In 2009, we decided to become a signatory to the United Nations’ Global Compact. The Global Compact comprises ten principles for ethical business behaviour in the areas of human rights, labour rights, environment and anti-corruption, and much of our subsequent work with sustainability – including our reporting work – is grounded in this framework. Furthermore, in 2010 we were invited to join the Global Compact LEAD – a new platform for corporate sustainability leadership.

In 2010, we adopted a formal sustainability strategy that will enable us to systematically integrate sustainability into all our business processes and, we hope, turn our success with sustainability into a competitive advantage for our company. The goal is to complete the integration process by 2013.

Four separate areas

We have grouped our sustainability work into four separate areas: health and safety, environment and climate change, social responsibility and responsible business practices. For these areas, we’ve established five priorities: group standards, performance management, trend spotting and stakeholder engagement, capital expenditure, and new markets and innovation.

Governance

A successful journey starts with a goal, but a goal alone doesn’t guarantee success. You also need agreement on how to reach the goal, and on who is responsible for ensuring steady progress. That’s why our sustainability strategy includes a complete governance structure that defines how we set direction, oversee alignment and monitor performance as we move towards 2013.