Communication on Progress

Eskom's 2012 United Nations Advanced Communication on Progress

Participant
Published
  • 19-Jun-2012
Time period
  • April 2011  –  March 2012
Files
Links
Format
  • Stand alone document
Differentiation Level
  • This COP qualifies for the Global Compact Advanced level
Self-assessment
  • Includes a CEO statement of continued support for the UN Global Compact and its ten principles
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Human Rights
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Labour
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Environment
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Anti-Corruption
  • Includes a measurement of outcomes
  • Meets all criteria for the GC Advanced level
Issue Area Coverage
(self-assessed)
Strategy, Governance
and Engagement
  • Criterion 1: The COP describes key aspects of the company’s high-level sustainability strategy in line with Global Compact principles

  • Impact of broader sustainability trends on the long-term prospects and financial performance of the organisation

  • Major sustainability risks and opportunities in the near to medium term (3-5 years)

  • Social and environmental impact of the organization’s activities

  • Overall strategy to manage sustainability impacts, risks and opportunities in the near to medium term (3-5 years)

  • Key performance indicators to measure progress

  • Major successes and failures during the reporting period

  • Criterion 2: The COP describes effective decision-making processes and systems of governance for corporate sustainability

  • Involvement and accountability of management (C-suite) in developing corporate sustainability strategy in line with Global Compact principles and overseeing its implementation

  • Corporate governance structure (Board of Directors or equivalent) and its role in oversight of long-term corporate sustainability strategy and implementation in line with Global Compact principles

  • Goals and incentive schemes for management (C-suite) to promote sustainability strategy in line with Global Compact principles

  • Criterion 3: The COP describes engagement with all important stakeholders

  • Regular stakeholder consultations in the area of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption

  • List of stakeholder groups engaged by the organization

  • Process for stakeholder identification and engagement

  • Outcome of stakeholder involvement

  • Process of incorporating stakeholder input into corporate strategy and business decision making

Human Rights
  • Criterion 8: The COP describes key outcomes of human rights integration

  • Disclosure of main incidents involving the company

  • Outcomes of due diligence process

  • External and formal reporting of operations or operating contexts that pose risks of severe human rights impacts

  • Outcomes of processes of remediation of adverse human rights impacts

  • Criterion 7: The COP describes effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms of human rights integration

  • Process to deal with incidents

  • System to monitor the effectiveness of human rights policies and implementation, including in the supply chain

  • Monitoring drawing from internal and external feedback, including affected stakeholders

  • Leadership review of monitoring and improvement results

  • Criterion 6: The COP describes effective management systems to integrate the human rights principles

  • Operational-level grievance mechanisms for those potentially impacted by the company’s activities

  • Allocation of responsibilities and accountability for addressing human rights impacts

  • On-going due diligence process that includes an assessment of actual and potential human rights impacts

  • Internal awareness-raising and training on human rights for management and employees

  • Internal decision-making, budget and oversight for effective responses to human rights impacts

  • Processes to provide for or cooperate in the remediation of adverse human rights impacts that the company has caused or contributed to

  • Criterion 5: The COP describes robust commitments, strategies or policies in the area of human rights

  • Commitment to comply with all applicable laws and respect internationally recognized human rights, wherever the company operates (e.g. the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

  • Statement of policy expressing commitment to respect and support human rights approved at the most senior level of the company

  • Statement of policy stipulating human rights expectations of personnel, business partners and other parties directly linked to operations, products or services

  • Statement of policy publicly available and communicated internally and externally to all personnel, business partners and other relevant parties

Labour
  • Criterion 9: The COP describes robust commitments, strategies or policies in the area of labour

  • Reflection on the relevance of the labour principles for the company

  • Reference to relevant international conventions and other international instruments (e.g. ILO Core Conventions)

  • Written company policy (e.g., in code of conduct) on labour

  • Inclusion of minimum labour standards in contracts with suppliers and other relevant business partners

  • Specific commitments and goals for specified years

  • Criterion 10: The COP describes effective management systems to integrate the labour principles

  • Risk and impact assessments in the area of labour

  • Allocation of responsibilities and accountability within the organisation

  • Grievance mechanisms, communication channels and other procedures (e.g. whistleblower mechanisms) for reporting concerns or seeking advice

  • Internal awareness-raising and training on the labour principles for management and employees

  • Criterion 11: The COP describes effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms of labour principles integration

  • Leadership review of monitoring and improvement results

  • Process to deal with incidents

  • System to track and measure performance based on standardized performance metrics

  • Audits or other steps to monitor and improve the labour performance of companies in the supply chain

  • Criterion 12: The COP describes key outcomes of integration of the labour principles

  • Disclosure of main incidents involving the company

  • Outcome of due diligence and follow-up efforts to uphold the freedom of association right to collective bargaining

  • Outcome of due diligence and follow-up efforts to eliminate forced labour

  • Outcome of due diligence and follow-up efforts to abolish child labor

  • Outcome of due diligence and follow-up efforts to eliminate discrimination

Environment
  • Criterion 13: The COP describes robust commitments, strategies or policies in the area of environmental stewardship

  • Reference to relevant international conventions and other international instruments (e.g. Rio Declaration on Environment and Development)

  • Reflection on the relevance of environmental stewardship for the company

  • Written company policy on environmental stewardship

  • Inclusion of minimum environmental standards in contracts with suppliers and other relevant business partners

  • Specific commitments and goals for specified years

  • Criterion 14: The COP describes effective management systems to integrate the environmental principles

  • Environmental risk and impact assessments

  • Assessments of lifecycle impact of products, ensuring environmentally sound end-of-life management policies

  • Allocation of responsibilities and accountability within the organisation

  • Internal awareness-raising and training on environmental stewardship for management and employees

  • Grievance mechanisms, communication channels and other procedures (e.g. whistleblower mechanisms) for reporting concerns or seeking advice regarding environmental impacts

  • Criterion 15: The COP describes effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for environmental stewardship

  • System to track and measure performance based on standardized performance metrics

  • Leadership review of monitoring and improvement results

  • Process to deal with incidents

  • Audits or other steps to monitor and improve the environmental performance of companies in the supply chain

  • Criterion 16: The COP describes key outcomes of integration of the environmental principles

  • Indicators on uses of materials and energy

  • Indicators on emissions, effluents, and waste

  • Indicators on the company’s initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility

  • Indicators on the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies

  • Disclosure of main incidents involving the company

Anti-Corruption
  • Criterion 20: The COP describes key outcomes of integration of the anti-corruption principle

  • Outcomes of mechanisms for reporting concerns or seeking advice (Ref. D9)

  • Outcomes of assessments of potential areas of corruption, where appropriate (Ref. D3)

  • Indicators of Human Resources procedures supporting the anti-corruption commitment or policy

  • Disclosure of main incidents involving the company

  • Criterion 19: The COP describes effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for the integration of anti-corruption

  • Leadership review of monitoring and improvement results (D12)

  • Use of independent external assurance of anti-corruption programmes (D15)

  • Process to deal with incidents (D13)

  • Public legal cases regarding corruption (D14)

  • Criterion 17: The COP describes robust commitments, strategies or policies in the area of anti-corruption

  • Publicly stated formal policy of zero-tolerance of corruption (D1)

  • Commitment to be in compliance with all relevant anti-corruption laws, including the implementation of procedures to know the law and monitor changes (B2)

  • Statement of support for international and regional legal frameworks, such as the UN Convention against Corruption (D2)

  • Carrying out risk assessment of potential areas of corruption (D3)

  • Detailed policies for high-risk areas of corruption (D4)

  • Policy on anti-corruption regarding business partners (D5)

  • Criterion 18: The COP describes effective management systems to integrate the anti-corruption principle

  • Support by the organization’s leadership for anti-corruption (B4)

  • Internal checks and balances to ensure consistency with the anti-corruption commitment (B6)

  • Communications (whistleblowing) channels and follow-up mechanisms for reporting concerns or seeking advice (D9)

  • Human Resources procedures supporting the anti-corruption commitment or policy, including communication to and training for all employees (B5 + D8)

  • Actions taken to encourage business partners to implement anti-corruption commitments (D6)

  • Management responsibility and accountability for implementation of the anti-corruption commitment or policy (D7)

  • Internal accounting and auditing procedures related to anticorruption (D10)

Value Chain
Implementation
  • Criterion 21: The COP describes implementation of the Global Compact principles in the value chain

  • Policy on value chain, including a policy for suppliers and subcontractors

  • Monitoring and assurance mechanisms (e.g. audits/screenings) for compliance in the value chain

  • Analysis of sustainability risk, opportunity and impact in the value chain, both upstream and downstream

  • Communication of policies and expectations to suppliers and other business partners

  • Awareness-raising, training and other types of capacity building with suppliers and other business partners

Verification and
Transparency
  • Criterion 22: The COP provides information on the company's profile and context of operation

  • Legal structure, including any group structure and ownership

  • Countries where the organisation operates, with either major operations or operations that are specifically relevant to sustainability

  • Markets served (including geographic breakdown, sectors served, and types of customers/beneficiaries)

  • Primary brands, products, and/or services

  • Direct and indirect economic value generated for various stakeholders(employees, owners, government, lenders, etc.)

  • Criterion 24: The COP is independently verified by a credible third-party

  • Accuracy of information in COP is verified against assurance standard (e.g. AA1000, ISAE 3000)

  • Accuracy of information in COP is verified by independent auditors (e.g. accounting firm)

  • Content of COP is independently verified against content standards (e.g. GRI Check)

  • COP is reviewed by a multi-stakeholder panel or by peers (e.g. Global Compact Local Network)

  • Criterion 23: The COP incorporates high standards of transparency and disclosure

  • COP uses the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Guidelines

  • COP qualifies for Level B or higher of the GRI application levels

  • COP includes comparison of key performance indicators for the previous 2-3 years

  • Board, where permissible, approves COP and other formal reporting on corporate sustainability

  • Relevant sustainability information from COP is included in annual financial report and filings

Taking Action in
support of Broader
UN Goals and Issues
Engaging with the
UN Global Compact