CORE SUSTAINABILITY CHARTER

To express support publicly for these principles and to provide a basis for pursuing environmental improvements at the corporate level.

Corporate Priority:
To recognise environmental management as among the highest corporate priorities and as a key determinant to sustainable development; to establish policies, programs and practices for conducting operations in an environmentally sound manner.

Process of Improvement:
To continue to improve corporate policies, programs and environmental performance, taking into account technical development, scientific understanding, consumer needs and community expectations, with legal regulations as a starting point.

Integrated Management:
To integrate these policies, programs and practices into each business as an essential element of management in all its functions.

Employee Education:
To educate, train and motivate employees to conduct their activities in an environmentally responsible manner.

Prior Assessment:
To assess environmental impacts before starting a new activity or project and before decommissioning a facility or leaving a site.

Products and Services:
To develop and provide products or services those have no undue environmental impacts and are safe in their intended use, that are efficient in their consumption of energy and natural resources, and that can be recycled, reused, or disposed of safety.

Customer Advice:
To advise, and where relevant educate, customers, distributors and the public in the safe use, transportation, storage and disposal of products provided; and to apply similar considerations to the provision of services.

Facilities and Operations:
To develop, design and operate facilities and conduct activities taking into consideration the efficient use of energy and materials, the sustainable use of renewable resources, the minimisation of adverse environmental impact and waste generation, and the safe and responsible disposal of residual wastes.

Research:
To conduct or support research on the environmental impacts of raw materials, products, processes, emissions and wastes associated with the enterprise and on the means of minimizing such adverse impacts.

Precautionary Approach:
To modify the manufacture, marketing or use of products or services or the conduct of activities, consistent with scientific and technical understanding, to prevent serious or irreversible environmental degradation.

Contractors and Suppliers:
To promote the adoption of these principles by contractors acting on behalf of the enterprise, encouraging and, where appropriate, requiring improvements in their practices to make them consistent with those of the enterprise, and to encourage the wider adoption of these principles by suppliers.

Emergency Preparedness:
To develop and maintain, where significant hazards exist, emergency preparedness plans in conjunction with the emergency services, relevant authorities and the local community, recognizing potential trans-boundary impacts.

Transfer of Technology:
To contribute to the transfer of environmentally sound technology and management methods throughout the industrial and public sectors.

Contributing to the common effort:
To contribute to the development of public policy and to business, governmental and intergovernmental programs and educational initiatives that will enhance environmental awareness and protection.

Openness to concerns:
To foster openness and dialogue with employees and the public, anticipating and responding to their concerns about the potential hazards and impacts of operations, products, wastes or services, including those of trans-boundary or global significance.

Compliance and Reporting:
To measure environmental performance; to conduct regular environmental audits and assessments of compliance with company requirements, legal requirements and these principles; and periodically to provide appropriate information to the Board of Directors, shareholders, employees, the authorities and the public.

{Drawn from ICC’s (International Chamber of Commerce) Business Charter for Sustainable Development}