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:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
• Business theme: Infrastructure investments
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
• Business theme: Infrastructure investments
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
• Business theme: Infrastructure investments
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
• Business theme: Infrastructure investments
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
• Business theme: Infrastructure investments

 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.

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.

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.

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2015 Sustainability Report Hitachi identified a range of material issues, such as supply chain management, caring for the environment, public policy initiatives, respect for human rights, diversity management. Among these, contributing to the creation of a prosperous society by driving innovation, utilizing its advanced technologies stands out as a key material issue for Hitachi.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards

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

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

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

Key stakeholder groups Hitachi engages with:   

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement
Customers	·         Customer satisfaction activities ·         Marketing ·         Website ·         Advertisement activities
Shareholders and Investors	·         Announcements of financial results (quarterly) ·         General shareholders’ meetings (annual) ·         IR events, one-on-one meetings (about 740 times/year) ·         IR tools: annual reports, business reports, etc.
Suppliers	·         Procurement activities ·         Supplier meetings ·         CSR monitoring (200 companies/year) ·         CSR audits (20 companies/year, annual)
Employees	·         Intranet, in-house newsletters ·         Training (fiscal 2013: average 37.9 hours/person) ·         Town hall meetings between senior management and employees (45 times/year) ·         Employee surveys (annual)
National and Local Governments, Industrial Associations	·         International conference participation ·         Policy council participation
Local Communities	·         Contribution to local communities through business ·         Participation in volunteer activities
Academic Associations and Research Institutions	·         Open innovation (joint research): collaboration with 246 research institutes in Japan, 85 outside Japan
NGOs and NPOs	·         Stakeholder dialogue (2 times/year) ·         Dialogue through collaboration
Global Environment

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

Hitachi’s material issues were identified and, also, assessed and validated, regarding their significance for stakeholders and their impact on business, through dialogue with a range of stakeholders, including investors, international organizations and NGOs.

What actions were taken by Hitachi to contribute to the creation of a prosperous society by driving innovation, utilizing its advanced technologies?

In its 2015 Sustainability Report Hitachi reports that it took the following actions for contributing to the creation of a prosperous society by driving innovation, utilizing its advanced technologies:

• Reorganizing R&D to co-create solutions with customers
• In April 2015, Hitachi’s research organization was realigned and 4 Global Centers for Social Innovation, 9 Centers for Technology Innovation and the Center for Exploratory Research were established:
  • The 4 Global Centers for Social Innovation (CSI), with researchers positioned in the Asia-Pacific, North America, China and Europe, identify issues in cooperation with customers and co-create new solutions.
  • The 9 Centers for Technology Innovation (CTI) focus on: Energy, Electronics, Mechanical Engineering, Materials, Systems Engineering, Information and Telecommunications, Controls, Production Engineering and Healthcare.
  • The Center for Exploratory Research carries out cutting-edge research aimed to identify and resolve future societal issues.

• Reinforcing global R&D
• For the new Global Centers for Social Innovation (CSI) in the Asia-Pacific, North America, China and Europe to be better able to successfully address regional needs, around 300 of the CSI’s 500 researchers are regionally employed and not Japanese nationals. Collaborating with customers, the Global Centers for Social Innovation develop innovative solutions in different areas, including energy, healthcare, finance, communications, government and industrial policies.

• Collaborating with universities, research institutes and customers to pursue open innovation
• [tweetthis]In order to develop innovative technology Hitachi works together with customers[/tweetthis], research institutes and universities both in and outside Japan – for example, through the Hitachi Cambridge Laboratory, established within Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. In FY 2014, Hitachi worked together with:
  • 246 research institutes in Japan, and
  • 85 research institutes outside Japan

Which GRI indicators/Standards have been addressed?

The GRI indicator addressed in this case is: G4-EC8: Significant indirect economic impacts, including the extent of impacts and the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts

 

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 and ISEP approved Sustainability Course | Venue: London LSE

By registering for the next 2-day FBRH GRI-Standards Certified and ISEP approved 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 Hitachi, 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 Hitachi: With each case study we send out an email to your listed address in request for a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2015 Sustainability Report HP identified a range of material issues, such as product life cycle management, labor practices in supply chain, privacy, product energy efficiency, anti-corruption, data and product security, responsible paper sourcing. Among these, using its technology, capital, and resources to create opportunities in underserved communities stands out as a key material issue for HP.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards

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

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

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

Key stakeholder groups HP engages with:   

Stakeholder Group

Employees

Suppliers

Customers

Peer companies

Public policy makers

Industry bodies

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)

Sector experts

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

In 2015, to identify and prioritize material issues, develop its sustainability strategy and set goals, HP conducted a materiality assessment and, in collaboration with BSR, interviewed key stakeholders, taking into consideration the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) G4 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines.

What actions were taken by HP to use its technology, capital, and resources to create opportunities in underserved communities?

In its 2015 Sustainability Report HP reports that it took the following actions for using its technology, capital, and resources to create opportunities in underserved communities:

• Providing business and IT skills through e-learning
• HP’s global e-learning program, HP LIFE (Learning Initiative for Entrepreneurs), equips students, would-be entrepreneurs and small businesses with essential business and IT skills, free of charge. Offered in 7 languages and used in over 200 countries and territories, HP LIFE:
  • has reached around 580,000 registered users
  • includes a wide range of e-learning microcourses in marketing, finance, operations and other key business areas
  • is accessible 24/7

• Collaborating to develop opportunities and skills in Myanmar
• HP, in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, BSR, and VinaCapital’s Lotus Impact fund, launched the ADEPT (Advancement and Development through Entrepreneurship Programs and Training) program in Myanmar, to provide, through ADEPT learning centers using HP technology, entrepreneurship opportunities and skills, as well as capacity building.

• Providing access to capital for low-income entrepreneurs
• Partnering with Kiva, a nonprofit microlender, the Hewlett-Packard Company Foundation launched the ‘Matter to a Million’ employee engagement program, enabling, by means of a $25 credit received, every Hewlett-Packard Company employee to support, through a loan, Kiva borrowers (small business owners, farmers, shopkeepers in over 80 countries). More than 152,000 Hewlett-Packard Company employees participated in the program, and over 345,000 loans were provided.

Which GRI indicators/Standards have been addressed?

The GRI indicator addressed in this case is: G4-EC8: Significant indirect economic impacts, including the extent of impacts and the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts

 

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 and ISEP approved Sustainability Course | Venue: London LSE

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

 

References:

1) This case study was compiled using published information by HP which is located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses but 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 following link:

http://h20195.www2.hp.com/V2/GetDocument.aspx?docname=c05154920 (July 2016)

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 HP: With each case study we send out an email to your listed address in request for a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

What are the material issues the organization has identified?

In its 2016 Sustainability Report the KU Leuven FEB identified a range of material issues, such as diversity and non-discrimination, gender equality, employee and student safety and welfare, economic impacts on local community, energy efficiency/CO2 reduction, waste reduction. Among these, integrating ethics, responsibility and sustainability themes into educational programs and research stands out as a key material issue for FEB.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards

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

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

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

Key stakeholder groups the KU Leuven FEB engages with:   

Stakeholder Group

Staff members

Student population

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritize material issues, the KU Leuven FEB carried out specific engagement activities:

• In academic year 2014-2015, focused, in-class stakeholder engagement activities were conducted with students in the Corporate Social Responsibility course (Brussels campus).
• In academic year 2015-2016, a FEB Sustainability and Diversity Survey among staff members and students on all campuses, was carried out.

What actions were taken by the KU Leuven FEB to integrate ethics, responsibility and sustainability themes into educational programs and research?

In its 2016 Sustainability Report the KU Leuven FEB reports that it took the following actions for integrating ethics, responsibility and sustainability themes into educational programs and research:

• Making sure ethics, responsibility and sustainability are present in FEB courses
• In 2015-2016 a curricular assessment, based on a terminology scan, was carried out, to assess whether and to what extent ethics, responsibility and sustainability (ERS) themes were included in FEB courses. According to the assessment:
  • social/societal welfare themes were dealt with in 358 courses
  • environmental themes were dealt with in 115 courses
  • ethics was dealt with in 71 courses
  • corporate social responsibility was dealt with in 47 courses
  • sustainability was dealt with in 36 courses
  • market failure was dealt with in 28 courses
  • stakeholder inclusiveness was dealt with in 27 courses

• Promoting education for sustainable development (ESD) through a range of learning activities
• Examples of such activities include:
  • The Interdisciplinary Assessment Project (IAP) gives masters students in Business Engineering, Environment, Health and Safety Management and students in some majors in Industrial Engineering the opportunity to work together in interdisciplinary teams to address real-world business problems involving sustainability issues.
  • The International Study Visit to London brings students in the Environment, Health, and Safety program in contact with selected sustainable development/corporate social responsibility themes, in order to compare the Belgian to the UK perspective.

• Focusing research on ethics, responsibility and sustainability issues
• At the KU Leuven FEB, a number of research centres are focused on ethics, responsibility and sustainability (ERS) themes, including the following:
  • The Centre for Economics and Corporate Sustainability (CEDON), an interdisciplinary research group, is focused on the interactions between economics, business, sustainable development and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
  • The Centre for Economics and Ethics (CEE) is, among others, intended to support scientific research on the ethical aspects of economic activity.

Which GRI indicators/Standards have been addressed?

The GRI indicator addressed in this case is: G4-EC8: Significant indirect economic impacts, including the extent of impacts and the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts

 

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 and ISEP approved Sustainability Course | Venue: London LSE

By registering for the next 2-day FBRH GRI-Standards Certified and ISEP approved 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 the KU Leuven FEB, 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 the KU Leuven FEB: With each case study we send out an email to your listed address in request for a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

What are the material issues the organization has identified?

In its 2013-2014 Sustainability Report ETH Zurich identified a range of material issues, such as quality of research, knowledge transfer, talent attraction and retention, diversity, recycling and waste, personnel development, sustainable catering. Among these, cultivating sustainability-related competencies in students and staff stands out as a key material issue for ETH Zurich.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards

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

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

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

Key stakeholder groups ETH Zurich engages with:   

Stakeholder Group

Vice Presidency for Research and Corporate Relations

Industry

Faculty (Professors)

Federal Parliament

Departments

ETH Domain

Competence centers

Swiss universities

Scientific staff

International universities

Funding agencies and organizations (Swiss National Science Foundation, Commission for Technology and Innovation, European Union etc.)

Rector

High schools

Rectorate

Study Commissions

Directors of Study

Students

ETH Global

Public administration

Corporate Communications

Public authorities

NGOs

Media

Vice Presidency for Human Resources and Infrastructure

Local neighborhoods of ETH Zurich at Campus Zentrum and Campus Hönggerberg

Local neighborhood to ETH Zurich in other locations in Switzerland and abroad

ETH Zurich Executive Board and Associate Vice Presidents

Secretary General

Staff Units

Infrastructure Divisions

Administrative and technical staff

Student organizations

Sports facilities

Catering facilities

Vice Presidency for Finance and Controlling

Tax payer

Finance and Controlling

Donors

Foundations

Other third-party funding

Alumni of ETH Zurich

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To capture stakeholder perspectives on ETH Zurich’s material issues and explore stakeholders’ expectations, interviews with 21 representatives of stakeholder groups were conducted.

What actions were taken by ETH Zurich to cultivate sustainability-related competencies in students and staff?

In its 2013-2014 Sustainability Report ETH Zurich reports that it took the following actions for cultivating sustainability-related competencies in students and staff:

• Integrating sustainability across departments and degree programs
• ETH Zurich’s commitment to sustainability encompasses a number of courses and programs, such as the Department of Environmental System Sciences’ education programs, promoting sustainable development for more than 25 years.

• Encouraging students and staff to learn about sustainability through innovative activities and events
• Students and staff at ETH Zurich have the opportunity to better understand sustainable development issues through various activities and events, including the following:
  • The event series “Pioneers in Sustainability”, launched in 2013, offers students an opportunity to learn how to combine professional success with a commitment to sustainability.
  • The Energy Efficiency Challenge, in 2014, brought together more than 400 members of the ETH community, to suggest actions for improving energy efficiency at ETH Zurich.

• Offering summer and winter schools on sustainability
• ETH Zurich offers a number of summer and winter schools on sustainability topics, such as the ETH Sustainability Summer School, the World Food System Center’s three summer schools and the winter school of the Competence Center Environment and Sustainability (CCES).

• Bringing faculty and students working on sustainability-related theses into contact with private and public sector partners
• ETH Seed Sustainability is a project platform within which faculty and students working on sustainability-related theses are able to come into contact with partners from the private sector, public administration or other ETH Zurich units. In 2013 and 2014, 15 Bachelor’s and Master’s theses and one project thesis were written and finalized within ETH Seed Sustainability.

Which GRI indicators/Standards have been addressed?

The GRI indicator addressed in this case is: G4-EC8: Significant indirect economic impacts, including the extent of impacts and the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts

 

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 and ISEP approved Sustainability Course | Venue: London LSE

By registering for the next 2-day FBRH GRI-Standards Certified and ISEP approved 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 ETH Zurich, 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 ETH Zurich: With each case study we send out an email to your listed address in request for a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2016 Sustainability Report the University of Melbourne has identified a range of material issues, most important of which are responsible investment, campus development, governance, sustainable campus operations, digital innovation and student engagement on sustainability issues. This case study is focused on how the University empowers students to take solid action on sustainability issues.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards

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

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

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

Key stakeholder groups the University of Melbourne engages with:   

Stakeholder Group

Students

Employees

Business

Industry

Government and Community Partners

Suppliers

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

The University is committed to engage its stakeholders in decisions related to sustainability issues.  The stakeholders are identified based on their particular interests, as well as, their ability to determine the sustainability performance of the University. Specifically, within the year 2016, the University received feedback from internal and external stakeholders, student representatives, business partners, industry groups, government and community organisations. This feedback has been incorporated into sustainability decision making procedures.

Stakeholder engagement assisted the University of Melbourne to identify the issues of major importance to its community, to comprehend and address the University’s material impacts and acknowledge the necessary commitments to make the greatest contribution to undertaking sustainability issues.

What actions were taken by Melbourne University to engage students with sustainability issues?

In its 2016 Sustainability Report the University of Melbourne reports that it took the following actions for encouraging and enabling students to engage with sustainability issues:

• Engagement of students in sustainability initiatives was wide-reaching in 2016, comparing to 2014, and included:
• The Fairtrade Steering Committee. The students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, organized a one-day Fairtrade market across campus in May 2016, aiming to engage and raise awareness on Fairtrade and other sustainability related topics.
• The “Follow Your Waste” tour. The university staff and students visits the landfill centre used by the University contactors.
• The Student Union (UMSU) environment group organised a series of workshops to strengthen the University’s Sustainability Charter and Plan.
• Active involvement of staff and students in the Sustainability Advocates Forum.
• C16Hack held in April/May of 2016. The students participated in a series of workshops that challenged them to provide innovative solutions to various sustainability issues on campus.
• Bee keeping tours and lectures. This educational and information sharing series engaged a large number of students, as well as, staff and the general public
• Four “Ride to Uni” events, promoting cycling as a sustainable means of transport, health and wellbeing.
• Launch of Green Impact in March 2017. Green Impact is an international, sustainability change and engagement programme launched in the UK by the National Union of Students. The programme aims at raising awareness of sustainability issues globally, by giving people a concrete approach to address sustainability issues and enabling them in achieving these actions. Engaging students is an essential component of the programme.

• Arming graduate students with the knowledge and skills so they can contribute to sustainability through their future professions:

As the graduates must be ready to adapt to the industries of the future sustainable economy, the University of Melbourne is taking action and is committed to developing by 2020 all undergraduate degree programs (at the course and/or major level) to enable students to understand and apply sustainability knowledge in their field.

After finishing their studies, [tweetthis]University of Melbourne graduates have a well-developed approach on sustainability issues[/tweetthis].

Which GRI indicators/Standards have been addressed?

The GRI indicator addressed in this case is: G4-EC8: Significant indirect economic impacts, including the extent of impacts and the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts

 

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 and ISEP approved Sustainability Course | Venue: London LSE

By registering for the next 2-day FBRH GRI-Standards Certified and ISEP approved 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 the University of Melbourne, 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 the University of Melbourne: With each case study we send out an email to your listed address in request for a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

What are the material issues the organization has identified?

In its 2016 Sustainability Report Plymouth University identified a range of material issues, such as carbon emissions, energy and water use, waste generated, travel and transport, food and catering, financial sustainability. Among these, encouraging and enabling students to engage with sustainability issues stands out as a key material issue for the University.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards

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

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

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

Key stakeholder groups Plymouth University engages with:   

Stakeholder Group

Professional and academic staff

Students

Local communities

Local businesses

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

In 2014 Plymouth University, renewing its sustainability strategy, carried out consultation sessions across the University, also reviewing its sustainability performance with community stakeholders, to evaluate, on the basis of feedback received, the University’s sustainability goals and material issues.

What actions were taken by Plymouth University to encourage and enable students to engage with sustainability issues?

In its 2016 Sustainability Report Plymouth University reports that it took the following actions for encouraging and enabling students to engage with sustainability issues:

• Advancing the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) agenda through the Centre for Sustainable Futures (CSF)
• The CSF collaborates closely, across the University, with professional and academic staff and students to promote ESD, by means of curriculum support and research.

• Embedding sustainability into the formal and informal curriculum
• Approximately 50 per cent of all curriculum programmes at Plymouth University incorporate sustainability topics. Over the past few years a number of courses included ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) elements, such as the BSc (Hons) Environmental Science, the BA (Hons) Social Work, the BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance and, also, the MSc Robotics, and the BA (Hons) Business and BA (Hons) Photography.

• Fostering extra-curricular sustainability learning
• Plymouth University developed three initiatives focused on facilitating extra-curricular sustainability learning:
  • the Future Leaders Programme, established in 2013, and available to any student, from any discipline, interested in innovation in sustainability education
  • Plymouth Growing Futures, an outdoor learning project connecting curriculum engagement and learning to biodiversity on campus, and involving photography, biological sciences, social work and educational studies modules
  • the Global Challenge programme, operating since 2013 and offering students the opportunity to explore the idea of global citizenship through interactive workshops.

Which GRI indicators/Standards have been addressed?

The GRI indicator addressed in this case is: G4-EC8: Significant indirect economic impacts, including the extent of impacts and the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts

 

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 and ISEP approved Sustainability Course | Venue: London LSE

By registering for the next 2-day FBRH GRI-Standards Certified and ISEP approved 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 Plymouth University, 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 Plymouth University: With each case study we send out an email to your listed address in request for a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2014 Sustainability Report Tiffany & Co. identified a range of material issues, such as ethical sourcing, governance, building footprint, Tiffany & Co. employees, charitable giving. Among these, collaborating with other forward-looking leaders in the jewelry industry and with nongovernmental organizations to heighten public awareness of responsible mining issues and support the development of broadly acceptable standards for responsible mining stands out as a key material issue for Tiffany & Co.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards

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

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

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

Key stakeholder groups Tiffany & Co. engages with:

Stakeholder Group

Employees

Stockholders

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)

Industry members

Supply chain partners

Local communities

Industry associations

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

Sustainability is inherently collaborative and stakeholder-driven. Tiffany & Co. has long recognized and embraced the integral role that stakeholders play in its business, including Tiffany & Co. employees, stockholders, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), industry members and supply chain partners. Tiffany & Co. values its stakeholders’ involvement in improving practices across the industry and throughout the jewelry supply chain.

Longstanding relationships with NGOs provide Tiffany & Co. with important perspectives on environmental and labor issues facing its industry. Tiffany & Co. co-hosts and participates in dialogues and multistakeholder initiatives convened by NGOs on a variety of topics affecting its industry and beyond. Engaging with mining companies, the luxury industry, local communities and industry associations gives Tiffany & Co. an opportunity to shape best practices across the sector. It also ensures that diverse points of view are considered in efforts to raise the bar on responsible mining standards and supply chain management matters.

What actions were taken by Tiffany & Co. to heighten public awareness of responsible mining issues and support the development of broadly acceptable standards for responsible mining?

In its 2014 Sustainability Report Tiffany & Co. set the following targets for heightening public awareness of responsible mining issues and supporting the development of broadly acceptable standards for responsible mining, based on the company’s approach to materiality – on taking action on what matters, where it matters:

• Developing a globally recognized standard for responsible mining

Tiffany & Co. believes the jewelry sector needs an independently verifiable mining assurance system that establishes rigorous standards for social and environmental performance. To that end, Tiffany & Co. is a founding member and continues to serve on the steering committee of IRMA (Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance). Tiffany & Co. is hopeful that by working collaboratively with a diverse group of stakeholders, IRMA will be successful in developing a consensus-based, third-party certification standard that will be widely embraced by companies that use mined materials, the mining sector, civil society and, most importantly, consumers. After years of important dialogue, debate and productive compromise, IRMA released its draft Standard for Responsible Mining for public comment in 2014 and solicited feedback from diverse audiences. This process represented a critical milestone for the multistakeholder initiative. In 2015, IRMA planned to pilot the draft standard and release a revised draft for a second round of review, comments and revisions before a final standard was adopted. IRMA seeks to launch a standard that includes: a) a certification standard developed through a multistakeholder approach with participation from mining companies, retailers, nonprofits, labor groups and indigenous peoples, b) independent third-party verification, c) fair and equitable distribution of benefits to affected mining communities and the protection of their rights, d) the avoidance of, and effective responsiveness to, potential negative impacts to the environment, health, safety and culture, d) enhancement of shareholder value.

• Advancing responsible business practices throughout the diamond, gold and platinum jewelry supply chain

Tiffany & Co. is a founding member of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC). The RJC is an international nonprofit organization established to advance business practices throughout the diamond, gold and platinum jewelry supply chain. The RJC developed the Principles and Code of Practices, which outline responsible business practices to which all RJC members must adhere. Tiffany & Co. was initially certified in 2011. In 2014, Tiffany & Co. again received RJC Member Certification for its global operations through 2017. This certification demonstrates that Tiffany & Co. operates in conformity with the RJC Principles and Code of Practices. However, Tiffany & Co. encourages the RJC to strengthen its standard – from developing a true multi-stakeholder governance model that incorporates civil society to raising the bar for minimum certification requirements.

• Embracing social, human rights and environmental standards for the extraction of gold

Tiffany & Co. was the first jeweler to embrace the objectives of EARTHWORKS’ No Dirty Gold campaign 10 years ago. No Dirty Gold established aspirational social, human rights and environmental standards for the extraction of gold that retail jewelers can use as they seek responsible mining sources.

• Identifying best practices across the entire jewelry supply chain

In 2003, Tiffany & Co. helped lead a pioneering multistakeholder conference – including NGOs, retailers, investors, insurers and technical experts – to identify best practices across the entire jewelry supply chain. The resulting dialogue led to the publication of the Framework for Responsible Mining: A Guide to Evolving Standards. The Framework’s goal was to advance productive debate – and, ultimately, action – by governments, retailers, civil society, the mining industry and others.

• Supporting the development of standards for the responsible mining of precious metals and gemstones at the artisanal level

The Tiffany & Co. Foundation’s Responsible Mining Program provides strategic grants to support the development of standards for the responsible mining of precious metals and gemstones not only at the large-scale level, but also at the artisanal level. There are 20 to 25 million artisanal miners around the world and the Foundation supports nonprofit organizations working directly with artisanal mining communities to improve working conditions and provide equitable livelihoods. Given the often decentralized or informal nature of artisanal mining, certification and standards requirements present unique challenges for this sector. For this reason, artisanal standards-setting requires a different approach than large-scale standards efforts. The development of consensus-based third-party standards is a long-term process, but essential in moving the industry towards a responsible and sustainable future.

Which GRI indicators/Standards have been addressed?

The GRI indicators/Standards addressed in this case are:

1) G4-12: Describe the organization’s supply chain – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 102-9 Supply chain

2) G4-16: List memberships of associations (such as industry associations) and national or international advocacy organizations in which the organization:

• Holds a position on the governance body
• Participates in projects or committees
• Provides substantive funding beyond routine membership dues
• Views membership as strategic – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 102-13 Membership of associations

3) G4-EC8: Significant indirect economic impacts, including the extent of impacts – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts

4) G4-EC9: Proportion of spending on local suppliers at significant locations of operation – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 204-1 Proportion of spending on local suppliers

5) G4-HR8: Total number of incidents of violations involving rights of indigenous peoples and actions taken – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 411-1 Incidents of violations involving rights of indigenous peoples

6) G4-HR9: Total number and percentage of operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 412-1 Operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments

7) G4-HR11: Significant actual and potential negative human rights impacts in the supply chain and actions taken – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 414 -2 Negative social impacts in the supply chain and actions taken

8) G4-SO1: Percentage of operations with implemented local community engagement, impact assessments, and development programs – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 413-1 Operations with local community engagement, impact assessments, and development programs

9) G4-SO2: Operations with significant actual or potential negative impacts on local communities – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 413-2 Operations with significant actual and potential negative impacts on local communities

 

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 and ISEP approved Sustainability Course | Venue: London LSE

By registering for the next 2-day FBRH GRI-Standards Certified and ISEP approved 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 Tiffany & Co., 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 Tiffany & Co.: With each case study we send out an email to your listed address in request for a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.