What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2016 Sustainability Report Nissan identified a range of material issues, such as fuel consumption/product CO2, economic sustainability, renewable energy, product, sales and service quality. Among these, promoting traffic safety worldwide stands out as a key material issue for Nissan.

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 Nissan engages with:   

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement
Customers	·         Customer service interaction ·         Contact through dealers ·         Websites ·         Showrooms ·         Motor shows ·         Events ·         Safety driving forum ·         Customer surveys ·         Media (TV, magazines, social media) ·         Owners’ meetings ·         Vehicle maintenance ·         Mailing service
Employees	·         Direct contact (including whistleblowing system) ·         Intranet ·         Internal events ·         Interviews ·         Surveys
Suppliers and Dealers	·         Suppliers conference ·         Dealer conventions ·         Business meetings ·         Direct contact ·         Briefings ·         Corporate guidelines ·         Websites ·         Dedicated portal site
Shareholders and Investors	·         Direct contact with IR team ·         Shareholders meetings ·         Financial results briefings ·         IR events ·         IR meetings ·         Website ·         Annual Report ·         Mailing service
Governments, Industrial Associations and Business Partners	·         Direct contact ·         Joint research ·         Studies ·         Automotive and non-automotive organizations (Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, WBCSD, etc.) ·         Roundtables ·         Working groups ·         Conferences ·         Events ·         Assistance via foundations
NGOs and NPOs	·         Direct contact ·         Philanthropic activities ·         Partnerships ·         Donations ·         Disaster relief activities ·         Events ·         Assistance via foundations
Local Communities	·         Direct contact to local business facilities ·         Local events ·         Plant visits ·         Conferences ·         Sponsoring ·         Traffic safety awareness campaigns ·         Assistance via foundations
Future Generations	·         Direct contact ·         Philanthropic programs ·         Plant visits ·         Endowed courses ·         EventsAssistance via foundations ·         Websites
Media	·         Contact with PR team ·         Press conferences ·         PR events ·         Press releases ·         Interviews ·         Mailing service ·         Websites

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritize material issues, Nissan carried out interviews with both internal and external stakeholders.

What actions were taken by Nissan to promote traffic safety worldwide?

In its 2016 Sustainability Report Nissan reports that it took the following actions for promoting traffic safety worldwide:

• Implementing educational programs in Japan
• Road safety activities undertaken by Nissan in Japan, include:
  • the Omoiyari Light Promotion, as part of the Hello Safety Campaign
  • Creative Ideas for Twilight-Time Safety Salons
  • the departure ceremony for early-headlight vehicles

• Promoting safety education in the United States
• Nissan’s traffic safety initiatives in the United States include:
  • the Snug Kids program, a child safety seat fit initiative
  • ThinkFast, an interactive awareness program educating students on the importance of safe driving practices
  • a Child Passenger Safety Technician course

• Helping reduce traffic accidents in China
• Nissan (China) Investment Co., Ltd. (NCIC) co-hosted, in August 2015, the ninth China Road Safety Forum. Moreover, Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Company (DFL-PV) organized the “Safe Driving Experience Camp 360°” event, to help customers develop safe driving habits.

• Promoting safer mobility in emerging markets
• The “Nissan Safety Driving Forum”, carried out by Nissan in emerging markets, is intended to promote safer mobility and increase road safety awareness. As a result, participants are educated on the importance of road safety through, among others, driving tests on simulators.

• Partnering with the FIA for traffic safety
• Nissan partnered with the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), to promote road safety worldwide through the “FIA Action for Road Safety” campaign, and awareness campaigns aimed to help reduce injuries and deaths from traffic accidents.

Which GRI indicators/Standards have been addressed?

The GRI indicator addressed in this case is: G4-PR1: Percentage of significant product and service categories for which health and safety impacts are assessed for improvement and the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 416-1 Assessment of the health and safety impacts of product and service categories

 

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References:

1) This case study is based on published information by Nissan, 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 Nissan: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2016 Sustainability Report Honda identified a range of material issues, such as climate change and energy issues, product quality, strengthening supply chain sustainability. Among these, [tweetthis]promoting traffic safety worldwide stands out as a key material issue for Honda[/tweetthis], aiming at “a collision-free mobile society” where its customers and indeed everyone sharing the road can safely and confidently enjoy the freedom of mobility.

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 Honda engages with:

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement
Customers	·         Customer satisfaction surveys ·         Safe driving activities at dealerships ·         Motor shows and other events
Shareholders and Investors	·         Annual reports ·         Financial results briefings and briefings for institutional investors
Policymakers	·         Participation in the council bodies of government bodies and industrial groups such as Keidanren and the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association ·         Participation in international initiatives
Research institutes	·         Support for academic meetings ·         Collaboration with universities ·         Special lectures ·         Merchantability verification for products ·         Co-development of technology
Experts/Local government	·         Dialogues concerning local government policies and technology ·          Feasibility studies
Media	·         Communication with journalists ·         New model/new technology launch events ·         Press releases
NGOs	·         Collaborative projects ·         Regular communication ·         Response to surveys and questionnaires
Suppliers	·         Supplier networking events/briefings ·         Green Network Meeting ·         Joint events ·         Supplier risk assessments
Dealers	·         Dealer Conferences ·         Certification system briefings and site visits
Local communities	·         Networking events for local residents ·         Plant  tours ·         Events for children and students ·         Social activities by associates
Associates	·         Associate satisfaction surveys ·         Direct communication between executives and associates ·         Education and training via intranets and internal media

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

Especially in recent years, the growing scale and globalization of companies, along with the rapid proliferation of IT, have heightened the impact of companies on society and vice-versa. As this process continues to accelerate, Honda believes that stakeholder dialogue is a beneficial tool that enables it to expand business opportunities and increase the company’s customer base, while also giving it an understanding of changes and risks in the social environment. Based on this understanding, the different divisions at Honda conduct dialogues globally, through a variety of opportunities, with the stakeholders engaged in Honda’s business: those stakeholders that either are impacted by Honda’s business activities or whose activities impact Honda’s business activities.

Honda engages with customers through customer satisfaction surveys, safe driving activities at dealerships, motor shows and other events, with shareholders and investors through annual reports, financial results briefings and briefings for institutional investors, with policymakers through participation in the council bodies of government bodies and industrial groups such as Keidanren and the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association and participation in international initiatives, with research institutes through support for academic meetings, collaboration with universities, special lectures, merchantability verification for products and co-development of technology, with experts and local government through dialogues concerning local government policies and technology and feasibility studies, with the media through communication with journalists, new model/new technology launch events and press releases, with NGOs through collaborative projects, regular communication and response to surveys and questionnaires, with suppliers through supplier networking events/briefings, the Green Network Meeting, joint events and supplier risk assessments, with dealers through Dealer Conferences, certification system briefings and site visits, with local communities through networking events for local residents, plant tours, events for children and students and social activities by associates and, with associates, through associate satisfaction surveys, direct communication between executives and associates, education and training via intranets and internal media.

What actions were taken by Honda to promote traffic safety worldwide?

In its 2016 Sustainability Report Honda set the following targets for promoting traffic safety worldwide, based on the company’s approach to materiality – on taking action on what matters, where it matters:

• Promoting traffic safety for people with disabilities (Japan)

Honda is working for the safety of all people through a variety of initiatives. In addition to the dissemination of traffic safety education for people at all stages of life, from infants to the elderly, in recent years Honda has supported traffic safety activities aimed at people with physical disabilities. Specifically, Honda expanded its activities to assist people with disabilities with higher cerebral functions for whom driving a car can help with their social reintegration. This includes software to support the evaluation of driving abilities to help rehabilitation (started in 2012, at 106 facilities) and a self-operated safe driving program (started in 2013, introduced at 16 facilities and 126 participants). In addition, with the continuing aging of society, an increasing number of the elderly are transported by car to hospitals and day care centers. Honda is working to ensure the safety and security of the car users when they are being picked up and dropped off.

• Supporting a driving technology research program aiming to eliminate fatal traffic accidents among teens (North and Central America)

Since 2001, in the U.S. there have been over 100,000 deaths of 16-24 year olds when young people are driving. Among teenagers, fatal traffic accidents claim 67 lives a week, nine per day, or one every two hours (according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)). The American Honda Foundation provided funding to the Clemson University Foundation in support of its Driving SCIENCE–Saving Teenage Lives program, a driving technology research program aimed at eradicating fatal traffic accidents among teenagers. The long-term goal of the program is to protect the life of every teenager by providing teachers with activities that address science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) standards in a way that helps students understand the STEM behind driving safety, giving them scientifically based tools for driving safety. These projects are offered free of charge and provided online to Driving SCIENCE teachers and the greater education community. More than 35,000 students are targeted to experience the science and math of safe driving during the grant period.

• Providing safe driving educational activities at the Traffic Educational Center in three Brazilian cities (South America)

Honda is providing safe driving educational activities at the Traffic Educational Center in the three Brazilian cities of Indaiatuba, Manaus and Recife. Participants include people from governmental agencies, motorcycle owners and riders who learn about correct behavior as a rider, riding posture and riding skills in an actual traffic environment. Since the project first began in Indaiatuba in 1998, some 657,000 people have taken part, including approximately 12,045 in 2015. In addition to discussions on “Harmony in Traffic,” other programs including Clubinho Honda and mobile traffic safety educational activities have been implemented. In addition the Harmony Traffic website has been set up, as well as traffic safety educational programs via YouTube and Facebook. In 2015, these portals attracted 770,000 visitors.

• Providing motorcycle rider training for women in India (Asia & Oceania)

HMSI (Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India) launched the Dream Riding motorcycle rider education program for women in Delhi. The program is a unique commitment to support women who want to become independent, whereby by learning safe riding they also gain the freedom of mobility. Open to all women over 18 years of age, more than 2,500 women signed up for the free course, an unprecedented response from women in India who seek independence. Training was conducted by 28 experienced female instructors at Honda at Honda’s traffic training parks.

• Launching the Honda Dream Road safe driving campaign in Thailand (Asia & Oceania)

Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (HATC), in collaboration with the Thai Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, offered Honda Dream Road safe driving training programs at Honda dealerships and service centers nationwide. The program provides training on safe driving guidelines and will be extended to university students in the future.

Which GRI indicators/Standards have been addressed?

The GRI indicators/Standards addressed in this case are:

1) G4-2: Provide a description of key impacts, risks, and opportunities.– the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 102-15 Key impacts, risks, and opportunities

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

3) 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

 

References:

1) This case study was compiled using published information by Honda 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://world.honda.com/sustainability/report/pdf/2016/Honda-SR-2016-en-all.pdf (June 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 Honda: 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 Annual Report Emirates Transport identified a range of material issues, such as supporting government compliance and guidelines, excellence and leadership in services and processes, investment and strengthening of the organization’s financial position. Among these, ensuring security and safety in its services stands out as the top material issue for Emirates Transport as a public transport provider.

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 Emirates Transport engages with:

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement
Customers	·         Informal daily routine engagement ·         Call Centre for Suggestions and Complaints ·         Satisfaction Surveys ·         Meetings ·         Workshops ·         Conferences
Suppliers	·         Vendor Assessments ·         Quality ·         Health & Safety Trainings ·         Contracts ·         Bids and procurements
Employees	·         Satisfaction surveys ·         Personal Meetings ·         Management discussion forums ·         Training programmes ·         Suggestions ·         Complaints and Grievance Systems ·         Annual Performance Appraisals
Partners	·         Systematic Engagement ·         General Meetings ·         Discussion Forums ·         Exchange of Data and Information ·         Annual Gala
Federal & Local Governments	·         Memorandums of Understandings ·         Laws and Policies ·         Meetings and Conferences ·         Standards Compliance
Regional & Global Entities	·         Seminars and Meetings ·         International Standards ·         Global Events and best practice exchange
Competitors	·         Industry Forums ·         Workshops and Meetings ·         Reports and Periodicals
Local Community & Environment	·         Volunteer Activities ·         Free Services and business support ·         Recycling Activities ·         Awareness Campaigns ·         Social and Cultural events ·         Philanthropic Activities ·         Specialist Exhibitions

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

At Emirates Transport, the key to success is its strong relationship and care for its stakeholders. These are those individuals or organizations that Emirates Transport engages for the purposes of its business operations, services and products. These include Emirates Transport’s clients, suppliers, strategic partners, employees, competitors, federal and local government organizations, regional and global entities and the community within which Emirates Transport operates. All across Emirates Transport’s operations and systems, stakeholder expectations are identified, reviewed and addressed with an objective to improve overall performance and achieve excellence. Effective and efficient engagement tools are in place within Emirates Transport which enables smooth and fruitful engagement and continuous communication with its stakeholders.

Emirates Transport engages with its customers through informal daily routine engagement, the call centre for suggestions and complaints, Satisfaction Surveys, meetings, workshops and conferences, with its suppliers through vendor assessments, health & safety trainings, contracts, bids and procurements, with its employees through Satisfaction Surveys, personal meetings, management discussion forums, training programmes, complaints and grievance systems and annual performance appraisals and with its partners through general meetings, discussion forums, exchange of data and information and the Annual Gala.

Emirates Transport engages with federal and local governments through Memorandums of Understanding, laws and policies, meetings and conferences and standards compliance, with regional and global entities through seminars and meetings, international standards, global events and best practice exchange, with competitors through industry forums, workshops and meetings, reports and periodicals and with local communities through volunteer activities, free services and business support, recycling activities, awareness campaigns, social and cultural events, philanthropic activities and specialist exhibitions.

What actions were taken by Emirates Transport to promote security and safety in its services as a public transport provider?

In its 2014 Annual Report Emirates Transport set the following targets for promoting security and safety in its services as a public transport provider, based on its approach to materiality – on taking action on what matters, where it matters:

• Enhancing children’s safety in school transport

In cooperation with state regulatory and legislative authorities and in support of safety standards across transport means, particularly school transport means, the Executive Committee at Abu Dhabi School Transport was engaged to launch the specifications and requirements of a smart systems package for child protection within the school transport system, as part of the community project entitled “Children’s Safety in School Transport”, launched in support of HH Lt General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, in cooperation and coordination with the Abu Dhabi Police GHQ, Abu Dhabi Department of Transport and Abu Dhabi Education Council. During 2014, Emirates Transport was awarded an approval by the Abu Dhabi Environment, Health & Safety Centre.

• Promoting senior management engagement

The road traffic environment, health and safety (HSE) system enjoys the senior management’s full support, through the provision of different kinds of resources, with periodical reviews of the occupational HSE system. The senior management’s engagement is reflected in the formation of the Executive Safety Audit Committee for school transport and business centres in July 2014, chaired by the Director General and with the membership of a number of Emirates Transport executive managers. The committee convenes on a monthly basis, to discuss all issues related to the HSE system (accidents reports, audit, inspection, etc.), to allow for decisions to be taken regarding the development of policies and different work manuals, for corrective steps to be established and resources provided. The total number of recommendations offered by the committee during its periodical meetings reached 140 recommendations, with an 87% rate of completion as of the beginning of 2015. The majority of these focused on following up on inspection and audit reports, the development of business actions, training, field control and accidents investigation. The major results of these recommendations and follow-up were represented in the decline in the rate of medium-level and major traffic accidents caused by Emirates Transport drivers by 39% during Q2014/4, compared to the same period in 2013.

• Organizing events and activities in different health and safety areas

The 3^rd session of the Occupational Health & Safety Month was organized under the logo “Your Safety our Success Element”, during which 250 events and activities in different health and safety areas were organized, in addition to medical examinations and blood donation campaigns. Two evacuation drills were organized across school buses and at main offices, in coordination with the Civil Defence forces. The total number of employees participating was 15,000, while participation from outside Emirates Transport reached 20,000. More than 90 government departments participated in the Safety Month activities, indicating its major impact on different concerned parties.

• Offering programmes and courses on safety issues

In support of its strategic vision and objectives, Emirates Transport offers different programmes and courses regarding safety issues in coordination with the School Transport Department. Educational programmes are designed to enhance students’, bus drivers’ and supervisors’ awareness. These programmes are considered part of Emirates Transport’s general responsibility practices, covering both employees and stakeholders. Organized lectures highlight the importance of safety guides across school buses, with the Ten Golden Rules, designed to protect students while leaving buses, particularly young children. Practical and theoretical lectures focus on safety issues in terms of the protection of bus seats and the maintenance of buses’ general conditions.

• Encouraging creativity and innovation in traffic safety methods through the Traffic & Education Award

The Emirates Transport Traffic & Education Award has been updated on a regular basis until its 2015-2014 session, during which two new classes were added, addressing creativity and innovation in traffic safety and safety person of the year, with the door open to all community groups to participate in, along with award activities. Online participation is currently available. The award aims to encourage creativity and innovation in traffic safety methods, through constructive competition among schools and other beneficiaries, in support of community welfare, and the establishment of traffic safety terms and values between students, parents and community members.

• Fostering employee participation

The League of Innovators was launched in 2014. The first season was allocated to applicable safety in school transport, during which the Judging Committee received 155 ideas.

• Promoting Emirates Transport’s safety culture through periodical and non-periodical publications

Emirates Transport promotes its safety culture among all concerned parties through Safety Periodical Magazine, which is geared towards school students and of which four issues were published during 2014, in addition to a special manual on safety in school transport, as well as the publication/distribution of many educational posters on safety and the environment.

• Maintaining the highest level of safety through inspection visits by senior management and safety teams

To maintain the highest level of safety, the senior management and safety teams carried out a number of inspection visits during 2014. The Director General, accompanied by a group of senior management officials and safety/operation staff, conducted visits across a group of business centres and School Transport Department branches. Visits focused on the methods to be followed in order to achieve the highest standards and objectives in students’ safety, to improve and enhance institutional reputation by maintaining full compliance with school transport to limit and control the number of accidents. Subsequent reports indicate some gaps for which a detailed action plan is required to discuss the following points:

• Follow up for the implementation of health and safety systems and instructions.
• Development of new models to mitigate accidents among centres and individuals.
• Develop safety field control systems across all transport centres.
• Develop a system to measure training effectiveness and impact on drivers.
• Attach audit reports with accident reports, with development of effective solutions for each type of accident.

Which GRI indicators/Standards have been addressed?

The GRI indicators/Standards addressed in this case are:

1) G4-PR1: Percentage of significant product and service categories for which health and safety impacts are assessed for improvement – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 416-1 Assessment of the health and safety impacts of product and service categories

2) G4-PR2: Total number of incidents of non-compliance with regulations and voluntary codes concerning the health and safety impacts of products and services during their life cycle, by type of outcomes – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 416-2 Incidents of non-compliance concerning the health and safety impacts of products and services

 

References:

1) This case study is based on published information by Emirates Transport, located at the links 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 links:

http://database.globalreporting.org/

https://www.et.gov.ae/Pages/OurServices/SchoolTransports/Publicschools.aspx (June 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 Emirates Transport: 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.