SDG1 Archives - SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine https://sustaincase.com/category/sdgs-category/sdg1/ Insights on how you can protect the environment, maintain and increase the value of your company, through a structured CSR/Sustainability process with the use of the GRI Standards. Learn how Today's Best-Run Companies are achieving Economic, Social, and Environmental Success - and How You Can Too... Mon, 06 Mar 2023 09:55:58 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 Case study: How Equitrans creates economic value for its stakeholders https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-equitrans-creates-economic-value-for-its-stakeholders/ Wed, 06 Apr 2022 06:06:33 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=13455 Equitrans Midstream Corporation (Equitrans) is a publicly traded midstream services company with a premier asset footprint across the Appalachian Basin in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. , all of which positively contribute to the U.S. economy and local economies. This case study is based on the 2020 Corporate Sustainability Report by Equitrans published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and […]

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]]> Equitrans Midstream Corporation (Equitrans) is a publicly traded midstream services company with a premier asset footprint across the Appalachian Basin in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. Equitrans delivers clean, affordable domestic energy, supports economic development in local communities, creates jobs and generates tax revenue to support state and local governments  Tweet This!, all of which positively contribute to the U.S. economy and local economies.

This case study is based on the 2020 Corporate Sustainability Report by Equitrans published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.

Abstract

Equitrans creates value for its shareholders as well as the communities in which it operates and is proud of the beneficial economic impact it has on these communities, through factors such as job creation and tax revenue generation. In order to create economic value for its stakeholders Equitrans took action to:

  • contribute to the national economy
  • support ancillary jobs
  • generate tax revenue

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2020 Corporate Sustainability Report Equitrans identified a range of material issues, such as air emissions and climate change, business ethics and integrity, occupational health and safety, diversity and inclusion. Among these, creating economic value for its stakeholders stands out as a key material issue for Equitrans.

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 Equitrans engages with:

Stakeholder Group
Community Members
Contractors
Financial Research Analysts
First Responders
Government Officials and Agencies
Landowners
Shareholders
Suppliers

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Equitrans used a third-party ESG (environmental, social and governance) risk management software platform to collect and evaluate evidence from key external stakeholders (e.g. customers, administrators/standards, investors, non-governmental organisations, and suppliers).

What actions were taken by Equitrans to create economic value for its stakeholders?

In its 2020 Corporate Sustainability Report Equitrans reports that it took the following actions for creating economic value for its stakeholders:

  • Contributing to the national economy
  • In 2019, Equitrans contributed $2.66 billion in value-added contributions to the United States Gross Domestic Product (GDP), excluding activities related to the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP). For Equitrans’ business, 54.7 percent of this contribution is a result of its operational activities in its three primary operating states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, with another 4.3 percent coming from operations elsewhere in the United States. The remaining 41.1 percent of Equitrans’ contribution is associated with its business with suppliers that provide the products and services Equitrans utilises in its operations. Equitrans’ direct business activities contributed $470 million to the GDP, while its indirect impact as a result of its business with its suppliers contributed $532 million to the GDP. Lastly, Equitrans’ total induced economic impact, or the personal spending of its employees, contractors, and suppliers, contributed $1,656 million to the GDP.
  • Supporting ancillary jobs
  • Equitrans’ business activities supported 33,100 ancillary jobs in 2019, excluding any ancillary jobs related to the MVP project, in addition to its own 801 employees as of year-end 2019. These ancillary jobs include people who contribute to the successful operation of construction projects as well as Equitrans’ gathering, transmission and storage, and water services as contractors and suppliers.
  • Generating tax revenue
  • Equitrans’ business generated millions in state and local tax revenues in 2019, excluding taxes related to the MVP project. These generated revenues support state and local governments and public resource enhancing operations, such as road construction and maintenance, and school funding.

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

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 201-1 Direct economic value generated and distributed

2) Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts

Disclosure 201-1 Direct economic value generated and distributed corresponds to:

Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts corresponds to:

 

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 Equitrans, 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 Equitrans: 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.

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]]> Case study: How Smurfit Kappa supports the communities where it operates https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-smurfit-kappa-supports-the-communities-where-it-operates/ Wed, 08 Sep 2021 06:06:19 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=12880 Smurfit Kappa is one of the largest integrated manufacturers of paper-based packaging solutions in the world, operating across 35 countries with around 46,000 employees in over 350 production sites. , while its Foundation empowers people to improve their lives. This case study is based on the 2019 Sustainable Development Report by Smurfit Kappa published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, […]

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]]> Smurfit Kappa is one of the largest integrated manufacturers of paper-based packaging solutions in the world, operating across 35 countries with around 46,000 employees in over 350 production sites. Smurfit Kappa is committed to the communities in which it operates  Tweet This!, while its Foundation empowers people to improve their lives.

This case study is based on the 2019 Sustainable Development Report by Smurfit Kappa published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.

Abstract

Layout 1Abstract

Smurfit Kappa actively supports local communities, through its Smurfit Kappa Foundation and local operations. In order to support the communities where it operates Smurfit Kappa took action to:

  • promote community involvement
  • launch the Smurfit Kappa Foundation

What are the material issues the company has identified?            

In its 2019 Sustainable Development Report Smurfit Kappa identified a range of material issues, such as climate change awareness, energy use and emissions, responsible forestry, high-quality and sustainable products. Among these, supporting the communities where it operates stands out as a key material issue for Smurfit Kappa.

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 Smurfit Kappa engages with: 

Stakeholder Group                Method of engagement
Customers ·      Regular business meetings at Smurfit Kappa’s Experience Centres

·      Customer conferences

·      WBCSD membership

·      Awards and competitions run by customers
Investors ·      Investor days and conferences

·      One-to-one meetings

·      ESG ratings by rating agencies

·      Feedback from sustainability analysts

·      Queries directly from investors
Employees ·      MyVoice engagement surveys

·      Day-to-day interactions

·      Works Councils

·      Social committees
Communities

 

 ·      Participation in local initiatives

·      Supporting social investment projects
Suppliers

 

 ·      Supplier sustainability audits

·      Participating in the development of Forest Certification as members of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)

·      WBCSD membership

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Smurfit Kappa conducted an online survey for internal stakeholders (employees) and interviews with key external stakeholders, such as customers, investors and suppliers.

What actions were taken by Smurfit Kappa to support the communities where it operates?

In its 2019 Sustainable Development Report Smurfit Kappa reports that it took the following actions for supporting the communities where it operates:

  • Promoting community involvement
  • Smurfit Kappa always considers the concerns of the wider community at national and international level. Community involvement builds trust and serves as a link to the issues important to Smurfit Kappa. Local general managers are expected to represent the Group as part of the local community and play a positive part in its development. In its philanthropic work, Smurfit Kappa focuses on self-help initiatives, education and health programmes, and contributes through financial donations and volunteering by local employees. The circular economy has an impact on communities as well, and Smurfit Kappa participates widely in local circular operations. Some examples of these are:
    • Delivering district heating from Smurfit Kappa’s paper mill to the residents of Piteå, Sweden
    • Supporting municipality water treatment systems with Smurfit Kappa’s effluent that has nutrients that help treat municipality waste water in Nettingsdorf, Austria and Nervión, Spain
    • Treating municipality waste water in Morava, Czech Republic
    • Maintaining rural road structures at Smurfit Kappa’s Colombian Forestry Operations
    • Collecting city-recovered paper in Malaga, Spain
  • Launching the Smurfit Kappa Foundation
  • The Smurfit Kappa Foundation was formed in 2011 and supports sustainable projects in the countries where Smurfit Kappa Smurfit Kappa focuses on projects involving disadvantaged children in the areas of health and nutrition, basic care and early education. Smurfit Kappa is particularly interested in projects in which Smurfit Kappa employees or their families are involved and where they would benefit from support from Smurfit Kappa’s Foundation. Any support Smurfit Kappa gives is in addition to and not a substitute for funding such projects might already receive from the local Smurfit Kappa operations. The Foundation’s goal is to end the cycle of poverty and dependence that exists in some of the communities and countries in which Smurfit Kappa operates, using the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a guide. The projects Smurfit Kappa supports tackle global issues with local relevance, and operate under the ethos: ’Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’ Thus, Smurfit Kappa supports sustainable projects which involve input from the local community and are capable of becoming self-sufficient in the long-term.

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

The GRI Standards addressed in this are:

1) Disclosure 413-1 Operations with local community engagement, impact assessments, and development programs

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

 

Disclosure 413-1 Operations with local community engagement, impact assessments, and development programs does not correspond to any SDG.

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

 

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 Smurfit Kappa, 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 Smurfit Kappa: 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.

The post Case study: How Smurfit Kappa supports the communities where it operates appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How Gazprom Neft supports local communities through educational initiatives https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-gazprom-neft-supports-local-communities-through-educational-initiatives/ Wed, 07 Jul 2021 05:57:03 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=12721 Gazprom Neft is the third largest oil producer in Russia, with products exported to more than 100 countries worldwide and sold throughout Russia and abroad through an extensive network of directly-owned retail outlets. Gazprom Neft is committed to promoting and supporting the activity of local communities in tackling social and economic issues, providing tools, opportunities and benchmarks for development. This case study is based on the 2019 Sustainable Development Report by Gazprom Neft published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability […]

The post Case study: How Gazprom Neft supports local communities through educational initiatives appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Gazprom Neft is the third largest oil producer in Russia, with products exported to more than 100 countries worldwide and sold throughout Russia and abroad through an extensive network of directly-owned retail outlets. Gazprom Neft is committed to promoting and supporting the activity of local communities in tackling social and economic issues, providing tools, opportunities and benchmarks for development.

This case study is based on the 2019 Sustainable Development Report by Gazprom Neft published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.

Abstract

Gazprom Neft seeks to support the development of the regions in which it operates  Tweet This!, achieving its sustainable development goals. In order to support local communities through educational initiatives Gazprom Neft took action to:

  • implement the Masters of Russia programme
  • carry out the “Mathematical Progression” joint project
  • organise the “Developing Talent” Case Tournament
  • implement educational programmes with the Strelka Institute

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2019 Sustainable Development Report Gazprom Neft identified a range of material issues, such as financial stability and operational efficiency, product safety and quality, anti-corruption, human rights. Among these, supporting local communities through educational initiatives stands out as a key material issue for Gazprom Neft.

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 Gazprom Neft engages with:

Stakeholder Group                Method of engagement
Shareholders and investors

 

 ·      General Meeting of Shareholders

·      Corporate reports

·      Meetings, conferences and conference calls for investors

·      On-site meetings with investors

·      Investor Day attended by Gazprom Neft top managers

·      Analyst databook and statistics digest published by Gazprom Neft

·      Up-to-date information posted in the Investors section on the company website

·      Hotline and email
Employees

 

 

 ·      System of internal communications

·      Meetings between Gazprom Neft employees and management to discuss outstanding issues

·      Joint health committees

·      Meetings attended by trade union representatives

·      Employee engagement surveys (EES)

·      Forums, conferences, cultural and sporting events
Consumers ·      Contracts

·      Feedback system and services

·      Complaint management system

·      System for consumers to assess Gazprom Neft

·      Media

·      External corporate communications

·      Gazprom Neft loyalty programmes

·      Business meetings, including on-site

·      Conferences and forums

·      Corporate reports
Government of the Russian Federation and governments of Gazprom Neft’s regions of operation ·      Agreements on social and economic partnership

·      Joint working groups, round-table talks and meetings

·      Corporate reports

·      Participation in commissions and conferences

 
Suppliers and partners

 

 

 ·      Competitive tendering procedures

·      Contracts and agreements

·      System for contractors to assess Gazprom Neft

·      Business meetings and forums organised by Gazprom Neft

·      External conferences and exhibitions

·      Corporate website, including the Procurement Portal section
Local communities in Gazprom Neft’s regions of operation

 

 

 

 ·      Social projects forming part of the ‘Home Towns’ Social Investment Programme

·      Projects to promote social development and support education, healthcare, culture and sports in Serbia and Iraq

·      Public consultations, round-table meetings and dialogues

·      Corporate and external media

·      Corporate reports
Industry peers in Russia and worldwide

 

 ·      Cooperation agreements

·      Participation in industry and cross-industry events

·      Membership in industry organisations’ committees

·      Joint projects

·      Corporate reports
Non-profit and non-governmental organisations

 

 ·      Conferences and exhibitions

·      Round-table meetings

·      Joint implementation of social projects

·      Corporate reports

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Gazprom Neft surveyed both internal and external stakeholders.

What actions were taken by Gazprom Neft to support local communities through educational initiatives?

In its 2019 Sustainable Development Report Gazprom Neft reports that it took the following actions for supporting local communities through educational initiatives:

  • Implementing the Masters of Russia programme
  • Together with the Creative Practices Foundation, Gazprom Neft is implementing the Masters of Russia programme which aims to support young entrepreneurship. This project includes a series of studies, forums and crash courses, and is focused on the Mastera Academy online media platform. This resource gives young entrepreneurs an opportunity to share experiences, develop professional competencies, and present their products to a wide audience, free of charge. Over 20,000 users have completed online courses on the Mastera Academy platform. In the reporting year, the Makers of Siberia Photo Prize contest was held with support from the “Home Towns” Programme. The theme of the contest was “The Present” and local photographers took part in it. Members of the MoS Photo Prize jury considered over 600 applications, and selected 17 of them: ten individual photos, and seven series. The main prize was a trip to the photography festival in Arles in France. As part of the Strategic Planning Leaders Forum 2019, Masters of Russia held a plenary session entitled “Creative Entrepreneurship and the New Economy: Regions during the Industry 4.0”. In the youth section of the Forum, there was an open discussion called “The Power of the Village” that related to sustainable development and creative projects outside cities.
  • Carrying out the “Mathematical Progression” joint project
  • Gazprom Neft is a partner of the Chebyshev Laboratory at St Petersburg State University, headed by a Fields Medal winner, Stanislav Smirnov. The “Mathematical Progression” joint project supports talented mathematicians at every stage of their studies: high-school students receive invitations to universities; students are awarded personal scholarships; young researchers receive grants and internships in Russia and abroad; and scientific and research teams secure funding for fundamental studies. In 2019, Gazprom Neft gave individual scholarships and prizes to 73 students and four young researchers. This project has now reached international level, as the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science was established in the Chebyshev Laboratory. In addition, the “Modern Mathematics” MSc programme was launched for students from Russia, Eastern Europe and Asia, with support from Gazprom Neft.
  • Organising the “Developing Talent” Case Tournament
  • Every year since 2015, Gazprom Neft has held the “Developing Talent” Case Tournament for gifted school students. High-school students from the regions in which Gazprom Neft operates compete to solve business cases related to the oil and gas sector. The tournament is aimed at making specialisation in engineering more popular among schoolchildren in the regions in which Gazprom Neft operates, helping the schoolchildren to build their research skills, thus encouraging the creation of a future talent pool for the company. In 2019, the tournament was held in a new format: participants solved not only problems related to the oil and gas sector, but also digital business cases prepared by Gazprom Neft. Overall, 2,800 applications were submitted for the tournament, with 71 high-school students reaching the final. In 2019, the Sirius Educational Centre, which is the leading Russian campus for gifted children, joined in the tournament.
  • Implementing educational programmes with the Strelka Institute
  • Since 2015, Gazprom Neft has been working with the Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design in educational programmes for representatives involved in regional development initiatives in Omsk and St Petersburg. The project aims to provide the representatives with the necessary competencies to enable them to work together to create a comfortable urban environment. In 2019, over 1,000 people attended In the City, a conference about technologies shaping the future of cities. It includes lectures and workshops by entrepreneurs, researchers, and specialists in urban studies from the USA, the Netherlands, Indonesia and Russia, and has 25,000 viewers watching online broadcasts.

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

The GRI Standard addressed in this case is: Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts

Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts corresponds to:

 

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 Gazprom Neft, 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 Gazprom Neft: 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.

The post Case study: How Gazprom Neft supports local communities through educational initiatives appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How TMB promotes financial inclusion https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-tmb-promotes-financial-inclusion/ Fri, 11 Jun 2021 06:02:22 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=12659 Founded in 1957, TMB Bank Public Company Limited (TMB) is the sixth largest commercial bank in Thailand, serving 10 million customers and offering financial products and services ranging from deposits, loans, investment products and bancassurance. This case study is based on the 2019 Sustainability Report by TMB published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing. […]

The post Case study: How TMB promotes financial inclusion appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Founded in 1957, TMB Bank Public Company Limited (TMB) is the sixth largest commercial bank in Thailand, serving 10 million customers and offering financial products and services ranging from deposits, loans, investment products and bancassurance. TMB aims to provide equal, inclusive, and easy access to financial products and services to all its customers.  Tweet This!

This case study is based on the 2019 Sustainability Report by TMB published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.

Abstract

In 2019, TMB launched a number of financial inclusive products and services, for both retail customers and small-sized businesses. In order to promote financial inclusion TMB took action to:

  • launch the TMB Smart Port
  • introduce the TMB Experience
  • offer the instant loan on TMB TOUCH
  • introduce two new unsecured loans for small-sized businesses

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2019 Sustainability Report TMB identified a range of material issues, such as customer experience, digital transformation, data privacy and protection, market conduct, responsible lending. Among these, promoting financial inclusion stands out as a key material issue for TMB.

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 TMB engages with:

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

Stakeholder Group                Method of engagement
Shareholders

 

 

 ·      Annual shareholder general meetings

·      Analyst meetings

·      Shareholder and investor roadshows

·      Quarterly reports

·      Seminars

·      Information disclosure via regulators’ platforms

·      Enquiries submitted through TMB website

·      Investor Relations contact

·      Whistleblower and complaint channel
Employees

 

 

 

 

 ·      Communication with HR Business Partners

·      Employee engagement survey

·      Orientation for new employees

·      Town Halls

·      Regular emails and other online communication

·      Whistleblower and complaint channel
Customers

 

 

 ·      Branches

·      Relationship Managers

·      TMB Contact Centre

·      Online digital platforms such as Facebook and TMB website

·      Activities and events with customers

·      Whistleblower and complaint channel
Partners

 

 ·      Procurement channel

·      Whistleblower and complaint channel
Competitors

 

 

 ·      Banking industry activities, seminars, trainings, and events hosted by regulators and external parties

·      Whistleblower and complaint channel
Regulators

 

 ·      Banking industry activities, seminars, trainings, and events hosted by regulators and external parties

·      Whistleblower and complaint channel
Communities

 

 ·      • FAI-FAH Centres

·      Community Relations

·      Community surveys

·      Whistleblower and complaint channel

What actions were taken by TMB to promote financial inclusion?

In its 2019 Sustainability Report TMB reports that it took the following actions for promoting financial inclusion:

  • Launching the TMB Smart Port
  • The TMB Smart Port is the first full service for investment portfolio management, specifically designed by TMB to adjust the investment portfolio according to market conditions. This new service offers widening wealth services to mainstream customers and to those who are interested in investing in funds and want to build their financial wealth, but do not know how to manage their portfolios and do not have time to watch the market.
  • Introducing the TMB Experience
  • The “TMB Experience” is a new concept branch, offering engaging experience that combines digitisation with a human touch to enable customers to enjoy discovering their real financial needs through an ‘Avatar’ identity creation and exploring products and services which can help them reach their financial goals. The aim is to allow customers to understand their own financial needs and objectives effectively with the assistance of both digitised tools and TMB branch personnel. Customers will not be forced to buy any products, but once they are ready to purchase, they will be offered the products and services on a need-based basis to make sure that they can get more benefits in accordance with the TMB Get MORE proposition.
  • Offering the instant loan on TMB TOUCH
  • TMB launched the instant loan on TMB TOUCH, where customers can instantly, easily, and conveniently apply for loans or credit cards via TMB TOUCH with no documents required and approval decisions made known to customers immediately.
  • Introducing two new unsecured loans for small-sized businesses
  • TMB introduced two new unsecured loans for stock investment and to increase financial liquidity in collaboration with Lazada Thailand, an e-commerce platform, for online merchants. These products were developed to address the pain and needs of small-sized businesses, who struggle or do not have access to secure loans for their businesses. Securing loans requires countless documents and time-consuming processes, which have been barriers for small-sized business. Now they can apply for loans with TMB as these loans have streamlined the whole process, making it accessible for the business to secure a loan.

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

The GRI Standard addressed in this case is: Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts

Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts corresponds to:

 

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 TMB, 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 TMB: 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.

The post Case study: How TMB promotes financial inclusion appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How IGM strengthens communities by promoting financial confidence https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-igm-strengthens-communities-by-promoting-financial-confidence/ Fri, 05 Mar 2021 06:50:14 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=12298 IGM Financial Inc. is a leading wealth and asset management company supporting financial advisors and the clients they serve in Canada, and institutional investors throughout North America, Europe and Asia. As a financial services company, , so they can achieve their goals and own their financial future. This case study is based on the 2019 Corporate Responsibility Report by IGM published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important […]

The post Case study: How IGM strengthens communities by promoting financial confidence appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> IGM Financial Inc. is a leading wealth and asset management company supporting financial advisors and the clients they serve in Canada, and institutional investors throughout North America, Europe and Asia. As a financial services company, one of the best ways IGM can strengthen communities is by offering its resources and expertise to help Canadians feel confident about their finances  Tweet This!, so they can achieve their goals and own their financial future.

This case study is based on the 2019 Corporate Responsibility Report by IGM published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.

Abstract

IGM’s IG Empower your Tomorrow focuses on assisting four key groups who are underserved, when it comes to financial guidance: Indigenous peoples, newcomers, seniors and youth. In order to strengthen communities by promoting financial confidence IGM took action to:

  • provide financial education to indigenous peoples and newcomers
  • support seniors and youth
  • update and re-launch the Money & Youth financial literacy textbook and website

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2019 Corporate Responsibility Report IGM identified a range of material issues, such as client experience, diversity and inclusion, privacy and information security, environmental footprint. Among these, strengthening communities by promoting financial confidence stands out as a key material issue for IGM.

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 IGM engages with:

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

Stakeholder Group                Method of engagement
Clients

 

 

 ·      Annual client and advisor surveys

·      Client service call centres

·      Advisory panels and focus groups

·      In person and virtual communications
Shareholders ·      Annual Meeting

·      Quarterly earnings calls

·      Five sell-side conferences, four road shows

·      Over 75 investor/analyst meetings, ad hoc communications

·      ESG Rating firm responses and discussions

·      Board engagement mechanism
Employees ·      Annual & ad-hoc surveys, focus groups

·      Employee forums, intranets

·      Performance & development discussions

·      Employee volunteer groups
Financial advisors

 

 ·      Surveys, meetings, focus groups

·      Client service teams & call centres

·      Conferences, training, webinars

·      Online collaboration platforms
Industry partners

 

 

 

 ·      Memberships on regulatory committees and industry bodies

·      Participation on regulatory roundtables, public submissions, industry working groups and technical committees

·      Meetings, conferences and events
Communities

 

 

 ·      Community partnership meetings, events

·      Financial confidence workshops

·      Focus groups, sustainability networks

What actions were taken by IGM to strengthen communities by promoting financial confidence?

In its 2019 Corporate Responsibility Report IGM reports that it took the following actions for strengthening communities by promoting financial confidence:

  • Providing financial education to indigenous peoples and newcomers
  • Indigenous peoples are a vital part of Canada’s culture, yet many face unique barriers to financial wellness on a daily basis. IGM partners with organisations like Opportunities for Employment to provide financial education and job training to Indigenous Peoples and funds scholarships for Indigenous students at both the local and national level, with organisations like Indspire. Additionally, as learning the financial systems of a new country can be daunting, IGM works with the Canadian Foundation of Economic Education (CFEE) to provide financial education in newcomers’ first language. IGM also has a longstanding partnership with United Way and supports local chapters across Canada so they can offer financial literacy programmes to newcomers.
  • Supporting seniors and youth
  • The seniors, parents and grandparents of various communities often face unique financial challenges that come with age. IGM offers support through financial planning workshops designed to guide seniors through financial considerations, in collaboration with national partners including the Alzheimer Society of Canada. In addition, IGM seeks to make sure that future teachers, caregivers, business leaders and professionals start off on the right financial foot. Accordingly, with the help of the CFEE, IGM distributed more than 500,000 copies of Money and Youth textbooks to students across the nation and hosted thousands of students at workshops. Recognising basic literacy as a precursor to financial literacy, IGM also supports Dyslexia Canada’s Mark it Read national campaign, which raises awareness and support for the 10% to 20% of Canadian children living with dyslexia.
  • Updating and re-launching the Money & Youth financial literacy textbook and website
  • In the fall of 2019, IGM updated and re-launched its Money & Youth financial literacy textbook and website, which reached more than 43,000 high school students across Canada. In addition, textbook usage by IG Wealth Management Consultants totalled approximately 6,300, a 96% increase over 2018. 50 CFEE/IG Wealth Management financial literacy workshops were also delivered to nearly 1,000 seniors and newcomers, with IG Wealth Management Consultants participating in about 60% of them.

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

The GRI Standard addressed in this case is: Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts

Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts corresponds to:

 

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 IGM, 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 IGM: 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.

The post Case study: How IGM strengthens communities by promoting financial confidence appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How Cathay Life promotes financial inclusion https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-cathay-life-promotes-financial-inclusion/ Wed, 16 Dec 2020 07:00:34 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=12025   Cathay Life is the leading brand in Taiwan’s insurance industry, with business sites around Taiwan that include 33 branches and 300 agencies with over 27,000 sales agents providing customers with a wide variety of products and services. Recognising that an inclusive financial system can provide equal opportunity to help reduce poverty and promote prosperity, , so that the public can enjoy required financial services equally. This case study is based on the 2018 Corporate Sustainability Report by Cathay Life published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we […]

The post Case study: How Cathay Life promotes financial inclusion appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]>  

Cathay Life is the leading brand in Taiwan’s insurance industry, with business sites around Taiwan that include 33 branches and 300 agencies with over 27,000 sales agents providing customers with a wide variety of products and services. Recognising that an inclusive financial system can provide equal opportunity to help reduce poverty and promote prosperity, Cathay Life seeks to expand the usability and accessibility of financial services  Tweet This!, so that the public can enjoy required financial services equally.

This case study is based on the 2018 Corporate Sustainability Report by Cathay Life published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.

Abstract

Cathay Life has been providing alternative financial inclusion products to fulfill the demands of various social groups, including the economically disadvantaged and the elderly, so as to maximise social stability centred on insurance. In order to promote financial inclusion Cathay Life took action to:

  • offer micro insurance for the economically disadvantaged
  • provide the first petty amount whole life insurance
  • launch Asia’s first medical insurance for cancer patients
  • provide student group insurance

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2018 Corporate Sustainability Report Cathay Life identified a range of material issues, such as corporate governance and ethical corporate management, responsible investment and lending, customer rights preservation, attracting and developing talents, information security and customer privacy. Among these, promoting financial inclusion stands out as a key material issue for Cathay Life.

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 Cathay Life engages with:

Stakeholder Group                Method of engagement
Employees ·       Engagement Survey

·       Training and Development

·       Mailbox

·       Forum

·       Employee Activities

·       EAP
Customers ·       Satisfaction Survey

·       Website

·       Cathay Life App

·       0800 Customer Services

·       Smart Digital Customer Services

·       Service Mailbox

·       Policyholder Activities
Suppliers ·       Supplier Activities

·       Supplier Management System
Communities/NGOs/ NPOs ·       Charity Annual Report

·       Charity Activities

·       Media Promotion

·       Website

·       Seminars
CSR Experts

 

 ·       CS Report

·       CS Website

·       Email

·       Seminars
Investors ·       Annual Report

·       Stewardship Report

·       Meetings

·       Public Conferences/ Forums

·       Investor Conferences
Government and Competent Authority ·       Life Insurance Association

·       Meetings

·       Email

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Cathay Life engaged with its stakeholders through surveys and interviews, including a questionnaire survey among 3,943 stakeholders.

What actions were taken by Cathay Life to promote financial inclusion?

In its 2018 Corporate Sustainability Report Cathay Life reports that it took the following actions for promoting financial inclusion:

  • Offering micro insurance for the economically disadvantaged
  • From 2009, Cathay Life began offering micro insurance to provide basic coverage to the economically These products cover injury, death, disability and medical expenses. As of the end of 2018, micro insurance provided protection totalling NT$59.4 billion for around 190,000 economically disadvantaged people, the highest in the industry.
  • Providing the first petty amount whole life insurance
  • Cathay Life expanded its micro insurance to all people, and led the industry in offering the first petty amount whole life insurance in 2017, which offers the largest coverage and can be afforded by almost anyone. The product allows people to get basic coverage, even for those who cannot apply insurance because of age or poor physical condition. The features of this product are low application requirements and premiums, allowing people to obtain basic insurance coverage easily. As of the end of 2018, nearly 180,000 policyholders have been insured, providing a total insurance coverage, NT$51.6 billion approximately, against personal risks for society. This is the highest amount of total coverage in the industry.
  • Launching Asia’s first medical insurance for cancer patients
  • After being diagnosed with cancer, many cancer patients finally realise how insufficient their coverage is but cannot transfer the risk by applying insurance, and have to face the burden of immense medical expenses directly. Cathay Life saw the need of cancer patients for getting coverage and launched Asia’s first medical insurance for cancer patients exclusively in 2018. The coverage is for the top 12 most common primary cancers in Taiwan, such as colorectal cancer or breast cancer. This product can cover about 80% of cancer patients and offer them adequate economic and psychological support, has gained widespread social approval and has inspired industry peers to follow suit.
  • Providing student group insurance
  • From 2017 to 2018, Cathay Life provided student group insurance with a total insured amount of about NT$3 trillion, protecting 3 million students around Taiwan. Cathay Life and the K-12 Education Administration also implemented the Sustainable Campus Project, to provide students with more thoughtful and expanded services. Nearly 6,000 agents, as the sustainable campus ambassadors around Taiwan, visited schools to increase students’ awareness of self-protection and sustainability issues.

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

The GRI Standard addressed in this case is: Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts

Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts corresponds to:

 

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 Cathay Life, 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 Cathay Life: 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.

The post Case study: How Cathay Life promotes financial inclusion appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How PTI optimises water use https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-pti-optimises-water-use/ Wed, 22 Jul 2020 11:44:16 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=11068 Powertech Technology Inc. (PTI) was founded in 1997 and has become a leader among global IC (integrated circuit) packaging and testing providers, with 18,145 employees and operation locations stationed over Taiwan, China, Singapore and Japan. In light of the drastic changes in the water environment, more and more frequent alternation of droughts and floods, and the increased concern that stakeholders have about the issue of water resources as a result of climate change over the years, and continues to promote water conservation measures in respective factories. This case study is based on the 2018 Corporate Sustainability Report by PTI published […]

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]]> Powertech Technology Inc. (PTI) was founded in 1997 and has become a leader among global IC (integrated circuit) packaging and testing providers, with 18,145 employees and operation locations stationed over Taiwan, China, Singapore and Japan. In light of the drastic changes in the water environment, more and more frequent alternation of droughts and floods, and the increased concern that stakeholders have about the issue of water resources as a result of climate change over the years, PTI has enforced water resource management according to its three major strategies, namely reduction, re-utilisation, and recycling  Tweet This! and continues to promote water conservation measures in respective factories.

This case study is based on the 2018 Corporate Sustainability Report by PTI published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.

Abstract

PTI has been participating in the international CDP – Water Disclosure project since 2017 and has had its water risks and opportunities identified and management information further released and disclosed for two consecutive years, demonstrating the success achieved on and the emphasis it places on water resources. In order to optimise water use PTI took action to:

  • promote process water conservation
  • follow the ISO 14046 Water Footprint Standard
  • manage wastewater responsibly

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:

Disclosure 303-3 Water recycled and reused corresponds to:

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

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

 

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.

The post Case study: How PTI optimises water use appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How First Resources supports the communities where it operates https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-first-resources-supports-the-communities-where-it-operates/ Wed, 15 Jul 2020 03:43:13 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=11032 Established in 1992 and listed on the Singapore Exchange since 2007, First Resources is a leading palm oil producer, managing over 200,000 hectares of oil palm plantations across the Riau, East Kalimantan and West Kalimantan provinces of Indonesia. This case study is based on the 2018 Sustainability Report by First Resources published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) […]

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]]> Established in 1992 and listed on the Singapore Exchange since 2007, First Resources is a leading palm oil producer, managing over 200,000 hectares of oil palm plantations across the Riau, East Kalimantan and West Kalimantan provinces of Indonesia. First Resources is committed to maintaining positive relations with the communities where it operates, contributing to the socio-economic development of neighbouring communities through community investment programmes.  Tweet This!

This case study is based on the 2018 Sustainability Report by First Resources published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.

Abstract

First Resources’ Policy on Sustainable Palm Oil includes a commitment to drive positive socio-economic impact for the people and communities First Resources touches through job creation, investments in plasma projects and community development programmes centred on education, healthcare and infrastructure (including access to clean water). In order to support the communities where it operates First Resources took action to:

  • increase access to quality formal education
  • support infrastructure development
  • extend access to healthcare
  • improve access to clean water

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2018 Sustainability Report First Resources identified a range of material issues, such as labour conditions and human rights, business conduct and corruption, supply chain traceability and transparency, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, employee management and retention. Among these, supporting the communities where it operates stands out as a key material issue for First Resources.

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 First Resources engages with:

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

Stakeholder Group                Method of engagement
Communities ·      Meetings with Community Development Officers
Customers

 

 

 

 ·      One-on-one communication

·      Website

·      Annual Report

·      Sustainability Report
Employees

 

 

 ·      Internal company portal

·      Internal company meetings

·      Performance review
Shareholders

 

 

 

 

 ·      Annual General Meeting

·      Website

·      SGXNET

·      Annual Report

·      Sustainability Report

·      One-on-one communication

·      Conferences/Non-Deal Roadshows
Banks and financial institutions

 

 

 

 ·      Website

·      SGXNET

·      Annual Report

·      Sustainability Report

·      One-on-one communication
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs)

 

 

 ·      One-on-one communication

·      Website

·      Annual Report

·      Sustainability Report
Suppliers

 

 ·      One-on-one communication

·      Group sessions
Regulatory bodies (including government)

 

 ·      One-on-one communication

·      Reporting mechanisms

·      Multi-stakeholder forums

What actions were taken by First Resources to support the communities where it operates?

In its 2018 Sustainability Report First Resources reports that it took the following actions for supporting the communities where it operates:

  • Increasing access to quality formal education
  • First Resources recognises that education is fundamental for community growth and well-being and works to increase access to quality formal education for both the current and future generations of school-age children in its communities. First Resources currently manages 38 schools located within its plantation estates, which include 13 kindergartens, 19 elementary schools, four junior high schools and two preschools. These institutions employ more than 250 teachers and educate over 2,500 students. The educational practices adopted are similar to those at schools managed by the local government. First Resources contributes to the schools’ facilities and teaching aids, such as furniture, computers, electricity generators and books. All children of employees working on First Resources’ estates are provided with free education at the schools. Scholarships were also awarded to high-scoring children from less privileged families, having been selected by local education authorities. To motivate teachers that work with First Resources’ communities, and encourage a higher standard of teaching, First Resources offers them additional incentives, such as supplementary income. In 2018, First Resources allocated and invested almost IDR3 billion to support the education of children. In addition to awarding scholarships, First Resources also established an internship programme that is run in collaboration with more than 30 Indonesian universities. The programme offers students an opportunity to apply what they have learned, expand their knowledge and benefit from valuable on-the-job experience. In 2018, First Resources took in 296 interns, consisting of students from various universities and high schools.
  • Supporting infrastructure development
  • As well as enabling First Resources to run its own operational activities more efficiently, better infrastructure enables local communities, including farmers, cooperatives, associations, businesses and local government, to have better access to healthcare facilities, educational facilities and markets. First Resources consults local village leaders on which infrastructure projects to support. Accessibility to roads, better road conditions and connecting bridges will improve the mobility of rural communities and support local economies. The roads servicing First Resources’ operating areas – which First Resources shares with local communities – are maintained to minimise disruption to First Resources’ operations and to maintain strong links to the main transport network. In 2018, most of First Resources’ infrastructure projects were carried out in its development areas at East Kalimantan and West Kalimantan, where First Resources repaired 85 kilometres of roads and bridges.
  • Extending access to healthcare
  • First Resources has built more than 32 health clinics on its estates. These are staffed with qualified medical professionals, including at least one doctor and two nurses in each facility. The primary purpose of the clinics is to service First Resources’ employees and their families, but they are also open to local community members. The operating hours of the clinics are longer than those of the health posts managed by local government. Medical services such as immunisations for polio, measles and tuberculosis are available to communities upon request. First Resources has also established health-related community programmes, to improve the well-being of local residents and increase their awareness about the benefits of healthy living. Carried out in cooperation with local health authorities, the “Be Healthy with First Resources” programme includes treatments and advice for children, pregnant women and the elderly, as well as the coordination of blood donation drives.
  • Improving access to clean water
  • Infrastructure for delivering clean and potable water is severely lacking in some of the communities located near First Resources’ operations. First Resources has therefore made assisting villages with this basic need a priority within the scope of its community investment programme. First Resources’ efforts include the provision of clean water, new piping and water tanks, as well as the construction of new water wells for villages to ensure constant water flow. In 2018, this initiative reached three villages and benefitted over 246 families.

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

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 203-1 Infrastructure investments and services supported

2) Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts

 

Disclosure 203-1 Infrastructure investments and services supported corresponds to:

 Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts corresponds to:

  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
  • Business theme: Availability of products and services for those on low incomes, Economic development in areas of high poverty
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
  • Business theme: Changing the productivity of organizations, sectors, or the whole economy
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages
  • Business theme: Access to medicines
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
  • Business theme: Changing the productivity of organizations, sectors, or the whole economy, Indirect impact on job creation, Jobs supported in the supply chain
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
  • Business theme: Economic development in areas of high poverty, Foreign direct investment
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
  • Business theme: Foreign direct investment

 

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 First Resources, 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 First Resources: 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.

The post Case study: How First Resources supports the communities where it operates appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How Vodafone increases employment opportunities for young people through its business https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-vodafone-increases-employment-opportunities-for-young-people-through-its-business/ Sun, 03 Mar 2019 14:59:19 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=8870 Vodafone’s products and services play a central role in the daily lives of over half a billion people, across more than 26 markets globally. At the same time, unemployment and underemployment among younger people remain a significant global challenge. Accordingly, every year Vodafone hires approximately 7,000 people aged 25 or under across its businesses worldwide, while creating additional employment opportunities for large numbers of young people in its supply chain and retail distribution networks. This case study is based on the 2017 Sustainable Business Report by Vodafone published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at […]

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Vodafone’s products and services play a central role in the daily lives of over half a billion people, across more than 26 markets globally. At the same time, unemployment and underemployment among younger people remain a significant global challenge. Accordingly, every year Vodafone hires approximately 7,000 people aged 25 or under across its businesses worldwide, while creating additional employment opportunities for large numbers of young people in its supply chain and retail distribution networks.

This case study is based on the 2017 Sustainable Business Report by Vodafone published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.

Abstract

Layout 1

Abstract

With an estimated 71 million young people unemployed worldwide and 156 million young workers currently living in poverty, helping young people globally develop their digital skills and access learning and employment opportunities is a top priority for Vodafone  Tweet This!. In order to increase employment opportunities for young people through its business Vodafone took action to:

  • offer work experience and insight into work events
  • provide entry-level training
  • offer internships
  • implement the Discover graduate programme

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2017 Sustainable Business Report Vodafone identified a range of material issues, such as digital rights including privacy, data protection and security, corporate taxation and total economic contribution, health and safety, business conduct and ethics, energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Among these, increasing employment opportunities for young people through its business stands out as a key material issue for Vodafone.

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 Vodafone engages with:

Stakeholder Group
Consumer and enterprise customers
Shareholders
Employees
Suppliers and partners
Governments and regulators
Local communities
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and

civil society activists
Industry peers

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Vodafone engaged with peers, NGOs, civil society activists and sustainable business specialists, gaining their insights on the most important social, economic, environmental and ethical issues for both Vodafone and society as a whole.

What actions were taken by Vodafone to increase employment opportunities for young people through its business?

In its 2017 Sustainable Business Report Vodafone reports that it took the following actions for increasing employment opportunities for young people through its business:

  • Offering work experience and insight into work events
  • Vodafone’s work experience activities include week-long work experience placements, with job shadowing and development opportunities. In addition, Vodafone encourages its employees to bring young people into Vodafone so they can gain an insight into working life, through ‘bring your kids to work’ days. In some markets, Vodafone also offers secondary school-age girls the opportunity to learn key digital skills, through, for example, 500 places on a one-week coding programme available during the school holidays.
  • Providing entry-level training
  • Vodafone is expanding vocational training and apprenticeships across all the countries in which it operates, focusing on its technology and customer care divisions. These programmes enable apprentices to join Vodafone in permanent roles while being supported through continuous learning, in order to gain a formal qualification in their chosen fields. In the UK, Vodafone’s apprenticeship programme offers young people practical work experience and job-specific skills while being paid a competitive salary (at the UK Living Wage or above) and studying for an industry-recognised foundation degree qualification. Every apprentice is supported by a line manager and mentors, Vodafone’s Future Talent Team and Human Resources Business Partners, and has a personal tutor for their academic work. Currently, Vodafone has 90 apprentices in the UK and during the last four years over 120 young people participated in apprenticeships, in areas ranging from business administration and customer services to IT.
  • Offering internships
  • Vodafone’s internship programmes provide opportunities for undergraduate students to join the company for between one and six months in full-time positions across Vodafone’s businesses, as part of their degree. Involvement in challenging business-critical activities and projects allows interns to gain relevant business experience as part of their studies, also encouraging them to return to Vodafone post-graduation under Vodafone’s Discover graduate programme.
  • Implementing the Discover graduate programme
  • Vodafone’s Discover graduate programme offers young people with bachelor’s or master’s degrees a series of assignments across Vodafone’s business areas and local markets. Approximately 900 graduates are recruited worldwide every year, providing Vodafone with a strong pipeline of future talent. The Discover programme is also highly diverse, with more than 55% of new entrants being women, and recruits drawn from 55 different countries. During the last five years, Vodafone offered permanent roles to over 3,500 Discover Those who did not progress into a full-time role with Vodafone at the end of their training, were well placed to secure good job opportunities elsewhere.

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

The GRI Standard addressed in this case is: Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts

 

Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts corresponds to:

  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
  • Business theme: Availability of products and services for those on low incomes, Economic development in areas of high poverty
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
  • Business theme: Changing the productivity of organizations, sectors, or the whole economy
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages
  • Business theme: Access to medicines
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
  • Business theme: Changing the productivity of organizations, sectors, or the whole economy, Indirect impact on job creation, Jobs supported in the supply chain
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
  • Business theme: Economic development in areas of high poverty, Foreign direct investment
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
  • Business theme: Foreign direct investment

 

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 Vodafone, 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 Vodafone: 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.

The post Case study: How Vodafone increases employment opportunities for young people through its business appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How Netafim supports the communities in which it lives and works https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-netafim-supports-the-communities-in-which-it-lives-and-works/ Thu, 28 Feb 2019 10:39:32 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=8862 As the global leader in precision agriculture with drip irrigation, whose solutions advance sustainable productivity by enabling growers to produce better and higher yields while using fewer of the world’s limited resources (water, land and energy), Netafim also provides monetary donations and equipment to support local community causes in different countries and collaborates with community partners to make a positive impact in local communities. This case study is based on the 2016-2017 Sustainability Report by Netafim published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what […]

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As the global leader in precision agriculture with drip irrigation, whose solutions advance sustainable productivity by enabling growers to produce better and higher yields while using fewer of the world’s limited resources (water, land and energy), Netafim also provides monetary donations and equipment to support local community causes in different countries and collaborates with community partners to make a positive impact in local communities.

This case study is based on the 2016-2017 Sustainability Report by Netafim published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.

Abstract

Layout 1

Abstract

With 17 factories in 13 countries, delivering state-of-the-art technology, deep agronomic expertise and capacity-building training, Netafim is dedicated to helping customers achieve their goals by growing more with less, while additionally engaging in community projects and initiatives around the globe  Tweet This!, maintaining ongoing programmes in several countries. In order to support the communities in which it lives and works Netafim took action to:

  • support community farming in the U.S.
  • train Indian youth in drip irrigation
  • build green walls in Israel

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2016-2017 Sustainability Report Netafim identified a range of material issues, such as water conservation, enhancing customer capabilities, employee performance, sustainable productivity. Among these, supporting the communities in which it lives and works stands out as a key material issue for Netafim.

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 Netafim engages with:  

Stakeholder Group                Method of engagement
Customers

 

 ·      Customer meetings

·      Conferences

·      Workshops

·      Training and education programmes

·      Field trials
Employees ·      Meetings

·      Performance discussions

·      Internal communications processes
Distributors, partners and suppliers ·      Daily interaction in the course of Netafim’s global business
Policy makers and influencers ·      Engagement to positively support sustainable agriculture policy decisions

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Netafim’s Executive Management Team and Sustainability Steering Team analysed and prioritised the interests and expectations of its internal and external stakeholders, raised in dialogue and consultation with them.

What actions were taken by Netafim to support the communities in which it lives and works?

In its 2016-2017 Sustainability Report Netafim reports that it took the following actions for supporting the communities in which it lives and works:

  • Supporting community farming in the U.S.
  • Starting in 2016, Netafim USA teamed up with the Leichtag Foundation to support Coastal Roots Farm, by providing smart irrigation solutions and support. Coastal Roots Farm is a community farm with a vision to preserve the locality of agriculture: grow the food where people live. The farm spreads over 8 hectares of land and includes a food forest, vegetable gardens, compost, a plant nursery, a vineyard, and animal pastures. Since its beginning in 2014, the farm has donated over 50% of its harvest – almost 90,000 pounds – to community members who lack access to fresh food. Drip irrigation is used on all crops cultivated, using equipment Netafim donated. Employees also get involved, to help the farm grow more with less.
  • Training Indian youth in drip irrigation
  • In India, Netafim implements the Rural Youth Skill Development Programme (RYSDP). This is a training and certification programme, for installation and maintenance of drip irrigation systems. The programme is carried out through a partnership comprising the Andhra Pradesh Micro Irrigation Project (APMIP), Netafim India, and other micro irrigation companies. RYSDP trains and certifies high school or junior college graduates in installation and maintenance of drip irrigation systems, so they can develop a career in this growing industry. The programme’s graduates can be hired by Netafim or other drip irrigation companies, or even start their own business. The programme consists of 5 days of classroom training provided by Netafim, and 20 days of field training provided by Netafim and other companies. In 2017, the programme ran nine times across 5 districts of Andhra Pradesh, training over 300 participants. Seven experts from Netafim volunteered more than 1,500 hours in classroom training and Netafim also offered a small daily stipend for selected participants through the training cycle.
  • Building green walls in Israel
  • In 2017, Netafim undertook a project to build “green walls” in schools throughout Israel. Netafim employees visited schools to set up vertical gardens: vegetables, herbs and flowers planted inside plastic bottles and irrigated by drip irrigation. Each wall includes three levels of “bottle planters”, irrigated with water from the top level trickling down to the second and third levels. Students and Netafim employees created the green walls together, and Netafim employees trained students to maintain the walls and care for the plants. Each participating student is responsible for one “bottle planter”, and cares for it over time. This activity provides a model for sustainability education that can be applied in different educational frameworks in any country, in both rural and urban areas. Up to now, Netafim has established green walls in 18 schools in Israel, donating automated drip systems for each.

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

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts

2) Disclosure 413-1 Operations with local community engagement, impact assessments, and development programs

 

Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts corresponds to:

  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
  • Business theme: Availability of products and services for those on low incomes, Economic development in areas of high poverty
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
  • Business theme: Changing the productivity of organizations, sectors, or the whole economy
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages
  • Business theme: Access to medicines
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
  • Business theme: Changing the productivity of organizations, sectors, or the whole economy, Indirect impact on job creation, Jobs supported in the supply chain
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
  • Business theme: Economic development in areas of high poverty, Foreign direct investment
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
  • Business theme: Foreign direct investment

Disclosure 413-1 Operations with local community engagement, impact assessments, and development programs 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 Netafim, 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 Netafim: 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.

The post Case study: How Netafim supports the communities in which it lives and works appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

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