Reporting: procedure and organisation
This Sustainability Report complies with the GRI principles on reporting. It therefore contains specific GRI standard information in addition to the general standard information. The recommendations of the SDG Compass were again taken into account and implemented. The SDG Compass is a joint guide produced by GRI, WBCSD and the UN Global Compact. It offers guidelines for determining contributions by companies to the SDGs as well as corresponding measures for implementation and disclosure. Swisscom also took into account the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TFCD) as far as possible in the section on energy efficiency and climate protection and in the Climate Report.
In the past few years, Swisscom has developed a clear understanding of the issues pertaining to its immediate environment. In addition, stakeholder groups present issues directly to Swisscom. We also use findings from current studies, market research, trend analyses and benchmark reports. All of these issues are included in the materiality matrix.
Swisscom involves its internal and external stakeholder groups in order to assess the importance they attach to their issues and to determine their strategic priorities. It has conducted a survey of representative stakeholder groups for the past three years, with response rates ranging from 70% to over 90%. It is now conducting a specific in-depth survey on environmental issues. The analysis of the responses is described in the introduction relating to the participation of stakeholder groups. The results of the materiality analyses and the responses from stakeholder groups make a significant contribution to the formulation of the CR strategy and the definition of thematic focus areas. They form the basis for the report.
Swisscom often involves stakeholder groups in the corresponding validation of the issues in its reporting. During the year under review, for example, Swisscom had its Sustainability Report assessed by internal stakeholder groups, and also brought in an external partner to review the management approaches.
The processes and procedures to be used with some stakeholder groups can be defined directly wherever necessary. Swisscom collaborates with the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), for instance, to provide information on its contribution to the “Exemplary Role of the Confederation in Energy” (ERCE) working group. In addition, it works with the Energy Agency of the Swiss Private Sector (EnAW) and WWF. In collaboration with other businesses in the ICT sector and in contact with the Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO), Swisscom also makes a contribution to media skills in Switzerland.
During the year under review, Swisscom nurtured targeted relationships with the following stakeholder groups or held discussions on topics that are included in this report:
- Customers: surveys on topics including customer satisfaction (Annual Report, page 35).
- Shareholders and external investors: discussions on financial topics (revenue, dividends, etc.) at the Annual General Meeting on 6 April 2018 or at road shows (Financial Report). Swisscom also had contact with SRI fund managers or investors, e.g. in relation to governance topics or finance issues (“green bonds”).
- Public authorities: dialogue with municipal authorities regarding the topic of antennas and transmitter stations (2018: 300 dialogues; see Sustainability Report, page 45), with cantonal authorities (once each per canton) and with members of parliament (twice a year) on topics such as roaming, the FTTH roll-out and the ICT environment.
- Suppliers: Swisscom maintains commercial relationships with its suppliers and further contacts within the framework of self-assessments and audits (see the section “Fair supply chain” in the Sustainability Report).
- Employees and Employee Committees: Swisscom meets once a month with the trade unions and the seven employee committees to discuss various topics, as laid down in the collective employment agreement (CEA) or stipulated in the Co-Determination Act. There are also two plenary meetings of the employee committees every year. Topic-specific ad-hoc meetings are also held that are organised in accordance with the participation table in the CEA (see the Annual Report, page 27 and the Sustainability Report, page 76).
- Partners and NGOs: two “leadership dialogues” and an exchange with partners within the framework of individual projects took place within the year under review.
The reporting process comprises the company brochure, the Annual Report, the Sustainability Report and the Climate Report. The Annual Report and the Sustainability Report are subject to the same internal validation stages and are validated by the Disclosure, Review and Audit Committees to ensure the quality of the disclosures. The Sustainability Report and the Climate Report are also verified externally.