwent human rights screening does not correspond to any SDG.

Disclosure 414-1 New suppliers that were screened using social criteria corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5: Gender Equality
• Targets: 5.2
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• Targets: 8.8
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
• Targets: 16.1

 

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 Air Products, 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 Air Products: 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 Biesse Group identified a range of material issues, such as economic performance, employee health and safety, reliability, safety and constant innovation of products and services, customer relationship and customer satisfaction. Among these, promoting ethical business conduct stands out as a key material issue for Biesse 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 Biesse Group engages with: 

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement
Trade associations	·      Meetings ·      Focus groups ·      Round tables
Shareholders and investors	·      General meetings of shareholders ·      Channels of dialogue used by the Group’s Investor Relations Officer ·      Company visits
Customers	·      Events / ·      Direct customer assistance channels (Biesse Service and Biesse Parts) ·      Company and manufacturing site (showroom) visits ·      Invitations to institutional events ·      Participation at trade fairs and organisation of demonstration events
Financial community	·      Participation at events, conventions and conferences ·      Round tables
Employees and their families	·      Open day for employees and their families ·      Channels for the collection of reports of violations of Group regulations ·      Transparent corporate communication (Corporate intranet) ·      Round table discussions with unions
Suppliers and Trade partners	·      Specific meetings ·      Round tables
Sector-specific media and magazines	·      Interviews ·      Corporate presentations ·      Corporate events and trade fairs ·      Press conferences or workshops
Trade fair organisers	·      Participation at trade fairs ·      Interviews and contacts
PA, government entities and control bodies	·      Institutional round tables ·      Formal communications
Trade unions	·      Periodic meetings ·      Round tables
Locality, local communities and NGOs	·      Initiatives to engage with local communities ·      Dialogue with non-profit organisations for the payment of donations, contributions and sponsorships for sport and culture
Universities and research centres	·      Workgroups and workshops with university students ·      Corporate presentations ·      Career days at partner universities ·      Partnerships with key universities and schools in Italy and abroad

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Biesse Group engaged with its stakeholders through a survey.

What actions were taken by Biesse Group to promote ethical business conduct?

In its 2019 Sustainability Report Biesse Group reports that it took the following actions for promoting ethical business conduct:

• Implementing a Code of Conduct
• All Biesse Group’s business activities are conducted in line with the Group’s Code of Conduct, in order to ensure full compliance with regulations in force at local, national and international level. The Code of Conduct is the official document that sets out the ethical and behavioural values, commitments and responsibilities to be complied with in the conduct of business affairs by Group companies. Moreover, it governs the body of rights, duties and responsibilities that Biesse expressly assumes in dealings with parties with which it interacts in the conduct of its business activities. The Code of Conduct, together with other documents relating to business ethics and integrity, are available on the Group’s website.

• Combating corruption
• In order to promote and strengthen its commitment to counter corruption, Biesse Group has adopted an Anti-bribery Code of Conduct, which sets out the rules of conduct that all employees and other workers must observe in the conduct of business to ensure compliance with anti-corruption regulations in force. The Code, which has been distributed to all Group companies, has made it mandatory to apply the relevant principles and rules of conduct for the purpose of the reasonable prevention of active and passive and direct or indirect corruption offences involving Italian or foreign private or public persons. Specifically, the document sets out the rules of conduct to be observed in connection with various activities, such as:
  • Dealings with the public administration
  • Facilitation payments
  • Loans to political parties
  • Donations
  • Sponsorships
  • Gifts, presents, hospitality and entertainment
  • Dealings with third parties
• As a sign of their commitment to the fight against corruption, in addition to the Code, the Group companies have specific procedures that set out the rules of conduct to safeguard against the risk of public sector corruption associated with state funding, hygiene and safety at work and taxation. Furthermore, as a safeguard against the risk of private bribery, these companies are subject to periodic audit cycles.

• Respecting human rights
• Biesse Group recognises the intrinsic value and rights of every person and is committed to guaranteeing the dignity and professional and personal development of its employees and other workers in the conduct of activities carried out in the name of or on behalf of the Group. For this reason, Biesse Group constantly seeks to ensure safe, fair and non-discriminatory workplaces, in compliance with the relevant national and international regulatory framework, and inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaimed by the United Nations and by the fundamental International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions. In particular, Biesse Group rejects all forms of forced, compulsory or child labour and is committed to not establishing relationships with suppliers that directly or indirectly exploit and use child labour.

• Adopting an Antitrust Code
• Biesse Group has adopted an Antitrust Code to ensure compliance with legislation concerning competition and market protection in the various countries in which it operates. The document is a follow-up to the Code of Conduct and develops, in particular, the section relating to competitive practices, as well as providing guidelines on conduct and omissions that comply with or violate antitrust legislation. Biesse Group firmly believes in lively competition in the various business sectors in which it operates and its aim is to compete in a legitimate, loyal and ethical manner in full compliance with competition protection rules. The rules set out in the document are designed to contribute to correct competitive market dynamics, in order to strengthen competition and the economic efficiency of a free market.

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

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 205-3 Confirmed incidents of corruption and actions taken

2) Disclosure 206-1 Legal actions for anti-competitive behavior, anti-trust, and monopoly practices

3) Disclosure 412-1 Operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments

 

Disclosure 205-3 Confirmed incidents of corruption and actions taken corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
• Targets: 16.5

Disclosure 206-1 Legal actions for anti-competitive behavior, anti-trust, and monopoly practices corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
• Targets: 16.3

Disclosure 412-1 Operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments does not correspond to any SDG.

 

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

Note to Biesse 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 2019 Sustainability Report Fiskars Group identified a range of material issues, such as creating a positive societal impact, improving energy efficiency, championing safety, diversity and inclusion, creating zero waste. Among these, respecting and promoting human rights stands out as a key material issue for Fiskars 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 Fiskars Group engages with:  

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement
Consumers	·      Surveys ·      Written communications ·      Social media ·      Discussions
Customers	·      Dedicated account teams ·      Joint initiatives ·      Customer care
Employees and potential employees	·      Annual employee survey ·      Town halls ·      Employee communications ·      Individual development plans ·      Fiskars Group training sessions ·      Internal and external social media
Suppliers and subcontractors	·      Site visits ·      Annual supplier days ·      Audit programme
Shareholders and investors	·      Annual General Meeting for shareholders ·      Quarterly reporting and webcasts ·      Capital Markets Day ·      Investor meetings and presentations ·      Ongoing dialogue with investors and analysts
Non-governmental organisations	·      Partnerships ·      Memberships ·      Ongoing dialogue
Media	·      Specific media events ·      Press releases ·      Connecting with media influencers, including bloggers
Research institutes, universities and vocational schools	·      Actively collaborating with universities and institutes through product development and with new business models

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Fiskars Group engaged with its stakeholders through a web-based stakeholder survey, receiving nearly 2000 responses from 42 countries.

What actions were taken by Fiskars Group to respect and promote human rights?

In its 2019 Sustainability Report Fiskars Group reports that it took the following actions for respecting and promoting human rights:

• Carrying out a human rights assessment
• In 2019, Fiskars Group finalised a human rights assessment and created an action plan for 2020 to close the gaps and develop a human rights due diligence. Fiskars Group has been evaluating its performance against the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and has a cross-functional project team in place to lead the work and along the way engages with key internal stakeholders and leadership teams. The assessment included a review of Fiskars Group’s current policies and practices, several risk assessment workshops, as well as gathering feedback from stakeholders utilising the employee survey and sustainability stakeholder survey conducted in 2018. Key findings from the assessment were that although Fiskars Group has many good practices in place such as a whistleblower channel and a comprehensive Supplier Code of Conduct, it still has work to do in developing its policies and processes overall. Fiskars Group gained valuable information on how it could integrate human rights deeper into its risk management processes, covering both its operations and its value chain.

• Creating an action plan
• Based on the human rights assessment, Fiskars Group created an action plan to develop human rights due diligence. Rather than creating a new separate process, Fiskars Group’s aim is to integrate human rights management deeper into its existing processes. One of the first steps to implement its action plan was to update its policies to include a variety of human rights aspects more comprehensively. The Community Engagement Policy and Recruitment Policy were updated during 2019 and Fiskars Group also created a new Employment Policy covering all of its employees. In 2019, Fiskars Group conducted human rights training to the human resources function and had a more deep-dive human rights discussion with the human resources leadership team. Fiskars Group also identified that it had opportunities to develop risk management to better cover salient human rights aspects.

• Launching an Ethics and Compliance Helpline
• Fiskars Group’s Ethics and Compliance Helpline was introduced in 2018. The third party provided platform is a confidential and anonymous whistleblowing channel for all employees to report any workplace-related issues and complaints or suspected violations of the Code of Conduct. The Fiskars Group Code of Conduct and related training provide a detailed description of its approach to doing business in an ethical way and respecting human rights, including working conditions, labour rights, anti-corruption and bribery, and safety at work. All suspected violations and occurrences of misconduct are handled confidentially by Fiskars Group’s Internal Audit and Legal and Compliance functions. Relevant other functions are engaged depending on the case, such as HR, to solve the issues. Report on the misconduct cases is provided to the Board’s Audit Committee. During 2019, Fiskars Group received in total five complaints or suspected violations through the Ethics and Compliance Helpline. The cases were related to termination of employment, information security, managerial challenge and dismissal.

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

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 412-1 Operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments

2) Disclosure 412-2 Employee training on human rights policies or procedures

 

Disclosure 412-1 Operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments does not correspond to any SDG.

Disclosure 412-2 Employee training on human rights policies or procedures does not correspond to any SDG.

 

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

Note to Fiskars 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 2019 Corporate Sustainability Report PTT identified a range of material issues, such as sustainable governance, human capital development, product stewardship, climate change, research, development and innovation. Among these, respecting and promoting human rights stands out as a key material issue for MPC.

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 PTT engages with:

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

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement
Country	·      Consultation with public sector monthly ·      Site visit of PTT’s operational sites monthly ·      Seminar and workshops to enhance understanding with public sector quarterly
Community and Society	·      Community development activities in ‘People’ and ‘Planet’ dimensions ·      Promotion of social and social enterprises projects in 3 aspects, comprising learning centre development, local product support, and energy development for community ·      PTT Contact Centre 1365, PTT Website or email
Shareholders	·      PTT website under “Investor Relations” or email ·      PTT Debenture application for bond holders to review their own bond details, activity registration, points collection for special awards ·      Monthly activity for bond holders, such as PTT Group’s site visit and seminars on economic topics ·      Annual general meeting ·      International roadshow to meet and advise non-Thai investors
Customers	·      Annual customer seminar ·      Sales’ and executives’ regular client meeting according to stipulated plan ·      PTT Contact Centre 1365
Suppliers	·      Annual customer seminar ·      Grievance on corruption through email
Employees	·      Acknowledgement of employees’ feedback to develop response plan for employees’ needs, and key competencies to accommodate new businesses throughout the year ·      Business relation committee on a monthly basis ·      CEO, Managing Director and high-level executives meet with all employee levels according to plan

What actions were taken by PTT to respect and promote human rights?

In its 2019 Corporate Sustainability Report PTT reports that it took the following actions for respecting and promoting human rights:

• Announcing a PTT Human Rights Statement
• In 2019, PTT’s President and Chief Executive Officer announced the PTT Human Rights Statement. The statement demonstrates PTT’s strong commitment in operating businesses with full respect to human rights. It highlights right protection for all stakeholder groups, as well as disseminating human rights management to suppliers and other relevant parties. PTT has also signed to demonstrate support to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)’s CEO Guide to Human Rights. The gesture indicates PTT Group’s commitment to drive human rights performance in alignment across the entire PTT Group.

• Reviewing the PTT Group Human Rights Management System
• PTT has reviewed the PTT Group Human Rights Management System, deployed since 2017. The Management System’s addition includes guidelines for corporate governance, compliance, and assessment of human rights impacts towards stakeholders. The recent supplement has been approved and deployed by the Corporate Governance Committee. The scope of PTT Group’s human rights due diligence has also been adjusted to fit PTT Group Way of Conduct. There are 15 subsidiaries operating in compliance with the PTT Group Human Rights Management System, altogether accumulating to 30 areas across 14 countries. Key human rights risks identified in PTT Group’s business operations consisted of occupational health and safety, migrant workers, security, suppliers’ labour practice, community’s quality of life, and indigenous people’s lives. However, PTT Group’s human rights risk level, per the 2019 risk assessment, remains in the range of low to moderate. Such a result is due to the development of a human rights management plan and the utilisation of control measures suitable for each area. There is quarterly monitoring on the operations to make sure risks remain within risk appetite. The monitoring also ascertains that control measures are executed with maximum efficiency. Furthermore, there are seminars organised on global trends and PTT Group’s readiness to directions of human rights management at an international scale for PTT Board, Executives and relevant employees. There are also trainings on sustainability management, encompassing fundamental human rights training for employees related to human rights performance. (There was a total of 47 participants, with total training time at 11 hours.) Due to the continuous and tangible efforts and the annual performance disclosure according to the United Nations Global Compact’s 10 Principles, there were no human rights grievances filed in 2019.

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

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 412-1 Operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments

2) Disclosure 412-2 Employee training on human rights policies or procedures

 

Disclosure 412-1 Operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments does not correspond to any SDG

Disclosure 412-2 Employee training on human rights policies or procedures does not correspond to any SDG.

 

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 PTT, 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 PTT: 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 Fortum identified a range of material issues, such as energy efficiency, business ethics and compliance, customer rights and satisfaction, climate change and GHG emissions, employee wellbeing, health and safety. Among these, respecting and promoting human rights stands out as a key material issue for Fortum.

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 Fortum engages with:

Stakeholder Group

Lenders and shareholders

Customers

Personnel

Future talent

Service and goods suppliers

Authorities and decision makers

Media

Energy sector organisations

NGOs

Local communities

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Fortum engaged with its stakeholders through surveys sent to more than 900 representatives of NGOs, customers, public administration, capital markets, research institutes, industry organisations and opinion leaders.

 

Fortum supports and respects internationally recognised human rights, which are included in the key human rights treaties.

What actions were taken by Fortum to respect and promote human rights?

In its 2019 Sustainability Report Fortum reports that it took the following actions for respecting and promoting human rights:

• Assessing human rights impacts
• A human rights assessment is part of Fortum’s investment project planning, especially in new operating countries. It is also part of a country and counterparty risk assessment. Depending on the project, Fortum assesses risks based on either public sources or a more in-depth assessment. An assessment based on public sources is always completed for all new countries to which one of Fortum’s business units is planning to sell products or services. In 2019, Fortum performed six such assessments. For investment projects targeting risk countries, Fortum performs an in-depth assessment in which it often uses also external local experts.

• Identifying human rights risks
• Fortum defines measures for projects to manage human rights risks to comply with its own requirements and, e.g., with lender requirements. Fortum also aims to support favourable impacts in collaboration with local communities and other stakeholders. All forms of child and forced labour are strictly prohibited and in violation of Fortum’s Code of Conduct and the Supplier Code of Conduct. Fortum has not identified risks related to the use of child or forced labour in its own operations. Fortum’s supplier audits cover the most important human rights aspects related to purchases.

• Addressing human rights-related grievances
• Fortum’s internal reporting channels used for reporting any suspected misconduct relating to labour conditions or human rights violations are defined in its Code of Conduct. In addition to internal reporting channels, Fortum has an external “SpeakUp” channel, which is available to all stakeholders. In 2019, there were no grievances related to human rights filed through Fortum’s grievance channels, nor were there any grievances carried over from the previous year. Fortum’s subsidiaries operating in Great Britain published a statement required by the Modern Slavery Act on its website. Fortum supports the principles defined in the Act and condemns practices that are in violation of the Act. Fortum also ensures compliance with its principles and Code of Conduct through internal monitoring and reporting practices and supplier assessments.

• Providing training
• The online training on Fortum’s Code of Conduct covers human rights-related issues. The online training is part of the induction programme for new employees, is continuously available to all employees, and the entire personnel undertakes the training in conjunction with the updates of the Code of Conduct. The Supplier Code of Conduct also includes human rights requirements for suppliers and they are addressed as part of the Supplier Code of Conduct training.

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

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 408-1 Operations and suppliers at significant risk for incidents of child labor

2) Disclosure 409-1 Operations and suppliers at significant risk for incidents of forced or compulsory labor

3) Disclosure 412-1 Operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments

4) Disclosure 412-2 Employee training on human rights policies or procedures

5) Disclosure 412-3 Significant investment agreements and contracts that include human rights clauses or that underwent human rights screening

 

Disclosure 408-1 Operations and suppliers at significant risk for incidents of child labor corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• Targets: 8.7
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
• Targets: 16.2

Disclosure 409-1 Operations and suppliers at significant risk for incidents of forced or compulsory labor corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• Targets: 8.7

Disclosure 412-1 Operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments does not correspond to any SDG.

Disclosure 412-2 Employee training on human rights policies or procedures does not correspond to any SDG.

Disclosure 412-3 Significant investment agreements and contracts that include human rights clauses or that underwent human rights screening does not correspond to any SDG.

 

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 Fortum, 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 Fortum: 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 EGCO Group identified a range of material issues, such as market opportunities, human capital development, energy management, digitisation and innovation, talent attraction and retention. Among these, respecting and promoting human rights stands out as a key material issue for EGCO 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 EGCO Group engages with:

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

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement
Customers	·      Information and opinions exchanging meetings with the Transmission Control Unit from the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) ·      Bonding activities with the EGAT Group ·      Meetings with the customers in the industrial estates for the production planning that will meet the customers’ demand.
Shareholders	·      Attend shareholder meetings ·      Informed through annual reports ·      Power plants visit ·      Private information session ·      Roadshows ·      LIFE quarterly magazine ·      Provide suggestions and complaints through designated communication channels ·      Inform through EGCO Group’s website
Government Agencies	·      Organise meetings ·      Company visits ·      Open channels for complaints, opinions, and suggestions
Employees	·      Field relevant business update meetings ·      Communication Day ·      Team building activities ·      Internal communication system
Community	·      Power Development Fund meetings ·      Power plant visits ·      Quality of life and community development project from a tri-party cooperation between power plants, government agencies, and local communities ·      SUKJAI quarterly magazine ·      Open channels for complaints
Creditors	·      Meetings ·      Power plant visits ·      Prior notice given in case EGCO Group is not able to fulfill the conditions of the loan agreement in order to find solutions to the problems together
Suppliers and Business Partners	·      Organise meetings ·      Company visits ·      Joint activities ·      Open channels for complaints, opinions, and suggestions
Investors	·      Quarterly analyst meetings ·      Annual Reports ·      EGCO Group’s website ·      Suggestions and complaints through designated communication channels
Society	·      Press conferences ·      Communication through EGCO Group’s website
Contractors and Subcontractors	·      Meetings ·      Company visits ·      Joint activities ·      Open channels for complaints, opinions, and suggestions
Media	·      Press conference ·      Exclusive interviews with executives ·      Company visits
Non-Revenue Organisations (NGOs)	·      Environmental conservation projects through the Thai Conservation of Forest Foundation ·      Company visits ·      Open channels for complaints, opinions, and suggestions

What actions were taken by EGCO Group to respect and promote human rights?

In its 2019 Sustainability Report EGCO Group reports that it took the following actions for respecting and promoting human rights:

• Implementing a Human Rights policy
• The EGCO Human Rights policy was updated in 2019, ensuring coverage of material issues. The policy serves as a guiding principle for employees, business partners, and suppliers. It exhibits the Group’s commitment and determination to conduct business with respect for human rights. Additionally, EGCO Group has conducted human rights due diligence and risk assessment at every business operation level, inclusive to activities within the Group’s supply chain. The process is in accordance to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP). It ensures that there will be no human rights violations in the Group’s external and internal operations, as well as within all stakeholder groups throughout the supply chain. EGCO Group reviews and assesses potential human rights risks for business operations annually, in tandem with conducting human rights due diligence and risk assessment, according to the Human Rights Policy. Assessment results are assessed to improve relevant business operations, and develop appropriate mitigation measures against future risks and impacts.

• Reinforcing human rights into the corporate culture
• EGCO Group promotes a corporate culture on human rights via human rights trainings and risk assessment throughout its value chain. The aim is to increase understanding and awareness among employees. In 2019, 100% of EGCO Group’s employees received human rights training. Through human rights risk assessment workshops, with 100% coverage of business operations, EGCO identified 33.33% of business operations to be at risk (occupational health and safety in raw material work and services within the supply chain) and collaborated with relevant suppliers to identify measures to address or mitigate these risks. Within EGCO Group’s operations, measures and processes to evaluate and mitigate human rights risks were implemented in all levels of operations.

• Promoting human rights among suppliers
• EGCO Group has been communicating with suppliers regarding human rights, and has revised its procurement policy. EGCO’s supplier code of conduct, which addresses human rights policy, has also been developed. EGCO Group plans on conducting human rights due diligence every three years, reviewing human rights risks related to business activities throughout the supply chain on an annual basis. This effort ensures human rights work plans and human rights risk prevention measures are always up to date. As of 2019, EGCO Group received no complaints or reports concerning human rights issue, either from business activities, operations, or throughout the supply chain. Therefore, no remediation was required. However, EGCO Group is aware of the plausibility and risks that may occur and has prepared remediation measures for victims, to mitigate impacts from human rights violations.

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

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 412-1 Operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments

2) Disclosure 412-2 Employee training on human rights policies or procedures

 

Disclosure 412-1 Operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments does not correspond to any SDG.

Disclosure 412-2 Employee training on human rights policies or procedures does not correspond to any SDG.

 

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

Note to EGCO 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 2019 Annual and Sustainability Report Epiroc identified a range of material issues, such as product safety, crisis management, employee care and empowerment, product eco efficiency. Among these, promoting responsible sourcing stands out as a key material issue for Epiroc.

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 Epiroc engages with:

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

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement
Customers	·      Meetings ·      Interaction via customer centres as well as joint projects ·      Exhibitions ·      Customer surveys ·      Materiality assessment
Employees	·      Workplace meetings ·      Management meetings ·      Internal councils ·      Employee surveys ·      Performance review ·      Trade unions and other cooperation councils ·      Employee engagements ·      Materiality assessment
Shareholders	·      Investors and analysts’ meetings ·      Capital Market Days ·      Website ·      Annual and sustainability report ·      Questionnaires and surveys ·      Materiality assessment
Business partners	·      Business partners evaluations and audits ·      Procurements ·      Meetings ·      Materiality assessment ·      Joint projects ·      Development projects
Society	·      Meetings ·      Stakeholder dialogues ·      Participation in industry groups ·      Research projects ·      Materiality assessment ·      Collaboration with academia and governments ·      Interaction with industry peers

What actions were taken by Epiroc to promote responsible sourcing?

In its 2019 Annual and Sustainability Report Epiroc reports that it took the following actions for promoting responsible sourcing:

• Implementing a Code of Conduct
• Suppliers, agents, resellers and distributors are required to comply with Epiroc’s Code of Conduct (CoC), international standards and applicable regulations. Based on the CoC, the Epiroc Business Partner Criteria summarises ten criteria that clarify expectations for actors Epiroc chooses to do business with. All significant suppliers, agents, resellers and distributors must confirm their commitment to the CoC and Business Partner Criteria Letter. Epiroc monitors and follows up on their compliance on a regular basis, through surveys and audits.

• Conducting supplier audits
• Epiroc focuses its efforts on suppliers that represent the main spending and suppliers with operations in markets with the highest risk of corruption and human rights violations. These suppliers are defined as “Significant Suppliers”. Epiroc has about 1,406 significant suppliers, of which approximately 200 are located in geographical locations deemed as high risk. Although self-assessments are the primary compliance tool for suppliers, Epiroc conducts on-site audits of selected suppliers every fifth year and, in 2019, performed 159 of these audits. Of suppliers audited for safety, health, environment, business ethics and human rights, 95% were approved. Epiroc also reviews its business relationships when detecting violations. In these cases, business partners are immediately requested to adapt or change to meet Epiroc’s criteria and establish an action plan for complying with the criteria. Another condition for doing business with Epiroc is that its business partners must allow Epiroc to perform audits.

• Implementing the supply-chain improvement programme
• With its supply-chain improvement programme Epiroc seeks to source more from suppliers located closer to its markets, thereby better serving customers and adding value locally, while reducing its CO2 footprint. To this end, Epiroc is also increasing use of sea freight. Epiroc is also building its internal audit capability by introducing a single enterprise resource-planning system. This will improve information sharing on how Epiroc’s suppliers meet its expectations across the company.

• Conducting human rights due diligence
• During 2019, Epiroc launched its Responsible Sales Assessment process, which includes a human rights due diligence. Its purpose is to better understand potential risks with regards to human rights, corruption and environment in markets and industries where Epiroc is present, and to find mitigating measures. An important part of the assessment is to identify criteria for determining when a responsible business assessment is required. The identified criteria are:
  • Country – a third-party risk analytics firm is used to rank countries according to risks, such as different labour standards, impacts on land rights and indigenous people and corruption
  • Customer – type of customer and project
• The tool was developed during 2018 and was tested in 2019 in four pilot countries. During 2019, a policy, a tool, and e-learning training on Responsible Sales Assessments were launched.

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

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 308-1 New suppliers that were screened using environmental criteria

2) Disclosure 412-1 Operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments

3) Disclosure 414-1 New suppliers that were screened using social criteria

4) Disclosure 414-2 Negative social impacts in the supply chain and actions taken

 

Disclosure 308-1 New suppliers that were screened using environmental criteria does not correspond to any SDG.

Disclosure 412-1 Operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments does not correspond to any SDG.

Disclosure 414-1 New suppliers that were screened using social criteria corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5: Gender Equality
• Targets: 5.2
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• Targets: 8.8
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
• Targets: 16.1

Disclosure 414-2 Negative social impacts in the supply chain and actions taken corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5: Gender Equality
• Targets: 5.2
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• Targets: 8.8
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
• Targets: 16.1

 

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 Epiroc, 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 Epiroc: 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 Nordea identified a range of material issues, such as climate action, diversity and inclusion, business ethics, community engagement. Among these, respecting and promoting human rights stands out as a key material issue for Nordea.

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 Nordea engages with:

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement
Employees	·      Coffee corners ·      People Pulse
Management	·      GEM ·      BA Heads ·      BEVC ·      Sustainability Committee
Board of Directors	·      Meetings
Customers	·      Customer satisfaction surveys ·      Individual customer meetings ·      Customer contact centre
Owners	·      Annual General Meeting ·      Individual investor meetings ·      Investor questionnaires
Suppliers	·      Qualifying questionnaire ·      Supplier audits ·      Individual meetings
Regulators	·      EU Commission ·      FSA
NGOs	·      Fair Finance Guide ·      Amnesty
Media	·      Interviews ·      Press releases

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Nordea conducted workshops and interviews with both internal and external stakeholders.

What actions were taken by Nordea to respect and promote human rights?

In its 2018 Sustainability Report Nordea reports that it took the following actions for respecting and promoting human rights:

• Assessing human rights-related risks
• As part of risk evaluations in the credit decision-making process for a customer Nordea analyses and assesses companies’ risk exposure, risk management and performance regarding human and labour rights. Nordea investigates whether companies have been involved in controversies, and the actions they have taken to mitigate and rectify the potential impacts of such controversies. All Nordea funds are also subject to annual norm-based screening, used to identify listed companies allegedly involved in breaches of international law and norms, including human rights. If a company is identified in this screening process, Nordea will initiate an internal assessment process of the company and the incident.

• Integrating human rights into guidelines
• Nordea supports the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and has included human rights in its Code of Conduct, Sustainability Policy, Responsible Investment Policy, Supplier Code of Conduct and its Sector Guideline for the Defence Industry. Human rights also form part of Nordea’s Code of Conduct training, which is mandatory for all employees as part of their Licence to Work training.

• Working in partnerships
• Nordea is a funding member and a member of the Advisory Council of the Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (CHRB). The benchmark aims to measure, on an annual basis, the human rights performance of the world’s 500 largest publicly listed companies, looking at the policies, processes and practices the companies have in place to address their human rights efforts, and how they respond to serious allegations of human rights violations. The 2018 benchmark assessed 101 companies from the Agricultural Products, Apparel, and Extractives industries that were chosen on the basis of their size (market capitalisation) and revenues. Nordea believes that the CHRB will raise the level of awareness of the materiality of human rights and help companies meet investor expectations on human rights. It will also enable financial institutions such as Nordea to assess and help clients make sure they are not linked to human rights abuses.

• Addressing children’s rights
• Nordea is a board member of the Financial Coalition against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, a collaboration between Swedish banks, other financial companies in Sweden, the Swedish Bankers’ Association, ECPAT Sweden and other relevant participants. The coalition aims to prevent crime in cooperation with the Swedish Police and to eliminate the means of making payments for child pornography. In 2018, several working groups were established to advance these efforts.

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

The GRI Standard addressed in this case is: Disclosure 412-1 Operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments

Disclosure 412-1 Operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments does not correspond to any SDG.

 

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 Nordea, 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 Nordea: 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 Randgold identified a range of material issues, such as cyanide management, water pollution, closure planning, local and national employment, talent attraction and retention. Among these, respecting and promoting human rights stands out as a key material issue for Randgold.

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 Randgold engages with:

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement
Shareholders	·      Briefings on sustainability included in investor roadshows and other forums ·      Access to meetings and calls, including with CEO and CFO ·      Formal AGM ·      Site visits ·      Materiality assessment process ·      Responding to sustainability questionnaires including CDP and DJSI ·      Responding to rating agency questionnaires
Employees	·      Information sharing and input via unions ·      Performance reviews and appraisals ·      Daily pre-start and toolbox meetings ·      Training programmes ·      Mass employee meetings with the CEO and GMs ·      Daily toolbox talks on health and safety ·      In-Reach programme ·      Materiality assessment process
Governments	·      Formal meetings and correspondence ·      Materiality assessment process ·      Site visits and inspections ·      Presentation of annual and sustainability reports
Local communities	·      Formal processes including grievance mechanisms and community development committees ·      Regular meetings between local chiefs, mine community officers, GMs and the CEO ·      Consultations, ESIAs, PPPs and local events ·      Local media and community radio ·      Training programmes ·      Materiality assessment process ·      Participation in local cultural events
NGOs	·      Specialist partnerships on issues such as HIV/AIDS, water management and education ·      Formal correspondence and meetings ·      Materiality assessment process ·      Local presentations of annual and sustainability reports
Unions	·      Union representative participate in mine board meetings and at operations strategy workshops ·      Monthly and mass employee meetings ·      Formal meetings, correspondence and events ·      Onsite training ·      Unions attend monthly cost review meetings ·      Materiality assessment process
Suppliers and contractors	·      Procurement team account management relationships ·      Tender documents process ·      Supply contracts process ·      Materiality assessment process ·      Meetings with local business forums including Randgold CEO
Media	·      Publications and online information ·      Press releases and market statements ·      Interviews ·      Site visits ·      Regular in country press conferences

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Randgold surveyed both internal and external stakeholders to identify and rank the sustainability risks they considered to be most important, and to guide the issues Randgold reported on in its sustainability report.

What actions were taken by Randgold to respect and promote human rights?

In its 2017 Sustainability Report Randgold reports that it took the following actions for respecting and promoting human rights:

• Implementing a Human Rights Policy
• Randgold’s group-wide Human Rights Policy covers the protection of human rights in employment, community resettlement and engagement of private security forces, while its Code of Conduct, anti-corruption and anti-bribery policies and its Conflict Free Gold Policy also make reference to the protection of human rights. These policies form an important part of induction training and Randgold also provides specialised standalone training programmes for all security personnel, including compulsory training in the UN Voluntary Principles on Business and Human Rights. Additionally, Randgold makes sure that security forces implement its human rights policy by making certain that:
  • Strict due diligence procedures are in place prior to recruitment, including a requirement to be accredited according to relevant UN agencies
  • Contractual requirements include human rights clauses
  • Compulsory training is provided for all security providers in the UN Voluntary Principles on Business and Human Rights
  • A formal disciplinary procedure is in place should any personnel be subject to credible allegations of serious human rights abuse
• Randgold’s policy is not to arm the security forces at its mines, and it does not provide benefits to any armed groups who have committed or been accused of human rights violations. Instead, Randgold relies on the strong partnerships it builds with its host countries to keep its mines secure. Randgold’s mines are also protected by local police and government forces which sign legally binding contracts to uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in all safety, security and policing matters.

• Promoting human rights across Randgold’s supply chain
• Randgold undertakes significant due diligence within its supply chain during the supplier selection and check, to make sure any potential supplier does not have a record of human rights infringements. Respect for human rights is further embedded in Randgold’s value chain through the inclusion of detailed human rights obligations in all supplier contracts. This ensures that all contractors have a legal duty to comply with Randgold’s zero tolerance approach to bribery, forced, bonded and vulnerable labour, corporal punishment and infringements of freedom of association.

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

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 410-1 Security personnel trained in human rights policies or procedures

2) Disclosure 412-2 Employee training on human rights policies or procedures

3) Disclosure 412-3 Significant investment agreements and contracts that include human rights clauses or that underwent human rights screening

 

Disclosure 410-1 Security personnel trained in human rights policies or procedures 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: Security

Disclosure 412-2 Employee training on human rights policies or procedures does not correspond to any SDG.

Disclosure 412-3 Significant investment agreements and contracts that include human rights clauses or that underwent human rights screening does not correspond to any SDG.

 

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 Randgold, 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 Randgold: 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 IGO identified a range of material issues, such as economic performance, community and regional development, land management, local employment, capital allocation and growth. Among these, promoting and protecting human rights stands out as a key material issue for IGO.

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 IGO engages with: 

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

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement
Employees and contractors	·      IGO Code of Conduct, Purpose, Values, policies and standards ·      Conversations between leaders, managers and employees ·      Performance review process, employee engagement surveys ·      IGO employee communication channels, meetings and morning teas ·      IGO training and development programmes ·      Participation in IGO awards and celebration events, Corporate Giving activities
Traditional Owners	·      IGO Code of Conduct, Purpose, Values, policies and standards ·      Representative bodies, community meetings, personal communications ·      Negotiated agreements
Neighbouring communities	·      IGO Code of Conduct, Purpose, Values, policies and standards ·      Location specific community relations’ personnel ·      Community and town hall meetings ·      Newsletters and media articles ·      Participation in social and environmental assessments, socio-economic reviews, community surveys, site visits and Corporate Giving activities ·      Whistleblower, complaints and grievance mechanisms
Pastoralists	·      IGO Code of Conduct, Purpose, Values, policies and standards ·      Land access agreements ·      Participation in social and environmental assessments, socio-economic reviews and community surveys ·      Meetings and personal communications
Suppliers and contractors	·      IGO Code of Conduct, Purpose, Values, policies and standards ·      Supplier research and performance ·      Contract negotiations and management reviews ·      Contractor safety initiatives ·      Meetings and personal communications
Customers	·      Site visits, meetings and personal communications ·      Customer research ·      Contract negotiations
Shareholders, investors, financiers and analysts	·      Quarterly, half yearly and Annual reports, ASX announcements, share registry information, Sustainability Report ·      Site visits, meetings, road shows, presentations and speeches, webcasts and personal communications ·      Participation in sustainability benchmarking assessments and disclosure questionnaires
Joint venture partners	·      Quarterly, half yearly and annual reports, ASX announcements, share registry information ·      Site visits, meetings, road shows, presentations and speeches, webcasts and personal communications ·      Negotiated agreements and proposals
Governments and regulators	·      Regular meetings and communication ·      Site inspections ·      Business conformance audits ·      Regulatory filings and responses to requests for information ·      Participation in legislation and policy developments ·      Participation in IGO Corporate Giving activities
Nongovernment organisations, special interest groups and civil society	·      Quarterly, half yearly and Annual reports, Sustainability Report ·      Participation in stakeholder and community events ·      Regular meetings ·      Response to enquiries
Learning and research partners	·      Meetings, communication, presentations and speeches ·      In-house placements
Peers and industry associations	·      Participate in industry committees, working groups, forums, conferences, regular meetings and communications
Media	·      Press releases regarding ASX announcements, financial and operational performance, socio-environment, mergers, acquisitions and divestments ·      Meetings, interviews and regional teleconferences ·      Daily media monitoring

What actions were taken by IGO to promote and protect human rights?

In its 2019 Sustainability Report IGO reports that it took the following actions for promoting and protecting human rights:

• Combating modern slavery
• IGO supports the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and the general proposition that large businesses have a key role in combating modern slavery. IGO agrees that no business should tolerate modern slavery or other serious abuses of human rights in their operations or across their supply chains and is also actively aware of its obligations under the Australian Modern Slavery Act. The Act establishes the requirement for modern slavery reporting on actions to address modern slavery risks and to publicly disclose this in an annual Modern Slavery Statement. IGO took steps to develop its first Modern Slavery Statement, to be made available on its website in early 2020.

• Launching a Human Rights Policy
• During FY19, IGO launched its Human Rights Policy, which clearly articulates IGO’s goals to undertake the following:
  • champion and promote a workplace culture which encourages diversity and inclusion without regard to factors such as sex, marital status, race, impairment, religion, political beliefs or social preference;
  • recognise and respect Aboriginal cultural heritage and work with Aboriginal communities affected by IGO’s operations in an open, transparent and collaborative manner to make sure IGO continues to deliver positive outcomes for all members of these communities;
  • not tolerate any form of forced labour or servitude including child labour and human trafficking;
  • comply with its obligations under the Australian Modern Slavery Act 2018 by undertaking risk assessments to identify those parts of IGO’s business and supply chains where there is a risk of modern slavery practices taking place and work with its suppliers to improve their standards;
  • prohibit all forms of corruption and bribery as well as all forms of retaliation, discrimination, harassment, intimidation against any person reporting a breach of this policy; and
  • focus on continued learning and development for all employees to make sure IGO’s business practices are consistent with its values to promote and uphold the rights and dignity of all people.

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

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 412-1 Operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments

2) Disclosure 412-2 Employee training on human rights policies or procedures

 

Disclosure 412-1 Operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments does not correspond to any SDG.

Disclosure 412-2 Employee training on human rights policies or procedures does not correspond to any SDG.

 

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References:

1) This case study is based on published information by IGO, 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/

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