Corporate and social responsibility

Our approach to corporate and social responsibility

We operate our business within a framework of increasingly stringent and challenging legislative and regulatory requirements. We are, however, mindful of the still tougher expectations held by our wider stakeholder group. For us, corporate and social responsibility is about achieving a balance between the commercial and regulatory rigours of the competitive sector within which we operate and our commitment to our stakeholders as a whole.

The Board has ultimate control of policies in respect of both the wider corporate responsibility, such as our business conduct, and our environmental, health and safety programmes. The Board’s policies are implemented by dedicated specialists who make sure effective processes and procedures are in place to assure compliance and to identify and to report on risks and opportunities.

As in previous years we have continued to invest, not only to comply with environmental and health and safety requirements, but, where practicable, to go further. In 2011, we retained our presence in the FTSE4Good Index Series, which is designed to measure the performance of companies that meet globally recognised corporate responsibility standards and facilitate investment in those companies.

Engaging with our stakeholders

Shareholders:

  • Road shows
  • Face-to-face meetings
  • Reports and announcements
  • Website
  • Visit programmes

Employees:

  • Open Forum
  • Briefing sessions
  • Staff newsletter

Parliament:

  • Briefing papers
  • Face-to-face meetings
  • Written and oral evidence
  • Visit programmes

Government departments:

  • Face-to-face meetings
  • Consultation responses
  • Visit programmes
  • Via trade associations

European Union:

  • Briefing papers
  • Face-to-face meetings
  • Via trade associations

Local government:

  • Liaison meetings
  • Annual consultative committee meeting
  • Exhibitions
  • Newsletters

Trading counterparties:

  • Face-to-face meetings
  • Industry events

Local community:

  • Sponsorship
  • Fund raising events
  • Themed campaigns
  • Visitor programme
  • Exhibitions
  • Newsletters

Government agents/regulators:

  • Face-to-face meetings
  • Correspondence and data submission
  • Via trade associations

NGOs and opinion formers:

  • Face-to-face meetings
  • Briefing papers

Suppliers and customers:

  • Face-to-face meetings
  • Contractor briefings
  • Contractor safety conference

Media:

  • Press releases
  • Face-to-face meetings