Principles
Folksam
Submitted by Garry Cronan on October 15, 2007 - 2:14pm. Folksam | Insurance | Sweden | People | Principles | Environment | Principles/CSRFolksam is a Swedish mutual insurance company that insures one in two people in Sweden.
Global 300 ranking:
65Number of members:
4,000,000Number of employees:
3,563Gender Diversity:
49% of employees are femaleTurnover:
USD $: 1,127,079,611Type of Co-operative:
MutualDate founded:
1908Operating Countries:
Sweden
Website:
People
Diversity and Equal Opportunities: Folksam’s managers attend a series of seminars on measures against discrimination at work on the grounds of ethnicity, religion or other factors. The ‘Wheel of Diversity’ project creates a climate for spreading knowledge and experience of ways to leverage diversity as a growth engine for companies in the Stockholm region. 87% of employees agreed with the statement, “In my team/department men and women are treated with equality.”
Training and Development: Mentoring programme initiated with Scribona (the Nordic region’s leading distributor of IT and communication products). This programme provides help and support with employees’ career planning with a view to increasing internal mobility.
Communications: Publication ‘Folksam Vision’ describes the organisation's role as a Mutual, its aims and visions and how to achieve them.
Additional Employee Health Services: Managerial staff are encouraged to take parental leave, during which employees are paid 90% of their normal salary. In 2005 the whole of Folksam was again awarded a health diploma by the Swedish Federation for Company Sport. Some workers have been trained as health ambassadors to support and motivate their colleagues to take part in wellness programmes.
Absenteeism Reduction Methods: Procedures and signalling systems for early identification of workers at risk of chronic illness.
Other statistics:
- Top Twenty in Sweden’s Best Workplaces
- Employee Turnover: 2.6%
- Gender Diversity: 49%
- Percent Female in Management: 42%.
Principles
Values: Security, commitment, compassion and professionalism.
Vision: “We work for a long-term sustainable society in which the individual feels secure.”
Socially Responsible Investing: Folksam’s decisions on the companies it invests in are based on ethical investment criteria. They employ positive, supportive investment criteria relating to human rights and the environment and Folksam will not invest in companies providing tobacco products.
Environment
Green electricity: 3 years ago, Folksam began using ‘green’ electricity (BRA MILJÖVAL-EL) in its properties, at a stroke reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from 220 tonnes to 15 tonnes a year.
Standards: Part of Folksam’s operations (in motor vehicle and building claims, and traffic and safety research) are environmentally certified to ISO 14002.
Research: The Folksam Climate Index, now in its 9th year, measures the CO2 emissions of 270 enterprises and their actions to reduce emissions.
Reuse: Folksam saved SEK 50m by reusing original parts and repairing plastic parts and car windows. The total saved by these practices has been SEK 250m over the last 5 years.
Campina
Submitted by Garry Cronan on October 15, 2007 - 1:58pm. Campina | Food and Agriculture | Netherlands | Principles | Environment | Principles/CSRCampina is one of Europe’s largest dairy co-operatives with the number one or two position in branded products in its chosen markets.
Global 300 ranking:
46Number of members:
8,357Number of employees:
6,811Turnover:
USD $: 2,147,483,647Type of Co-operative:
Co-operativeDate founded:
1979Operating Countries:
Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and other international locations.
Website:
Principles
Reliable: “We take our role in the dairy chain seriously. By being honest and fair, acting with respect and always remaining aware that dairy is part of people’s daily lives.”
Enterprising: “We conduct ourselves like entrepreneurs who are not afraid to show initiative, to take decisions and to commit ourselves to achieving results.”
Corporate Social Responsibility: Campina has targeted three priorities in CSR:
- Clean Water – both on the farm and from the farm.
- Chain transparency – from the farmer to the consumer.
- Care for People – employees, members and communities.
In order to focus its activities it has created the following CSR structure:
- CSR Steering Group: This steering group has a multidisciplinary membership, consisting of representatives at senior management level.
- CSR Officer: Campina has appointed a CSR Officer at senior management level. He acts as a driver of CSR in the business and is also Campina’s first point of contact on sustainable entrepreneurship.
- CSR Project Teams: Depending on the issue in question, multi-disciplinary project teams address issues that call for operational action (e.g. outdoor grazing or compliance/business principles).
Environment
Energy: Campina’s EEI (Energy Efficiency Index) in the Netherlands in 2005 was 93.6 (reference year 1998=100). It has been monitoring energy use since 1989.
Waste: A total of 41,148 tonnes of packaging were sold during 2005, compared with 42,502 tonnes in 2004. This is mainly attributable to the changes in the product package during 2005.
Water: 11.22 million m3 were used in 2005.
- In Heiloo (the Netherlands), Campina reduced water consumption by optimising the cleaning process for its filling machines. Employees were able to reduce the cleaning time by around 30%, yielding an annual water savings of some 800 m3.
- In Veghel (also in the Netherlands), Campina reduced its water consumption by approximately 100,000 m3 a year, equivalent to the annual consumption of over 550 four-person Dutch households.
- Water Framework Directive: Campina works with the Dutch government in seeking to implement the Water Framework Directive. It belongs to:
- The Nutrients Working Group which sets guidelines for nitrogen and phosphate levels;
- The Meuse Basin Advisory Group;
- The WS Aa and Meuse, Dommel and Brabant Delta advisory groups;
- The Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW) working group on the consequences for industry.
- Spending: €2.47 million spent on Environmental Protection in 2005.
Coop Swiss
Submitted by Garry Cronan on October 15, 2007 - 12:31pm. Coop Swiss | Retailing | Switzerland | Products | Principles | Principles/CSRCoop Swiss is the no. 2 retailer in Switzerland with an overall market share of 16.7%. It has over 1500 shops and hypermarkets and has petrol outlets, banks and restaurants.
Global 300 ranking:
13Number of members:
2,316,223Number of employees:
44,916Gender Diversity:
61% of employees are femaleTurnover:
USD $: 2,147,483,647Type of Co-operative:
Consortium and FederationDate founded:
1890Operating Countries:
Switzerland
Website:
Products
Environmentally and socially responsible flagship labels: Coop’s flagship labels Coop Naturaplan, Coop Naturaline, Coop Oecoplan and Max Havelaar are success stories with a history extending back over ten years. With these flagship labels, Coop
has taken environmentally and socially responsible products out of their niches and made them attractive to a broad public.
Fair-trade products: Coop is and will remain the world’s biggest provider of fairtrade products and is constantly adding new items to this range – most recently Max Havelaar avocado and Bio Noisette chocolate.
Textiles: In 1995, Coop launched the sale of organically produced cotton from fair trade under the Naturaline label. “Today, Coop is the world’s largest retailer of organic and fair-trade textiles.” The training centre in the cotton-growing area of Maikaal, India, was financed by the Coop Naturaplan Fund.
ProSpecieRara: The aim of the ProSpecieRara Foundation is to promote the revival of heirloom native plants and prevent threatened breeds of domestic animals from becoming extinct.
Purchasing: In February 2006, Coop and the retailers Colruyt (Belgium), Conad (Italy), E.LECLERC (France) and REWE Group (Germany) established a joint purchasing alliance. The main goals of ‘Coopernic’, as the alliance is called, are to pool the sourcing of internationally tradable goods, eliminate sourcing intermediaries and lower logistics costs with a view to offering customers more affordable and more attractive products.
Animal Welfare: The Swiss animal welfare organization STS performed a broadly based study of animal protection in the Swiss retailing sector, awarding Coop the highest number of points and the accolade of being Swiss champion in animal welfare – a success deriving from years of development work on the Naturaplan flagship label.
Principles
Standards: Seven Naturaline suppliers have already been certified to the highest social standard SA 8000, and others will follow suit in 2006. Many products have certifications such as Swissmill (Products: flours, flour mixtures, semolina, maize, oat flakes, extruder products, durum wheat semolina. Certifications: ISO 9001:2000, ISO 14001, SA 8000. The reporting is based closely on the indicator list of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).
CSR Related Awards: In February 2005, Coop was awarded first prize for the best sustainability report by ‘öbu’, the Swiss Association for Ecologically Aware Company Management. In February 2006, the WWF and the ‘Vier Pfoten’ animal welfare organization presented Coop with the Golden Shopping Basket for the best performance in the field of sustainability.
Membership of CSR group: In January 2005, it became a member of the Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI), an association of European retailers set up to implement social-accountability standards. In parts of the textile sector, membership of BSCI has the advantage that the code of conduct, which is based on the ‘Clean Clothes Campaign’ in existence since 2000, can be implemented more efficiently and to greater effect.
CSR related research: On the basis of the experience gained with vegetable producers and their suppliers in Southern Spain, Coop has entered into a joint projectrelated partnership with the GTZ (German Society for Technical Innovation) and EurepGAP. The project is entitled GRASP (Good and Risk-oriented Social Practices in Agriculture) and aims to improve social conditions for plantation and seasonal workers in agriculture.
Rabobank
Submitted by Garry Cronan on October 15, 2007 - 12:04pm. Rabobank Group | Banking and Finance | Netherlands | Principles | Community | Principles/CSRThe dominant bank in the Netherlands - serving more than half the population. Market leader in mortgages (26%), small and medium sized enterprises (39%), and the agricultural sector (85%).
The bank serves 9 million clients in the Netherlands and a growing
number abroad.
Global 300 ranking:
11Number of members:
1,551,000Number of employees:
50,988Gender Diversity:
56% of employees are femaleTurnover:
USD $: 2,147,483,647Type of Co-operative:
Co-operative GroupDate founded:
1898Operating Countries:
Netherlands and 37 other countries.
Website:
Principles
Integrating CSR into our business operations: In 2005, CSR was further embedded in their operations. Other companies even followed their example, for instance when they decided to offer only low fuel consumption leased cars. They were also followed by the market in the decision to use FSC-certified paper. CSR criteria are also applied to the procurement through Rabobank Group Purchasing, known by the Dutch acronym RCI.
Herman Wijffels Prize for Innovation: The Herman Wijffels Prize for Innovation has been established to encourage enterprises to implement sustainable and innovative business practices. In 2005, a record number of 287 businesses submitted an innovative idea or plan.
Quality survey and ratings
- Swiss Sustainable Asset Management Group (SAM) rating agency in 2005 rated Rabobank the most sustainable bank in Europe and the second most sustainable bank in the world.
- SiRi, a rating agency of more than 4,000 enterprises worldwide, awarded Rabobank a sustainability rating of 75.5 points, the highest in the Diversified Financials segment.
- The ACC Award for our Annual Sustainability Report in 2005. The award is an independent, non-commercial prize awarded by the Dutch Association for Environmental Auditors (known by the Dutch acronym VMA) and the Royal Dutch Institute of Registered Accountants (known in the Netherlands as NIVRA).
Community
Rabobank’s sponsoring initiatives set the tone: In November 2005, Rabobank was awarded the SponsorRing Prize for their comprehensive sponsorship policy, as well as two awards for the Museum Bus. In addition, the ReSpons Kids Events Monitor showed that they were the most active sponsor of children’s events.
The Reading and Writing Foundation: The Foundation helps
solve the problem of low literacy. One and a half million people in the Netherlands have difficulty with reading and writing. The Reading & Writing Foundation works with partners such as Rabobank to gain recognition for this social-economic problem and to reduce it.
Rabobank International
- Ghana: In 2005, Rabobank International financed the construction of 93 bridges in Ghana in collaboration with Rabobank Westland, helping to improve local infrastructures, and hence access to markets, schools and hospitals.
- Schretlen & Co is supporting, amongst others, Habitat for Humanity (building affordable and safe houses for families in need), the Lizo Nobanda Day Care Centre in Cape Town, South Africa and the Spieren voor Spieren foundation, which promotes the interests of people with a muscular disease.
- Terra Fina (launching as Amrep) was established in 2005 as an alliance of the Rabobank Foundation, ICCO and Oikokredit. Terra Fina’s objective is to identify the need for micro-credit and combat poverty more effectively. The alliance is preparing loans in four African countries: Mali, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and Rwanda.
‘World in Your Hands’ communication programme: The programme serves to highlight the activities of the Rabobank Development Program (RDP) to its staff, members and clients. In the framework of the programme, 27 members and employees travelled to Honduras, India, China, Tanzania or Egypt in late 2004 and early 2005.
The Co-operative Group
Submitted by Garry Cronan on October 14, 2007 - 9:58am. The Co-operative Group | Banking and Finance | Food and Agriculture | Insurance | Retailing | UK | Principles | Environment | Democracy | Principles/CSROne of the world's largest consumer co-operative and the UK's largest commercial farming operation. It has over 3000 outlets – comprising food stores, travel, funeralcare, pharmacy, insurance and banking.
Global 300 ranking:
8Number of members:
1,500,000Member Dividend:
USD $9,800,000Number of employees:
67,882Gender Diversity:
53% of employees are femaleTurnover:
USD $: 2,147,483,647Type of Co-operative:
Consumer Co-operativeDate founded:
1863Operating Countries:
United Kingdom
Website:
Principles
The Co-operative Group is Britain’s most trusted brand
Research commissioned by the National Consumer Council and AccountAbility (a charity committed to improving businesses’ social and ethical performance) found that
The Co-operative Group was the most trusted business in the UK, with key differentiation in the areas of honesty, the environment and the treatment of employees.
The Group have been committed to responsible retailing since 1863
The Co-operative Group has been trading since 1863, when the Co operative Wholesale Society (formerly North of England Co-op Wholesale Industrial and Provident Society)
was first established. The business was an essential part of the movement which gave people the chance to join together to buy good quality produce at a fair price.
Environment
Winner of the Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development 2006-7
- 98% of The Co-operative Group’s electricity is sourced from renewable resources.
- Virtually all of their electricity is sourced from wind and water power.
- They are one of the largest purchasers of wind and water power in the world.
- They were the first retailer in the UK to power all of their outlets on wind and water power.
Wind turbines
Installed on top of the Co-operative Financial Services tower in Manchester, they provide 4% of the electricity needs of the CFS building. As the UK’s largest farmer, the Co-operative Group has installed wind turbines on its farmland supplying enough electricity for 9,000 UK homes each year.
The CIS tower
Europe’s largest vertical solar array created at cost of £5.5million. 7,244 solar photovoltaic panels, designed to convert daylight into electricity, will create 180,000 units of renewable electricity each year.
The Co-operative Recycling Centre, Manchester
The largest in-house recycling centre in the North West of England, there is capacity for over 10,000 tonnes of waste per annum. All of head office paper is turned into own-brand toilet paper sold in the Food Retail outlets. An electric-powered lorry travels between the various Group premises picking up the waste material.
Democracy
The Co-operative Group is wholly owned by 2.5 million members in 2007. Democracy is fundamental to the organisation’s success. The Co-operative Group supports
communities and offers members the opportunity to make a difference locally through The Community Fund, social initiatives, voting rights and volunteering. Members receive a
share of the profits and tell The Group what is important to them. This is done democratically through their network of member representatives.
Area Committees: members represent local committees and discuss issues on how the business can be improved and help the local community.
Regional Boards: The Regional Boards bring together representatives of the area committees. Each Regional Board helps to manage The Group’s business in their region.
National Boards: Regional representatives sit on the National Board. Collectively the National Board is responsible for determining the vision and strategy of the organisation as a whole.
CSR Streams
Submitted by Garry Cronan on October 10, 2007 - 4:50pm. People | Products | Principles | Environment | Community | Democracy | Principles/CSR | DevelopmentThe seven CSR streams define corporate/co-operative social responsibility for the Global 300 initiative. They are linked to the seven colours of the ICA brand identity and have been designed to identify the main areas that highlight the co-operative difference around democracy. CSR is a broad subject with no clear definition and the streams focus on the areas that matter.
People
The People/fundamental stakeholder groups are customers and employees, and included are aspects such as: health and safety, training and development, diversity, compensation, volunteering, satisfaction, absenteeism, feedback, and access to services.
Products
Products represent the organisation’s products/services, marketing/labelling, the supply chain and interaction with suppliers, around codes of conduct and sustainability.
Principles
Principles represent the underpinning values and principles, as well as the targets, monitoring and day-to-day implementation of CSR throughout the organisation and externally. It attempts to identify organisations that have truly integrated CSR into their strategy and working culture.
Environment
Environment represents all environmental or green initiatives and data such as renewable energy, waste, transport, energy usage, climate change, transport, paper, animal welfare and biodiversity. Processes, accreditations and targets are also included along with research and green marketing.
Community
Community represents local/national initiatives ranging from youth, healthcare, education, employment, working with Governments/NGOs to culture and sponsorship.
Democracy
Democracy is fundamental to highlighting the co-operative difference and represents members and governance. Criterion includes democratic participation, education, training, diversity, Board representation, dividends and satisfaction.
Development
Development focuses more upon international initiatives, support and collaboration with other co-operatives, from philanthropy, sharing expertise, work with NGOs/Governments, disaster relief and favourable access to products.
