Lafarge submits its sustainable development report for external review
| Region(s) | France |
|---|---|
| In domains | Construction / Engineering / Building Materials, Good Governance, Stakeholder Engagement |
| Participants | Lafarge |
Summary:
Now that France requires major companies to prepare reports addressing the social and environmental consequences of their operations, Lafarge has decided to demonstrate complete transparency by releasing a sustainable development report that has been reviewed by an external panel of experts.
Precise Innovation:
A panel of experts from diverse backgrounds (such as NGOs, international and professional organizations, assessment agencies, etc.) provides a critical and constructive perspective, expressing publicly and in complete independence its opinion on the content of Lafarge’s annual sustainable development report.
• the panel of experts meets twice a year;
• the panel sets forth recommendations on the direction that management should take concerning sustainable development and Lafarge’s environmental and social performance;
• examples of issues raised:
• diversity and non-discrimination in the company;
• professional health;
• sustainable construction of facilities.
• examples of expectations formulated by the panel:
• more in-depth reporting on professional health, alternative fuels, alternative raw materials and a reduction in the emission of persistent pollutants.
• It is essential to ensure that the panel contains the same members from one year to the next in order to ensure consistency in evaluating the annual sustainable development report. In the case of Lafarge, the panel was formed in 2003;
• It is also necessary to make sure that the panelists can be completely objective when reviewing the report. In the case of Lafarge, this has been made possible by the choice of panelists: they come from diverse backgrounds and organizations that are completely independent of the company. It should be noted that the panel contains nine members, which ensures that there are numerous points of view.
• thanks to the panel’s recommendations, the report will become increasingly clear as time goes on;
• the report covers issues that are important for the public, which is represented by the panelists;
• the sustainable development report is not a marketing tool; it is a valuable means of communication that provides information on Lafarge’s strengths and weaknesses with regard to social and environmental responsibility.
Other current examples provide evidence of growing relationships between stakeholders. The EDF Group has introduced a sustainable development panel featuring representatives from various NGOs (CARE, ENDA). In 2006 AREVA joined the Business Leaders Initiative on Human Rights (BLIRH), which works with NGOs such as Amnesty International to promote human rights in areas where the businesses operate.
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