Swisscom Archives - SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine 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 10:38:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.2 Case study: How Swisscom promotes sustainability among its suppliers https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-swisscom-promotes-sustainability-among-its-suppliers/ Mon, 23 May 2022 06:07:29 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=13661 Swisscom is the Swiss market leader for mobile telecommunications, fixed-line telephony and television, also occupying a significant market position in various IT business segments. , and requires them and their subcontractors to commit to acting in a sustainable manner. This case study is based on the 2020 Sustainability Report by Swisscom, prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards, 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 […]

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]]> Swisscom is the Swiss market leader for mobile telecommunications, fixed-line telephony and television, also occupying a significant market position in various IT business segments. Swisscom is committed to better working and environmental conditions at its suppliers  Tweet This!, and requires them and their subcontractors to commit to acting in a sustainable manner.

This case study is based on the 2020 Sustainability Report by Swisscom, prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards, 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

The continuous improvement of working conditions along its supply chains is an important part of Swisscom’s Sustainability Strategy 2025. Accordingly, Swisscom implements a Code of Conduct for Procurement, which sets out binding rules that suppliers commit to comply with. In order to promote sustainability among its suppliers Swisscom took action to:

  • evaluate suppliers
  • audit suppliers

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2020 Sustainability Report Swisscom identified a range of material issues, such as data protection, diversity and equal opportunities, media protection for minors and media skills, climate protection. Among these, promoting sustainability among its suppliers stands out as a key material issue for Swisscom.

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 Swisscom engages with: 

Stakeholder Group
Customers
Partners/NGOs
Shareholders and ratings agencies
Authorities and legislators
Suppliers
Media
Public
Social Partners
Employees and employee representation

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Swisscom engaged with its stakeholders through a stakeholder survey, in which a total 20 stakeholders took part.

What actions were taken by Swisscom to promote sustainability among its suppliers?

In its 2020 Sustainability Report Swisscom reports that it took the following actions for promoting sustainability among its suppliers:

  • Evaluating suppliers
  • All of Swisscom’s major suppliers are registered on EcoVadis. Swisscom has evaluated 175 suppliers via this audit platform. Suppliers included in risk monitoring are registered and invited to an assessment. EcoVadis evaluates suppliers in the core disciplines of environment, human rights, ethics and supply chain management. If deficiencies occur, the suppliers concerned are required to remedy them by means of corrective measures with appropriate evidence. Implementation is monitored in the course of a reassessment, which is completed if successful. Swisscom invited 16 suppliers for reassessments in 2020. With an average score of 58.1 out of 100 points, Swisscom’s suppliers performed significantly better in 2020 than the suppliers recorded on the platform worldwide. Their average overall score was 42.9 points. Some 93% of Swisscom’s suppliers on EcoVadis have already undergone one or more reassessments. This is otherwise only the case for 38% of all suppliers evaluated on the platform. As part of the reassessments, suppliers improved their overall score by an average of 11.5 points compared with the initial assessment (environment +11.0 points, labour and human rights +12.0 points, ethics +10.9 points and sustainable procurement +12.4 points).
  • Auditing suppliers
  • Swisscom is a member of the Joint Audit Cooperation (JAC). JAC is a consortium of 15 telecoms enterprises which checks the safeguarding of social responsibility in the production centres of the major multinational ICT (information and communication technology) suppliers. Most of these are located in China, Taiwan, India, Japan, South Korea and South America. Swisscom uses audits to identify socially or environmentally unsatisfactory practices and take appropriate measures to address them. Uncovered issues often concern working hours, occupational safety, the environment, salary, health and safety. In the event of irregularities, deadlines are agreed for the concrete implementation of improvements. These are usually three, six or twelve months. In the case of critical shortcomings, Swisscom can generally terminate the collaboration with a supplier. Thanks to the tried and tested, systematic risk management approach, such serious cases have not yet arisen. In addition to the normal sustainability audits, the partner organisation Elevate again conducted mobile surveys in 2020. Workers answered questions about their working conditions on their mobile phones outside the factories. These mobile surveys are a survey method that offers a great deal of potential for the future. JAC organised a total of 13 mobile surveys in 2020, and the JAC initiative implemented its measures with Covid-19-related restrictions. The JAC Academy also conducted sustainability training at suppliers and the JAC Awards honoured the best achievements in the field of sustainable supply chains for the fourth time. The certificates are awarded annually at the JAC CSR Forum in China.

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

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

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

2) Disclosure 308-2 Negative environmental impacts in the supply chain and actions taken

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

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

 

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

Disclosure 308-2 Negative environmental impacts in the supply chain and actions taken does not correspond to any SDG.

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

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

This case study is based on published information by Swisscom, 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 following link:

https://reports.swisscom.ch/download/2020/en/swisscom_nachhaltigkeitsbericht_gesamt_2020_en.pdf

Note to Swisscom: 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 Swisscom promotes sustainability among its suppliers appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How Swisscom promotes workplace diversity https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-swisscom-promotes-workplace-diversity/ Wed, 12 Aug 2020 06:00:25 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=11213 Headquartered in Ittigen, close to the capital city Berne, Swisscom is the leading provider of communication, IT and entertainment in Switzerland, offering residential customers an extensive range of digital TV, mobile telecommunications and other services. Swisscom strongly values the diversity of its employees, as it is the different perspectives, experiences, ideas and skills of every individual that make Swisscom a successful, innovative and creative company. This case study is based on the 2019 Sustainability Report by Swisscom published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate […]

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Headquartered in Ittigen, close to the capital city Berne, Swisscom is the leading provider of communication, IT and entertainment in Switzerland, offering residential customers an extensive range of digital TV, mobile telecommunications and other services. Swisscom strongly values the diversity of its employees, as it is the different perspectives, experiences, ideas and skills of every individual that make Swisscom a successful, innovative and creative company.

This case study is based on the 2019 Sustainability Report by Swisscom 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

To encourage workplace diversity, Swisscom pays attention to the factors of gender, inclusion, generations and language region in everything it does  Tweet This! and has defined KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) for the various dimensions of diversity which it monitors and, if necessary, implements measures to achieve. In order to promote workplace diversity Swisscom took action to:

  • promote gender equality
  • employ people of all ages
  • employ people of different nationalities
  • promote inclusion
  • combat discrimination

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2019 Sustainability Report Swisscom identified a range of material issues, such as data protection, accessibility, energy efficiency, media protection for minors and promoting media skills, climate protection. Among these, promoting workplace diversity stands out as a key material issue for Swisscom.

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 Swisscom engages with:

Stakeholder Group
Customers
Partners/NGOs
Shareholders and ratings Agencies
Authorities and legislators
Suppliers
Media
Public
Social Partners
Employees and employee representation

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Swisscom engaged with its stakeholders through stakeholder surveys.


What actions were taken by Swisscom to promote workplace diversity?

In its 2019 Sustainability Report Swisscom reports that it took the following actions for promoting workplace diversity:

  • Promoting gender equality
  • As a technology company, Swisscom operates in an industry that is still heavily male-dominated. The majority of those trained in the technical professions that Swisscom needs are men. Swisscom therefore supports initiatives that start with the choice of career, which include the “Digital Days for Girls”, at which female apprentices from ICT (information and communications technology) training courses explain to female students what their apprenticeship involves. This initiative has proven popular and is showing initial success: the proportion of young female professionals in ICT occupations has risen from 22.7% to 27.8% year-on-year. In diversity management, Swisscom follows the principle of designing relevant processes in recruitment, development, talent management and management culture to ensure that they counteract unconscious stereotyping and facilitate equal opportunities. In order to increase the popularity of offers such as part-time working for men, Swisscom encourages employees, particularly its male employees, to try out working part-time. Flexible working models and measures to reconcile work and family life also make an important contribution to the integration of all employees in different life situations. Swisscom therefore advertises the majority of jobs with flexible 80% to 100% working hours. Additionally, Swisscom enables women to further their education both internally and as part of the nationwide Advance Women initiative, and to expand their network so that they can move into more responsible positions. The Swisscom Group Executive Board has set itself the goal of steadily increasing the proportion of women in management. In order to achieve this goal, Swisscom has decided to increase the proportion of women in the top CEA levels. The proportion of women in management and in the top CEA levels is to increase by one percentage point each year. Swisscom is convinced that talent management and promotions will enable it to increase the integration of women in the company and a specific Succession Planning Committee is to give even greater emphasis to the concern for equality.
  • Employing people of all ages
  • Swisscom employs people of all ages. Collaboration and exchange between generations gives employees the opportunity to learn a great deal from one another. Employees who have reached the age of 58 can, if they wish, gradually step back from working life by taking partial retirement, while at the same time passing on their knowledge to the next generations. Since 2017, Swisscom has supported the “Check Your Chance” initiative of the Swiss Employers’ Association, which seeks to support young people in difficult situations as they embark upon a career. Swisscom is also a business partner to the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts for the integrative generation management project and a partner of the World Demographic & Ageing Forum (WDA Forum). The WDA Forum is an international, intergenerational platform which supports exchange on matters to do with the general public, older people and generations.
  • Employing people of different nationalities
  • People from 87 different nations work for Swisscom, at various locations in all regions of Switzerland. When recruiting new employees, wherever possible, Swisscom considers applicants from the respective region, as they are familiar with local customs. To attract talented people with the necessary profiles, Swisscom also maintains partnerships with universities in the separate linguistic regions of Switzerland.
  • Promoting inclusion
  • Swisscom actively supports the Compasso association as a member and sponsor. Compasso focuses on providing employers with information on how to deal with people with health problems. Swisscom builds on the individual strengths and abilities of each employee and where employees’ work performances are impaired due to health reasons, Swisscom attaches great importance to keeping them in the workforce and guaranteeing them meaningful continued employment. To promote inclusion, Swisscom reserves at least 1% of jobs for employees with physical or psychological impairments. In so doing, Swisscom fosters the integration of the persons in question into the workforce.
  • Combating discrimination
  • Swisscom does not tolerate any kind of discrimination or abuse of power. This principle is communicated to employees and, above all, to managers. In cases of discrimination, the neutral Care Gate contact point is available to all employees.

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

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 405-1 Diversity of governance bodies and employees

2) Disclosure 406-1 Incidents of discrimination and corrective actions taken

 

Disclosure 405-1 Diversity of governance bodies and employees corresponds to:

 Disclosure 406-1 Incidents of discrimination and corrective actions taken 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 Swisscom, 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 Swisscom: 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 Swisscom promotes workplace diversity appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How Swisscom supports customers in reducing their CO2 emissions https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-swisscom-supports-customers-in-reducing-their-co2-emissions/ Mon, 19 Nov 2018 09:49:32 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=8242 Realising that the ICT (information and communications technology) sector has a key role to play in reducing CO2 emissions, , providing products and services that help customers reduce their CO2 emissions and save energy. This case study is based on the 2016 Sustainability Report by Swisscom 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 […]

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Realising that the ICT (information and communications technology) sector has a key role to play in reducing CO2 emissions, Swisscom, as Switzerland’s leading telecoms company, makes every effort to structure its offerings in a more energy-efficient and resource-friendly way  Tweet This!, providing products and services that help customers reduce their CO2 emissions and save energy.

This case study is based on the 2016 Sustainability Report by Swisscom 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

According to a study conducted by the Global e-Sustainability Initiative, the ICT sector has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions worldwide by some 16 per cent (approximately seven times the amount of CO2 emissions produced by the sector itself). Helping customers in their efforts to reduce their energy consumption and CO2 emissions is, thus, a top priority for Swisscom. In order to support customers in reducing their CO2 emissions Swisscom took action to:

  • provide sustainable ICT services for business customers
  • provide sustainable ICT services for residential customers

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2016 Sustainability Report Swisscom identified a range of material issues, such as business development, corporate governance, customer satisfaction, data protection. Among these, supporting customers in reducing their CO2 emissions stands out as a key material issue for Swisscom.

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 Swisscom engages with:

Stakeholder Group                Method of engagement
Customers

 

 ·         Consulting residential customers on their needs and their level of satisfaction

·         Surveys on customer satisfaction

·         Quarterly surveys among business customers

·         Regular contact with consumer organisations

·         Blogs and online discussion platforms
Shareholders and external investors

 

 ·         Annual General Meeting

·         Dialogue with shareholders at analysts’ presentations, road shows and in regular teleconferences

·         Contacts with external investors and rating agencies
Authorities

 

 

 ·         Dialogue with municipal authorities and residents on network planning

·         Liaising regularly with public authorities on various occasions (for example, Swisscom invites ICT heads of the cantonal education authorities to an annual two-day seminar on the subject of “Internet for Schools”)
Legislators ·         Regular dialogue with authorities, parties and associations
Suppliers

 

 ·         Swisscom’s procurement organisations

·         Key Supplier Day

·         international cooperation within the relevant sectors
Media ·         Media Office

·         Representatives of management maintain a regular dialogue with journalists and make themselves available for interviews and more in-depth background discussions
Employees and employee representation

 

 ·         Employee survey

·         Round-table meeting with employee representatives twice a year

·         Dialogue with teams from all organisational units on sustainability issues under the motto “Hello Future”
Partners and NGOs ·         Sharing insights and information with partners within the framework of projects (for example, with WWF Climate Savers, myclimate, the Swiss Child Protection Foundation and organisations that address the specific needs of affected groups)
Public ·         Trade fairs and events

·         Swisscom website

·         Surveys of the public

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Swisscom carried out a survey among stakeholders that included government authorities, partners and NGOs.

What actions were taken by Swisscom to support customers in reducing their CO2 emissions?

In its 2016 Sustainability Report Swisscom reports that it took the following actions for supporting customers in reducing their CO2 emissions:

  • Providing sustainable ICT services for business customers
  • Swisscom’s sustainable ICT services support business customers in their efforts to reduce their energy consumption and CO2 emissions. In its sustainable portfolio, Swisscom is focusing on the following areas of activity:
    • ICT solutions for buildings: Optimising energy consumption and reducing CO2
    • ICT solutions for mobility: Optimising and managing mobility and the corresponding impact on the environment
    • Data centre services: Outsourcing and virtualising servers in efficient data centres to optimise energy consumption
    • Dematerialisation: Reducing the use of paper through solutions for paper-saving printing and working without paper
    • Home office: Home office and mobile working solutions to reduce business travel
    • Virtual conferences: Solutions for efficient workplaces, to reduce business travel
  • In 2016, Swisscom distinguished 42 sustainable ICT services with the “Together we can increase sustainability” label, which designates sustainable products and services that help companies save energy and resources.
  • Providing sustainable ICT services for residential customers
  • In 2016,Swisscom Switzerland’s residential customer segment launched a programme to further develop its range of Green ICT services for residential customers. This programme included:
    • Smart energy: Swisscom launched the tiko service, which enables residential customers to control their heat pumps, electric heating systems and boilers remotely and immediately alerts them in the event of any problems. This service also comparesthe energy efficiency of heating systems in homes and businesses, and is free of charge for Swisscom’s residential
    • Data centre services: The Docsafe data centre service allows residential customers to securelystore all their documents in their own personal cloud on Swiss servers. The documents can thenbe managed, accessed from anywhere in the world and shared in encrypted format through a computer,tablet or mobile phone.
    • Dematerialisation as a result of online billing: Online bills are an attractive and environmentally friendly alternative to paper bills. In 2016, the share of customers who chose to receive their bill online increased from 25 per cent in 2015, to 31.5 per cent. In its communications with customers, Swisscom highlights the fact that online billing not only benefits the environment, but also saves the customer time and money.

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

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 302-2 Energy consumption outside of the organization

2) Disclosure 302-5 Reductions in energy requirements of products and services

3) Disclosure 305-5 Reduction of GHG emissions

 

Disclosure 302-2 Energy consumption outside of the organization corresponds to:

Disclosure 302-5 Reductions in energy requirements of products and services corresponds to:

Disclosure 305-5 Reduction of GHG emissions corresponds to:

  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
  • Business theme: GHG emissions
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
  • Business theme: Ocean acidification
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
  • Business theme: Forest degradation

 

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 Swisscom, 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 Swisscom: 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 Swisscom supports customers in reducing their CO2 emissions appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: Swisscom’s policies, measures and initiatives for increasing its energy efficiency https://sustaincase.com/case-study-swisscoms-policies-measures-and-initiatives-for-increasing-its-energy-efficiency/ Sat, 22 Apr 2017 13:21:26 +0000 http://sustaincase.com/?p=772 The greatest impact Swisscom has on the environment is through its energy consumption and the related CO2 emissions, so, as one of the ten biggest purchasers of energy in Switzerland, , in order to minimize the environmental impact of its business activities. This case study is based on the 2015 Sustainability Report by Swisscom published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate that CSR/ sustainability reporting done responsibly is achieved by identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment and stakeholders and by measuring, managing […]

The post Case study: Swisscom’s policies, measures and initiatives for increasing its energy efficiency appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> The greatest impact Swisscom has on the environment is through its energy consumption and the related CO2 emissions, so, as one of the ten biggest purchasers of energy in Switzerland, Swisscom is trying to boost energy efficiency  Tweet This!, in order to minimize the environmental impact of its business activities.

This case study is based on the 2015 Sustainability Report by Swisscom published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate that CSR/ sustainability reporting done responsibly is achieved by identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment and stakeholders and by measuring, managing and changing.

The Swiss Confederation’s 2050 energy strategy calls for the consistent use of opportunities to increase energy efficiency and shift to renewable energies. In keeping with this strategy, Swisscom is aiming, by the end of 2020, to increase its energy efficiency by a further 35% compared with 1 January 2016. After measuring and setting targets, Swisscom took action to reduce energy consumption in its network (such as the “Mistral” energy-saving project for the cooling of its telephone exchanges), data centres, buildings (for example, the “Pioneer @ Swisscom Energiechecks” programme throughout the entire company) and vehicles, reduce the amount of energy it uses to heat its buildings, use sustainable ICT (Information and Communications Technology) and utilize waste heat.

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2015 Sustainability Report Swisscom identifies a range of material issues, such as business development, corporate governance, being an attractive employer, customer satisfaction, data protection, a fair supply chain, share performance and payout policy. Among these, in keeping with the Swiss Confederation’s 2050 energy strategy, increasing its energy efficiency stands out as a key material issue for Swisscom, as Switzerland’s largest telecommunications company.

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 Swisscom engages with:

Stakeholder Group                Method of engagement
Customers

 

 ·         Consulting residential customers on their needs and their level of satisfaction

·         Surveys on customer satisfaction

·         Quarterly surveys among business customers

·         Regular contact with consumer organisations

·         Blogs and online discussion platforms
Shareholders and external investors

 

 ·         Annual General Meeting

·         Dialogue with shareholders at analysts’ presentations, road shows and in regular teleconferences

·         Contacts with external investors and rating agencies
Authorities

 

 

 ·         Dialogue with municipal authorities and residents on network planning

·         Liaising regularly with public authorities on various occasions (for example, Swisscom invites ICT heads of the cantonal education authorities to an annual two-day seminar on the subject of “Internet for Schools”)
Legislators ·         Regular dialogue with authorities, parties and associations
Suppliers

 

 ·         Swisscom’s procurement organisations

·         Key Supplier Day

·         international cooperation within the relevant sectors
Media ·         Media Office

·         Representatives of management maintain a regular dialogue with journalists and make themselves available for interviews and more in-depth background discussions
Employees and employee representation

 

 ·         Employee survey

·         Round-table meeting with employee representatives twice a year

·         Dialogue with teams from all organisational units on sustainability issues under the motto “Hello Future”
Partners and NGOs ·         Sharing insights and information with partners within the framework of projects (for example, with WWF Climate Savers, myclimate, the Swiss Child Protection Foundation and organisations that address the specific needs of affected groups)
Public ·         Trade fairs and events

·         Swisscom website

·         Surveys of the public

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

Swisscom fosters dialogue with its most important stakeholder groups through various channels: via electronic media, over the phone, through surveys, information events, business meetings and conferences, as well as in customers’ homes and in Swisscom Shops. In 2015 – as in previous years – Swisscom took note of the concerns of the various stakeholder groups, prioritising them and among other things incorporating them into its CR strategy. Dialogue takes place with stakeholder groups depending on how close the relationship is and on the individual stakeholder group’s interests. However, the size of the respective stakeholder group is the decisive factor in what kind of dialogue is possible.

Swisscom systematically consults residential customers on their needs and their level of satisfaction. In this way, customer relationship managers are able to determine their customers’ needs by contacting them directly. Swisscom also conducts regular representative surveys on customer satisfaction. These include a question on the extent to which customers perceive Swisscom as a company that acts responsibly towards society and the environment. Quarterly surveys are conducted among business customers, which include questions on sustainability. Swisscom also maintains regular contact with consumer organisations in all language regions of Switzerland and runs blogs as well as online discussion platforms. As regards shareholders and external investors, besides the Annual General Meeting, Swisscom regularly fosters dialogue with shareholders at analysts’ presentations, road shows and in regular teleconferences. Over the years, it has also built up contacts with numerous external investors and rating agencies.

Every two years, Swisscom conducts an employee survey, the results of which provide ideas for new projects and measures. Also, in 2015 two roundtables were organized with the trade unions, comprised of an equal number of employees and representatives of the employer, as set out in the collective employment agreement (CEA) and six meetings with all employee representatives (ten employee representatives).

Swisscom maintains close contact with municipal authorities as part of the Dialog model, mainly regarding the topic of antennas, with the cantonal authorities (once per canton) and with members of parliament (once per session, i.e. four times a year). As regards suppliers, Swisscom’s procurement organisations regularly deal with suppliers and manage supplier relationships, analysing the results of evaluations, formulating target agreements and reviewing performance. Once a year, they invite their main suppliers to a Key Supplier Day. The focus of the event is on risk mitigation and responsibility in the supply chain. In the interests of maintaining dialogue with global suppliers, Swisscom also relies on international cooperation within the relevant sectors.

Also, Swisscom maintains close contact with the media, seven days a week. In addition to the Media Office, representatives of management maintain a regular dialogue with journalists and make themselves available for interviews and more in-depth background discussions. As regards partners and NGOs, Swisscom shares insights and information with partners within the framework of projects (for example, with WWF Climate Savers, myclimate, the Swiss Child Protection Foundation and organisations that address the specific needs of affected groups) and held, in 2015, two “Leadership Dialogues”.

In 2015, Swisscom and an international market research institute conducted a survey of the Swiss public on current sustainability topics in the information and communications industry. The representative survey (991 people, 28% response rate) asked participants to rate predefined measures in terms of the following four criteria: importance, how well they are suited to Swisscom, credibility and their effects on social and environmental sustainability. The findings of this survey prompted a re-prioritization of certain areas in the company’s materiality matrix.

What actions were taken by Swisscom to increase its energy efficiency?

In Swisscom’s 2015 Sustainability Report the following targets were set for increasing its energy efficiency, based on the company’s approach to materiality – on taking action on what matters, where it matters:

  • Taking efficiency measures for the electricity consumption of networks

Swisscom continued the “Mistral” energy-saving project in 2015 for the cooling of its telephone exchanges. At the end of 2015, Mistral was being used to cool 821 (prior year: 761) telecom systems in local exchanges, which represents an increase of 7.9%. Swisscom has thus successfully completed the project, saving 47.5 million kWh a year. Mistral is a cooling technology that relies solely on fresh air, all year round. It replaces conventional energy-intensive cooling systems equipped with compressors and contributes to a massive improvement in energy efficiency. Mistral also eliminates the need for harmful refrigerants. The follow-up project, Mistral Future, has already been launched. Its aim is to double the energy efficiency already achieved in the cooling of telephone exchanges by adjusting air volumes and deploying new technologies. In 2015 Swisscom Switzerland cooled an additional 121 mobile base stations using fresh air and the consolidation of fixed-network platforms saved a further 4.2 million kWh. Swisscom also activated a new function for its GSM mobile networks that reduces transmitting power and thus electrical energy consumption at times of low network traffic. On average, this reduces the GSM network’s energy consumption by 2.4%.

  • Taking efficiency measures for electricity consumption in data centres

With a power usage effectiveness (PUE) value soon to reach 1.2, the data centre in Berne Wankdorf is particularly energy efficient. The PUE value represents the ratio of total power consumed by the data centre to the power consumed by the IT systems running there. Measured against this PUE value, the energy consumption of the Berne Wankdorf data centre is 60% lower than that of conventionally built data centres. Instead of conventional cooling units that eat up electricity, Swisscom uses a new type of freecooling process that utilizes rainwater and works on the basis of evaporative cooling on hot summer days. The method won the Swiss Federal Office of Energy’s 2015 Watt d’Or award, which recognises outstanding achievements and particularly innovative projects in the area of energy and efficiency. Swisscom’s second and likewise energy-efficient data centre in Zollikofen (Berne) achieved an annual average PUE value of 1.3. In the Olten-Neuhard Swisscom operation building, the new energy-efficient cooling systems should reduce its PUE value to 1.4. The total average PUE value of all Swisscom’s data centres is approximately 1.53. The company increasingly uses shared servers in its data centres. This server virtualization requires less IT infrastructure and has already enabled additional savings of 7.1 million kWh in 2015.

  • Taking efficiency measures for electricity consumption in buildings

Facility Management carries out the “Pioneer @ Swisscom Energiechecks” programme throughout the entire company. This programme of energy checks contributed to optimizing the operating conditions of 64 buildings in 2015, which helped Swisscom save 478 MWh of energy (prior year: 463 MWh). Swisscom is committed to modernizing existing, inefficient lighting. This not only reduces the company’s energy consumption, but also improves the quality of the lighting. Swisscom has therefore optimized the lighting in two large office buildings and, for instance, replaced all the lights in the cafeteria in the Kφniz business park with LEDs. These measures alone generated annual energy savings of 15 MWh.

  • Reducing the amount of energy Swisscom uses to heat its buildings

Swisscom measures the consumption of heating oil, natural gas and district heating on a monthly basis in its 61 biggest buildings, which together make up over half of the total floorspace. These figures are extrapolated to calculate the overall annual consumption. During 2015, Swisscom consumed 170.5 terajoules (47.3 GWh) of fuel to heat its buildings (prior year: 47.8 GWh). The company’s fossil fuel-based heating mix comprises 64% heating oil, 14% natural gas and 22% district heating. Over the past six years, Swisscom has reduced the heat coefficient per m2 in its buildings by 29%. While this resulted in a reduction in CO2 emissions, the actual savings this brings are ultimately impossible to calculate due to the fact that the energy mix changes each year. Swisscom intends to further reduce the amount of energy it uses to heat its buildings. In pursuit of this objective, it systematically continued to implement measures throughout 2015 to reduce the energy consumption and CO2 emissions involved in heating buildings. A detailed energy monitoring system has provided a more in-depth data set for the energy analysis and uncovered instances of disproportionately high energy consumption. In addition, Swisscom has renovated and modernized several heating systems across Switzerland in 2015. Swisscom also implemented, in 2015, 21 eco-relevant building projects. As evidenced by an internal environmental scorecard, this lets the company save 284 MWh of energy and reduce its CO2 emissions by 138 tonnes. Last but not least, the energy checks helped reduce CO2 emissions by 74 tonnes (prior year: 78). These renovations and modernizations allow Swisscom to save 854 MWh and prevent 212 tonnes of CO2 emissions every year.

  • Taking efficiency measures in fuel consumption

In 2015, the vehicles in Swisscom’s fleet covered a total of 59.5 million kilometres in the service of customers (i.e. not including private trips), which corresponds to a fuel consumption of 145.3 terajoules (39.3 GWh), 3.7% down year-on-year. Thanks to a progressive deployment strategy, the average CO2 emissions per vehicle are to be reduced from 150 g CO2 for each kilometre travelled (2010) to 110 g CO2/km by the end of 2016. In accordance with the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), CO2 emissions from vehicles in the Swisscom fleet according to the manufacturer’s instructions averaged 113 g CO2/km as of the end of 2015, with 97% of the fleet classified in energy efficiency categories A and B. Swisscom also operates a fleet of 396 (+18.7%) hybrid vehicles, 60 (-9.1%) vehicles powered by natural gas, 15 (+33.3%) electrically driven vehicles and 33 (–11.4%) e-bikes. All electrical vehicles are recharged in Swisscom buildings and garages using electricity generated from renewable energy sources. In 2015, Swisscom employees used 127,521 (+5.2%) rail tickets for business travel and were issued 14,880 (+7.5%) half-fare cards and 3,504 (+4.8%) GA travel cards.

  • Using sustainable ICT (Information and Communications Technology)

Swisscom not only encourages its customers to use sustainable ICT, but also uses the solutions itself. 18 Swisscom sites are equipped with the Telepresence virtual videoconferencing solution, including Fastweb in Italy. Also, many Swisscom employees are able to work with other colleagues via videoconferencing and desktop sharing, enabling them to complete some of their work from home or on the go. Collaboration platforms also offer a simple way of accessing knowledge. The launch of the Work Smart initiative has further embedded new working methods within the company and Swisscom shares its experience with other companies. A management guideline provides managers with useful tips on how to manage new working methods.

  • Utilizing waste heat

Swisscom has signed two agreements in Zurich to supply waste heat from its operation building in Zurich-Binz. This led to 5.95 GWh of thermal energy being supplied to the neighboring areas as district heating in 2015 (prior year: 5.7 GWh). This measure saved 595,000 litres of heating oil (prior year: 570,000 litres) and avoided the CO2 emissions that would have been generated. Waste heat from the new data centre in Berne Wankdorf is also fed into the city of Berne’s district heating system and directly heats neighboring homes and offices. This reduces the CO2 emissions of these homes, offices and retail units. Swisscom’s operation building in Zurich-Herdern now meets the heating requirements of the entire building itself thanks to a new heat pump that utilizes the waste heat from its operations rooms. This enables Swisscom to save around 900 tonnes of CO2 a year, which corresponds to 8% of the total CO2 emissions attributable to Swisscom’s heating needs. Any remaining waste heat from the building is fed into the public heating network.

Which GRI indicators/Standards have been addressed?

The GRI indicators/Standards addressed in this case are:

1) G4-EN3: Energy consumption within the organization – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 302-1 Energy consumption within the organization

2) G4-EN5: Energy intensity – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 302-3 Energy intensity

3) G4-EN6: Reduction of energy consumption – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 302-4 Reduction of energy consumption

4) G4-EN15: Direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Scope 1) – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 305-1 Direct (Scope 1) GHG emissions

5) G4-EN16: Energy indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Scope 2) – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 305-2 Energy indirect (Scope 2) GHG emissions

6) G4-EN17: Other indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Scope 3) – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 305-3 Other indirect (Scope 3) GHG emissions

7) G4-EN19: Reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 305-5 Reduction of GHG emissions

 

References:

1) This case study was compiled using published information by Swisscom 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://reports.swisscom.ch/download/2015/en/swisscom_nachhaltigkeitsbericht_gesamt_2015_en.pdf (January 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/

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