In continuation of its commitment to sustainability best practice, du is pleased to announce the launch of its 3rd Annual Sustainability Report, raising the benchmark for sustainability reporting in the region.
The Report meets the new Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 Comprehensive Guidelines, which were launched in May 2013 in The Netherlands. In doing so, du has become the first in the region and the world’s first telecommunications company to adopt this standard. In parallel, du announced its revised corporate sustainability commitment, marking the company’s progressive outlook in line with the sustainability focus for Expo 2020 and the UAE’s Vision 2021.
The GRI G4 standards encourage companies to report only on what matters to them, to review their impacts both upstream and downstream, and require a larger number of disclosures – covering the organisation, its governance practices, supply chain and more. Together, these create a greater level of disclosure and transparency in terms of the aspects that are most relevant to du’s core business, telecommunications.
du’s 2013 Sustainability Report has undergone the Materiality Matters check by GRI, which verifies that at the time of the report’s publication, the disclosures that cover the process of identifying material issues and stakeholder engagement were correctly reported on and identified in the report.
Its latest Sustainability Report is the result of du’s strong commitment towards responsible business practices that attempt to address various sustainability issues, both at the national and regional level. These include gender equality in the workplace, empowerment of local citizens, waste management, reduced carbon footprint, increased social value through telecom services and more. The Report will also play a role in steering the company and enhancing its performance and resilience for the sustainability challenges that lie ahead.
In conjunction with the launch of this Report, du announced its revised corporate sustainability commitment, through which it endeavours to support the UAE government in its vision of a sustainable future. In this third revision of the commitment, the company shows an evolution towards a business model that proactively integrates a sustainability outlook across all business areas.
The commitment derives from the established company vision, ‘add life to life’, and is based on the principle to create value for all of du’s stakeholders. It focuses on the areas that the company can and should have the greatest impact on, including cultivating a culture of learning, fostering an entrepreneurial spirit in the UAE, encouraging responsible environmental behaviour and promoting UAE heritage, culture and society. At the very heart of the strategy is a commitment to providing excellent telecommunication services, connecting and enhancing lives through the company’s core operations.
The revised corporate sustainability commitment is guided by the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) principles and the GRI reporting framework, amongst others.
Hala Badri, Executive Vice President, Brand and Communications, du, said, “It is a privilege to know that we are supporting the UAE’s position as a green leader by being the first company in the region, and the first telecommunications company in the world, to release a Sustainability Report that complies with the GRI G4 Guidelines. Sustainability is at the very core of our business and is reflected in all that we do, which is represented in our third Sustainability Report, as well as in the new corporate sustainability commitment that we will adhere to from here on. We hope that our increased levels of transparency and commitment to being sustainability leaders will encourage more companies in the UAE and the region to adopt more sustainable practices.”
Highlights of du’s 2013 Sustainability Report include:
- Steady increase in Emiratisation figures; 34% of the company’s total workforce and 81% of du’s executive management are Emiratis.
- Emphasis on protection of customers and their data through a range of cyber-security technology and services.
- Suite of innovative offerings that create social and environmental value, such as enabling easier communication for UAE’s expatriate labour workforce, cloud services for lower costs and increased efficiency and more.
- 209 of du’s base transceiver stations use hybrid sources of energy.
- du is one of the first telecommunications companies in the region to have calculated and assessed its carbon footprint.
- Launch of the company’s flagship wellness programme, ‘Every Step Counts’, to promote healthy living in the UAE.
Click here for du’s 2013 Sustainability Report:
http://www.du.ae/sustainability-flipbook/flash/index.html
Source: du.
About du
du’s official name is Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), and is an integrated telecom service provider, dedicated to providing customers the best in choice, quality, innovation and pricing. Based in the UAE, the company’s services include fixed and mobile telephony, broadband connectivity and IPTV services, which are offered to individuals, homes and businesses. For more information, visit www.du.ae.
