SGS, the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, today publishes its sixth corporate sustainability report. Available online as an interactive report and a separate sustainability review document, the report has, once again, achieved alignment to the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) G4 reporting framework at ‘Comprehensive’ level.
The report presents a comprehensive account of the company’s management approach and performance relating to key material aspects identified by SGS and its stakeholders, including:
- Ethical conduct
- Economic performance
- Health and safety
- Talent acquisition and development
- Energy and climate change
- Sustainability services
- Human rights
- Diversity and equal opportunities
- Local communities
- Responsible supply chain
As well as tracking progress against the company’s 2014 goals set in 2010, the report also sets out its sustainability ambitions to 2020, and provides leadership opinion on the challenges and opportunities for multinational corporations on issues linked to these ambitions.
Highlights from 2014 include:
- SGS received the Gold Class Sustainability Award and was named Industry Leader and Industry Mover by RobeccoSAM based on its performance in the 2014 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) World and Europe
- SGS awarded a position on the ‘A List’ in the CDP Climate Performance Leadership Index 2014, a global ranking of 187 listed companies on their approach to climate change mitigation
- SGS ranked amongst the top three Swiss companies and the overall most improved reporter in the Lundquist CSR Online Awards
- Carbon emissions from SGS offices and laboratories reduced by 15% and 5% respectively between 2011 and 2014, despite an increase in the number of laboratories during that period
- SGS received carbon neutral status in 2014 and became one of the first companies to sign up to the ‘RE100’ initiative, pledging to use 100% renewable power by 2020
- 75% of SGS employees recognize the role that sustainability plays in supporting the business aims
SGS Vice President of Corporate Sustainability, Daniel Rüfenacht, comments: “Sustainability is an integral and necessary part of our business agenda. I am proud of the achievements that SGS has made on its sustainability journey so far and am especially pleased that these efforts are being recognized externally. However, there is more we can do to maintain our sustainability performance at levels below our business growth trajectory, and we shall continue to maximize opportunities to use our scale and our expertise to enable a more responsible, balanced and sustainable future.”
The SGS 2014 Sustainability Report is also summarized in a video that will be available on YouTube from April 2015.
For further information, please contact:
Corporate Sustainability Team
SGS Group Management
1, Place des Alpes
Geneva,1211
t: +41 22 739 93 09
ABOUT SGS
SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 80,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 1,650 offices and laboratories around the world.