Word from the Top

Comments by chief executives of the 2005 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World

ABN Amro Holding, Rijkman Groenink

We believe sustainable development is the right way forward, and that this should be underpinned by the allocation of dedicated resources throughout our organization.

Adidas Salomon AG, Herbert Hainer

Being an industry leader means more than delivering strong financial results. While that is important, what is equally important is how we achieve that success. Good governance, managing our environmental impacts and improving working conditions in our suppliers’ factories are all central to our view of business leadership. Stakeholders, including our own employees, expect us to do more across all these areas.

Agilent, Bill Sullivan

Agilent's continued efforts related to environmental and social responsibility have their roots in our core corporate values. We believe that good corporate citizenship is not only the right thing to do, but it is also good business. Our employees, our customers and our investors expect nothing less.

Alcan Inc., Travis Engen

Our definition of “doing the right thing” is also evolving. It is no longer enough for companies to do “less bad” by reducing their environmental footprint. At Alcan, we are Taking the Next Step by focusing our Corporate Sustainability framework on “doing more good”. Whether it's through the design and application of innovative products or by building long-term partnerships through our stakeholder engagement efforts, we are working to integrate sustainability into all aspects of our business. Events over the past few years have underscored for me the necessity for governments, industry and concerned stakeholders to work together to protect and preserve our planet. No nation, company or individual has the right to create wealth at any cost. Corporations throughout the world have a unique role to play and an inescapable duty to the larger community to wisely manage their resources, ensure the health and safety of their workers and communities and, through their products and services, contribute to the improved well-being of our society.

Alcoa Inc, Alain Belda

It's an honour to see the work of Alcoans recognized globally. Sustainability is not new to us, although we may not have always used the term. For years we have been using our Values as a guide while striving for excellence with a focus on better understanding and managing our economic, social and environmental impacts with our communities. Our Values require us to think and act not only on the present challenges, but also with the legacy in mind that we leave for those who will come after us... as well as the commitments made by those that came before us.We think of it in terms of a relay race, where each one of us adds value today and long-term for all shareholders, Alcoans and the communities in which we operate. We appreciate the recognition of this work and our ability to combine financial performance with social and environmental stewardship.

Aviva, Richard Harvey

CSR is becoming an integral part of our business thinking. We are closer to our ambition of having CSR as simply “the way we do things around here”.

Bank of America, Kenneth D. Lewis

[P]rotection of the environment has become an important part of the way we do business. We demonstrate our corporate leadership by striving to do our part to sustain a healthy, clean environment for ourselves and future generations.

BAA PLC, Mike Clasper

We strongly believe that each environmental impact should be targeted individually, with the objective of reducing or mitigating its impact, using the most effective policy instrument. That could be a planning condition, local or national regulation, economic instruments or voluntary action.

Baxter International Inc., Robert Parkinson

I am honored to be a part of Baxter, and pledge that in my role as chairman and chief executive officer, I will champion a culture that effectively meets the needs of our many stakeholders, balances short- and long-term realities and strategies, and drives growth that is socially, environmentally and financially sustainable for future generations. It’s the people who make up the organization that are responsible for assessing the needs of their communities and engaging their company appropriately. It’s people who are applying their individual experience and talents to find ways to operate more efficiently and minimize our environmental impact. And it is individuals who face tough ethical decisions and chart a course that is consistent with Baxter’s business practices.

BP PLC, Lord John Browne

Our strategy defines the destination—shareholder value—but the test of sustainability provides the reference by which we judge everything we do. It defines the path towards our destination. To be sustainable, a company cannot exist in isolation but must recognize and manage its wider impact and its contribution to society.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Peter R. Dolan

At Bristol-Myers Squibb, our Pledge defines our success in terms of the values we uphold and live by in our daily work. In addition to financial and business performance, we also measure success in our commitment to building stronger communities and a healthier world for all.

British Airways PLC, Rod Eddington

British Airways remains committed to operating as a responsible business, working in partnership with our key stakeholders and seeking to address their concerns.

BT Group PLC, Ben Verwaayen

So the fact of the matter is, you can be very selfish as an organisation, make a very good business case, and create an environment around CSR that is not just for the expert somewhere in the reputation department, but is right, very much in the heart of what business does for a living, that's creating money, satisfying customers, understanding the fabric of society in which you sell into.

Cadbury Schweppes, Todd Stitzer

These values are not just about maintaining a healthy workplace, where people love to work. They underpin our commitment to working better together to understand and find solutions to other challenges: the ethical sourcing of raw materials; the economics of sustainable business in a competitive and fast-changing world; and changing consumer attitudes to diet and active lifestyle.

Centrica PLC, Sir Roy Gardner

… By understanding our impact on society, the economy and the environment, we can build positive relationships that benefit our shareholders through the development of a sustainable approach to doing business.

Danone, Franck Riboud

Clearly, our responsibility is greatest in areas where the decisions are really up to us. For our products, of course, but also for our relationships with employees and the community, for environmental impact, and for standards of corporate governance.

Denso, Koichi Fukaya

One of the main pillars of our vision is to achieve what we call an advanced automotive society-one in which people and cars coexist in harmony. For “advanced” doesn't just mean designing and producing increasingly sophisticated cars. It means creating vehicles that do not harm the environment and that promote a society of safety, convenience, ease and comfort.

Dexia, Pierre Richard

The choice of “Dexia, the bank for sustainable development” as a corporate identity is not just opportunistic; it is in line with the sheer nature of the Group’s activity.

Deutsche Telekom, Kai-Uwe Ricke

We are convinced that our commitment to sustainability directly benefits the environment, the economy and society as a whole. We also feel that a proactive stance in this area greatly strengthens our competitive positioning, motivates our employees and helps to raise general standards in the company.

Diageo, Paul S Walsh

Being a good corporate citizen is an ambition enthusiastically embraced at all levels within Diageo. Our board fully supports our actions in working towards sustainability goals—in particular those contained in the UN Global Compact.

Eastman Kodak Co., Danieal A. Carp

We realize … that this is a journey with no final destination, no ultimate stopping point. Sixteen years ago, we made a pledge to make continuous improvement in the way we manage our environmental responsibilities. For 16 consecutive years, we have delivered on that pledge. And we intend to continue delivering results, pausing on designated occasions to check our progress.

Ecolab Inc, Douglas M. Baker

To us, sustainability means future viability and growth. The values by which we operate demand that we be responsible advocates of the communities in which we live and work, and of the natural environment we all share. It is a calling we take on the same way we take on everything else we do at Ecolab—with energy, enthusiasm and commitment.

Electrolux AB, Hans Stråberg

For Electrolux, sustainability means embracing our responsibility to act as a good corporate citizen, continually working to reduce energy consumption from our products and emissions from our factories, ensuring that our employees and business partners are treated fairly in all dealings, and striving to be a good neighbor in every community in which we operate. To call ourselves a sustainable company we must be transparent, allowing those who are affected by our activities to see inside and make their own judgments. We must earn the trust of our stakeholders by showing respect to everyone: employees, shareholders, local communities, business partners, even competitors. And we must be honest, telling the truth about what we have achieved and where we need to improve.

Enbridge Inc., Patrick D. Daniel

Corporate Social Responsibility is, simply put, good business. There are no dividing lines between good business practices and Corporate Social Responsibility. Our corporate performance is built upon a solid foundation of good business practices—from treating stakeholders fairly and reducing our impact on the environment to performing to the highest standards of business ethics. Corporate Social Responsibility is expected in every facet of business at Enbridge.

Ericsson, Carl-Henric Svanberg

We believe that … we must … contribute actively to a sustainable future for all people and for generations to come. To us, creating a sustainable future means taking social, ethical and environmental responsibility.

Expro International Group, Graeme Coutts

The Group’s strategy for CSR remains in place—to prevent harm to people or the environment as a result of our operations, whilst interacting favorably with local communities.

FPL Group Inc, Lewis Hay, III

We’re excited about the future. Meeting the demand for cost-effective production of electric power cango hand-in-hand with sustaining, protecting and enhancing our beautiful and fragile environment ... and, in our view, it must. Future generations will be affected by how we act today, and we believe this is the most important reason to continue building a sustainable future for every part of our business.

GlaxoSmithKline PLC, JP Garnier

GSK has always been committed to achieving 'performance with integrity'—profits without principles are not sustainable.

GUS PLC, John Peace

We view CSR as a continuous and transparent process that is rooted in a clear and specific understanding of what our responsibilities should be. It involves listening to a wide range of stakeholders, working with them to identify material risks and opportunities, managing these appropriately and disclosing the results.

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, Bernhard Schreier

The principle of doing business sustainably proves its worth above all in times of economic duress and structural change.

Hennes & Mauritz, Rolf Eriksen

Taking responsibility for how people and the environment are affected by our activities is well in line with our fundamental values. CSR, or Corporate Social Responsibility, is therefore an important strategic issue for H&M and the department that is responsible for social responsibility and the environment reports directly to me. The key to all this is cooperation and dialogue responsible for social responsibility and the environment reports directly to me. They key to all this is cooperation and dialogue—not only between our suppliers and us, but also with fellow-members of our industry, UN organizations and trade unions. H&M also supports the UN Global Compact and the OECD Guidelines For Multinational Enterprises. In doing so we want to signify that we respect human rights and are prepared to contribute to sustainable development within the areas that we are able to influence.

Hewlett Packard Company, Carly Fiorina

For those of you who have seen our ads, you know that they end with a tagline, ‘Everything is possible.’ That is more than a tagline—I actually believe that. I don't believe that everything is easy … I don't believe that everything happens right away … I'm realistic enough to know that not everything happens just the way you think it will. But I do believe that when people work together and are committed to a worthy goal, that everything is possible. And so I really do believe that together we can create the kind of future we want, that we can all work to make a profit while making a contribution and making a positive difference; that we can use our skills, and our knowledge, and our resources not only to advance the success of our companies, but to advance the cause of humanity, and that we really can all look back on our careers and be proud of what we did to leave this world a better place than we found it.

Hypovereinsbank, Dieter Rampl

Environmentally and socially sound behavior should be de rigueur for every bank, no matter how tough the competition. That is why we members of the Group Board drew up a framework for observing environmental and social standards in HVBGroup long ago with our Code of Conduct, our Value Principles, the Corporate Governance Code, our credit policy, and our environmental model. We firmly believe that our integrity grants us our “license to operate” and generates value for HVBGroup. In this way, we meet the demands of our various groups of stakeholders—customers, shareholders, employees, social stakeholders—as well as the demands we place on our own personal behavior.

Intel Corp, Craig R. Barrett

Many variables are involved in the successful operation of a global enterprise. With today's emphasis on worldwide competitiveness, pressures that include economic performance, environmental performance, employee and community safety, and social programs can pull a company in different directions.

Kesko, Matti Honkala

Experts who assess the performance of listed companies have considerably increased the use of indicators of sustainability in their own analyses.

Kingfisher PLC, Gerry Murphy

We will ensure that the long-term development of our business is sustainable, and reflects the values and expectations of our communities.=

Kuraray Company Limited, Yasuaki Wakui

Even before the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) acquired the familiarity it has today, the Kuraray Group was deeply aware of its duties and responsibilities to society as a corporate citizen[.]

Lafarge SA, Bernard Kasriel

Progress on the road to sustainable development is like a marathon run, above all for Lafarge. Even if your performance needs to be evaluated as you run, the important thing is to go the distance.

Land Securities PLC, Ian Henderson

The Group has long upheld the principles of good corporate governance. It has sought to communicate freely with its investors, to exceed its customers’ expectations, to respect the environment and to treat its employees and the wider community in a fair and equitable manner.

Marriott International New, J.W. Marriott, Jr.

I’ve been in this business for a long time and know first hand that tourism is the economic cornerstone of many communities around the world. While a thriving tourism industry can provide a better livelihood for local people, it cannot be at the expense of the environment and local culture. Travel & Tourism has come a long way in the past decade in facing up to its social and environmental responsibility

Nokian Renkaat, Kim Gran

For as many as 12 consecutive years, we have been the most profitable company in our line of business. Even though we place major emphasis on strong financial performance and intense growth, the well being of our natural environment, its population and our personnel is of key importance to us. As representatives of a company that recognises its social responsibility, we want to make sure that carrying out our core mission does not involve harming nature and people; instead, we strive to promote their well being.

Nokia Oyj, Jorma Ollila

By conducting business in a responsible way, Nokia can make a significant contribution to sustainable development, at the same time building a strong foundation for economic growth.

Novo Nordisk, Lars Rebien Sørensen

Against a backdrop of uncertainty and erosion of trust in business and governments there is all the more reason for making an effort to demonstrate long-term investment and unfaltering dedication. We must trust that there is a better future for all, and we must take action to make it happen.

NTT Docomo Inc, Masao Nakamura

The issue of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has recently been in the spotlight, but it is hardly a new concept. Unfortunately, some companies in Japan lost sight of the importance of CSR at some point during the period of rapid economic growth. Now is the time to remember the true role that companies play. Today, companies that do not properly address these issues simply will not survive.

Pepsico Inc., Steven S Reinemund

We view our environmental responsibility as covering all areas of our business. Each of our divisions and facilities is empowered to find solutions to its unique environmental challenges. Each of our employees is encouraged to act as an environmental steward.

Philips Electronics, Gerard Kleisterlee

[T]here can be no question that sustainable development is an integral part of our company strategy. As a result, we are taking sustainable development to a higher level, viewing it as a springboard for new business development.

Pinnacle West Capital Corp., William J. Post

The strength of a company cannot be measured solely by earnings and stock price. A truly strong company is one that produces results for its customers and communities, while also operating with honesty and integrity. Our internal compass points to a simple philosophy, ‘Do the Right Thing.’

Pitney Bowes, Michael J. Critelli

By recognizing the interdependence of our environmental, social and economic performance, we will achieve our mission of providing shareholder and customer value into the 21st century and beyond.

RBC Financial Group, Gordon M. Nixon

At RBC, we define corporate responsibility as operating with integrity at all times, and sustaining our company's long-term viability while contributing to the present and future well-being of our stakeholders. Our job is to balance the needs of all our stakeholders—clients, employees, shareholders, communities and suppliers- because there is such an inextricable link connecting them. We believe this balance is not just possible, it is imperative for our future success. It's not a matter of whether a company can be profitable or responsible, because in the long term, you can't have one without the other.

Reed Elsevier PLC, Sir Crispin Davis

Reed Elsevier with its four divisions—Elsevier (science and medical), LexisNexis (legal), Harcourt (education), and Reed Business Information (business)—believes that corporate social responsibility (CSR) matters. As one of the world’s leading media companies we have a responsibility to all our stakeholders—employees, customers and the communities and environments—where we live and work.

Ricoh Company, LTD., Masamitsu Sakurai

In order to limit the environmental impact we have on the Earth to a level that the abilities of the natural environment to recover can deal with, what kind of changes should we make in our attitudes and actions? All global citizens, including national and local governments, companies, citizen groups, and individuals need to be aware of their own environmental impact. Moreover, it is important to discuss the ideal society we pursue and aggressively reduce our environmental impact by cooperating with and learning from each other to realize our ideals. The Ricoh Group describes its long-term vision of the ideal society as a “Three P’s Balance”. After understanding what needs to be done to move closer to the ideal, concrete goals and action plans for promoting sustainable environmental management will be established. The Ricoh Group lends its weight to the development of a sustainable society by demonstrating through its own actions that a company can conduct environmental conservation activities continuously through sustainable environmental management and by encouraging more people around the world to participate in developing a sustainable society.

Royal Dutch Petroleum, Jeroen van der Veer

Our efforts to contribute to sustainable development will play an important part in rebuilding trust, managing risk and delivering the strong business performance our shareholders demand, in both the short and long term.

Sabmiller plc, Graham Mackay

Continued success requires us to balance the immediate demands of the market with our responsibilities to stakeholders and to the long-term sustainability of the business, just as we have done throughout our history.

Scottish and Southern Energy PLC, Ian Marchant

Our commitment to the environment reflects its importance to investors, customers and our staff. We believe that good environmental performance is a key indicator of overall performance and also provides an additional means by which investors and customers can gauge the overall effectiveness of companies.

Severn Trent PLC, Robert Walker

Severn Trent is a company driven by the vision to be the UK's leading supplier of environmental goods and services and guided by the core values of quality, service and environmental leadership. Being a responsible business is firmly embedded in everything that we do.

Siemens AG, Klaus Kleinfeld

More than 150 years ago, our company founder Werner von Siemens said: ‘I won’t sell the future for a quick profit!’ That credo remains true today and is at the heart of the way Siemens thinks and does business. Our stated commitment to be the Pacesetter for the 21st Century is based on one vision: to make the world a better place. We’re achieving this through the groundbreaking innovations and cutting-edge solutions we provide our customers—improving the lives of billions worldwide. We believe the best way to plan for the future is to be a pacesetter in the present. This has been key to our longevity in the past. It will be key to our corporate sustainability in the future and we’re absolutely committed to making it happen!

Skanska, Stuart Graham

Our approach has one key starting point, and that is based on our conviction that in order to be successful and respected, we must be prepared to play a leadership role in our business sector. We are prepared to take the lead on issues such as business ethics, governance, the environment and social responsibility. Not only because this is expected from us, but mostly because I believe that this is the only way to manage a business well in the 21st century. While the traditional “run silent, run deep” approach is still readily applied in our sector, it is our approach to engage stakeholders in our effort to become more sustainable and report in a transparent and open manner. Sustainability has to become an integral part of our business. Not just on paper, but in our day-to-day operations and decision-making.

Smith Nephew, Sir Christopher O'Donnell

I believe the drive towards sustainability is an ongoing and long term process and it is important to maintain a consistent effort whilst looking to improve what we already do.

STMicroelectronics, Pasquale Pistorio

[W]e believe that those corporations that give special care to their role as good citizens in the communities in which they operate and in society generally, not only fulfill their ethical obligation but also maximize the return to their shareholders.

Svenska Cellulosa AB, Jan Äström

SCA’s business ambitions are matched by an equally strong will to apply the highest corporate responsibility principles, wherever we conduct business in the world. As a global company, SCA respects its customers, employees and suppliers. The SCA Sustainability Council helps ensure that our environmental and social responsibility policies are an integral part of our way of thinking. Always.[...]Recent surveys on Socially Responsible Investments (SRI) in the European Union show that a large proportion of fund managers and analysts consulted consider that social and environmental management has a long-term impact on the market value of a company. This strengthens us in our vision and values. We are not in business for the short term. If a company takes no interest in environmental or social consequences of its activities, it will pay the price in the long term. We at SCA are certain of that.

Swiss Reinsurance Company, John R. Coomber

As one of the world’s leading reinsurers, Swiss Re has a long-standing experience in assessing risks and developing ways to transfer and mitigate them. But, with pressure on natural resources and whole eco-systems rising, the nature of risk has been shifting: these trends potentially threaten the very foundation of society and business. Sustainability—the preservations not just of economic, but of natural and social capital—has thus become a key concern. This is especially true for Swiss Re because many of the solutions we offer are of a long-term nature. Detecting “long-fuse” risks early and learning how to deal with them is therefore of crucial importance for our company—and our shareholders.

Taylor Woodrow PLC, Iain Napier

Taylor Woodrow recognises the importance of social and environmental issues, particularly in the context of sustainable development, and the relationship between these issues and the continued success of the business.

Toyota Motor, Fujio Cho

From Toyota's standpoint as a member of the Japanese automotive industry, I have often emphasized our “desire to work hard so that we will be able to point to the various contributions that Japan's automotive technology has made toward alleviating the impact automobiles have on the environment.” The second generation Prius, which was launched in September of 2003, was developed on the basis of this idea. Since its launch, the Prius has received high acclaim and support in markets around the world, and sales are increasing steadily. The success of the new Prius has provided us with a great deal of confidence in our stance of making environmental issues a central management issue.

TransAlta Utilities, Stephen G. Snyder

As we move forward, we will continue to use our talents and the dedication of our people to aggressively promote sustainable business practices in our operations and our relationships. We believe this approach is imperative to growing our business, preserving and enhancing our reputation and delivering long-term shareholder value.

Unilever, Antony Burgmans (Chairman)

At Unilever we have long recognised that business has a part to play in achieving development. But companies can only play their part if they are responsible corporate citizens.

UPS, Mike Eskew

Our goal is to continue to thrive as a successful organization in a responsible way that benefits the millions of people we touch directly and indirectly every day. That's our vision of sustainability. That's our vision of operating a balanced business—one that future generations of UPSers will inherit and take to even greater heights in the coming century.

Whitbread PLC, Alan Parker

At Whitbread, we value highly the good relationships we enjoy with our many stakeholders both nationally and locally: the more so because our sustained growth and development will come from successfully building on these strong partnerships. The better we work together with our many stakeholders, and the more vibrant the communities in which we trade, the more successful and sustainable our businesses become. That's good news for our investors and communities, but also for the 50,000 people we employ.

Weyerhaeuser Co, Steven R. Rogel

In the past 50 years, corporations have assumed a significantly larger role in society. As a result, what used to be private decisions have come to have far-reaching public impacts. In grappling with issues such as the expansion of health care, extension of equal rights to women and minorities, and the protection of the environment, corporations have both shaped the issues and been shaped by them. Weyerhaeuser embraces the heightened responsibility that comes with this expanded role. We commit to operate in a way that is consistent with society’s values and that is environmentally, economically and ethically sustainable. We carry out that commitment through values and systems that help make doing the right thing also the natural thing.

Xerox Corp, Anne M. Mulcahy

Good citizenship in my view is, quite simply, good business, and we take great care to balance a generous spirit with wise stewardship of Xerox resources. Though our leadership on corporate social responsibility is a source of pride, we continue to reach for even higher levels of performance. Our goal is to be admired as much for the tangible business successes we achieve as for the intangible goodwill and community trust we continually foster.