News

Sempra commits $15 billion to clean energy

Sempra Energy will invest $15 billion over the next five years to bring cleaner energy resources to market, according to its latest Corporate Responsibility report.

“We’re focused on meeting our customers’ current energy needs, while developing cleaner energy solutions and deploying more advanced technologies for the future,” said Neal Schmale, president and chief operating officer of Sempra.

The California-based utility company’s second report, produced in conjunction with Context, also detailed a 34% reduction in its power plant carbon dioxide emissions rate since 2005 and the completion of the company’s first wind energy project.

Context America Senior Vice-President Jaycee Pribulsky commented: “Sempra Energy is a company with a close eye on the future. Now more than ever, we’re in need of investment in clean energy. Sempra is helping deliver that.”

New Vodafone sustainability report highlights business opportunities

Long-standing Context client Vodafone Group is using its latest sustainability report, Pressing Forward, to highlight significant business opportunities the company is pursuing by applying mobile technology to environmental and social challenges.

Vodafone views sustainability challenges as a key stimulus for innovation and has established dedicated business units to develop and promote the opportunities including:

More efficient and effective healthcare such as in Tanzania where mobile stock management is addressing the historic problem of rural health centres running short of malarial drugs
Access to basic financial services through mobile payment solutions already used by over 13 million people in Kenya, Tanzania and Afghanistan
Machine-to-machine applications, such as the UK smart meter contract with British Gas, which will bring substantial carbon and cost savings.

Context UK managing director Simon Propper said: “This is the future for corporate sustainability - astute business judgement, informed by an understanding of social and environmental issues opening new market opportunities. At the same time Vodafone is maintaining credibility with some hard-hitting reporting on basics like safety. Forget ‘One Report’, Vodafone is leading the way with relevant reporting.”

Context buoyed by new client wins

Context is delighted to have enjoyed a busy start to 2010. As well as successfully completing long-term projects, the first half of the year has been characterized by new client wins across our UK and US businesses.

In the latter half of the year we will be working with new clients in the following sectors and markets:

Mobile telecommunications, Africa
Media, Global
Food and beverage manufacturing, Global
Mining, South America
Information Technology, Global
Luxury goods, Global
Lotteries, Europe.

Context America Senior Vice President Jaycee Pribulsky commented: “We’re excited at starting 2010 so positively. The US and UK markets show strong growth opportunities, and companies are keen to communicate their work on sustainability. From our expanding New York base, we’re in an ideal position to support them.”

Citi releases report and brochure

US bank Citigroup has released its tenth annual Global Citizenship Report. The online report and PDF is accompanied by a Global Citizenship Brochure, which Citi will display at branches across North America.

Both publications – produced with Context – detail Citi’s strategic focus on citizenship and its commitment to the economic development of the communities it serves in more than 140 countries. The report also announces new environmental targets for 2015, to reduce water usage by 20 percent, landfill waste by 40 percent, and greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent, all from a 2005 base line.

Context America President Peter T. Knight said: “These efforts represent another step forward for global citizenship at Citi. Context is proud to be working with such a leading financial institution on such a strong set of sustainability communications.”

BT releases Sustainability Report 2010

BT, the UK based communications services company, has released its Sustainability Report 2010, which highlights how the company is using technology to benefit people and the planet. BT's strategic sustainability review, Changing World: Sustained Values is supported by a detailed online report. This is the seventh report BT has produced in conjunction with Context.

Context Director Beckie Herbert commented: "BT continues to lead by example in the breadth and ambition of its sustainability strategy and reporting. Its latest report is an exciting glimpse at how technology can shape a more sustainable future, and how BT plans to help get us there."

GSK CEO acknowledged at inaugural Ethical Corporation awards

Andrew Witty, CEO of long-standing Context client GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), has won the top prize for Individual Leaders at the inaugural Ethical Corporation awards in London. Since taking over as chief of the UK pharmaceutical company in 2008, Witty has championed a new agenda for GSK, believing it is time for a new mind-set that treats society with the same respect as shareholders, and to evenly balance the demands of both. Central to this is a fundamental rethink of how GSK operates in the developing world, and how it can be a catalyst for positive change across the whole industry.

Context Managing Director Simon Propper commented: “This award recognises the power of visionary leadership. It takes guts to break with industry norms but the pharmaceutical industry will one day thank Andrew Witty for reshaping its relationship with society. Context is proud to be working for a company that sets such a strong example.”

Vodafone scoops coveted CR reporting award

Long-standing Context client Vodafone has won this year’s Best Report at the Corporate Register Reporting Awards (CRRA). The UK mobile operator group’s 2008/09 report, Mobilising Development, also picked up the top award for Relevance and Materiality, and came third in the Credibility Through Assurance category.

This is Vodafone’s third consecutive Best Report gong at the CRRAs, which garnered votes from around 8,000 CR professionals across all categories.

Vodafone Group CR Director Chris Burgess commented: “We’re incredibly proud of this award. A lot of hard work by people across the business goes into producing a CR report, and acknowledgement such as this from our peers helps us to know we are moving in the right direction. I’d like to thank Context for the very significant contribution they make, and I look forward to publishing our next report later this year.”

Support for Haiti

Context regularly supports Oxfam and a local special needs school. Moved by the plight of so many poor people in Haiti we made a donation via Disasters Emergency Commission (DEC). You really understand the importance of the NGO sector when something like this happens in countries with minimal government resources. We wish the people of Haiti well.

Context America strengthens New York office

Sustainability strategy and communications consultancy Context today announced the addition of Jaycee Pribulsky as senior vice president of Context America.

This appointment reinforces the firm’s strategy of expanding its presence to address the growing demand for sustainability services in the U.S.A.

Pribulsky will be responsible for partnering with organizations to develop, implement and communicate their corporate sustainability efforts.

The former head of Waggener Edstrom Worldwide’s corporate responsibility group brings over 15 years of experience managing strategic program development, stakeholder engagement, and corporate responsibility reporting, communications and performance management.

“Jaycee brings tremendous experience in helping organizations create, execute and communicate sustainability initiatives,” said Peter T. Knight, President of Context America. “Jaycee shares our passion for helping our clients understand and profit from sustainability,” he said.

Find out more here.

Centrica appoints Context

For some time we have been admirers of Centrica’s sustainability communications, particularly the company’s courageous use of its website with its blogs, tweets and forums. We were therefore delighted and genuinely excited to be selected by Centrica to work with them on their sustainability web reporting.

Simon Propper commented: “With the oil companies suffering a collective crisis of leadership, it falls to other major players in the energy sector to show the consumer how sustainable energy consumption can be achieved. Centrica is going to play an important role in this and it’s a privilege to be involved.”

BT extends long-standing relationship with Context

Following a competitive pitch, Context has been selected to support BT with its 2010 and 2011 sustainability reports. We are delighted that BT is continuing our six-year relationship for another two years (at least).

Simon Propper comments: “Our mantra is: giving clients good service is the best marketing. We are proud that BT has such confidence in our team after six years of working together and we intend to work all out to keep them happy for another six.”

Congratulations to our client HP – the only CS report honoured in the 2009 Clarion Awards

HP’s Global Citizenship Report 2008 won the strategic corporate communications category in the respected 2009 Clarion Awards.

The online report is the result of much hard work by the Citizenship team at HP supported by project manager David Hudson, writers AHA and designers Celery, with consultancy and writing by Context. We love working with this multi-talented team who are all now working on the 2009 report.

Reporting Clinic for stressed CS report managers

Context and Ethical Corporation have teamed-up to offer Reporting Clinic, combining the perspectives of a specialist sustainability consultancy and publisher. Reporting Clinic typically has two stages - Health Check and Therapy.

Health Check is a thorough diagnosis of a company’s report (or draft). Context and Ethical Corporation assess the report independently and present the feedback jointly. Therapy is a follow-up consultation with Context’s and Ethical Corporation’s MDs, Simon Propper and Toby Webb. Clients can specify the agenda, for example, to focus on new ideas or a particular challenge.

Find out more here.

Sky expands coverage in new report

British Sky Broadcasting (Sky), the UK’s largest provider of satellite television services, has launched its latest Bigger Picture Review. The Review now provides information on Sky’s responsibilities in areas such as programme making, Sky News and online gaming as well as updating readers on Sky’s Bigger Picture priorities – sports, arts and the environment.

It’s the media company’s first report with our involvement and it’s available here.

Third Oxfam business briefing tackles climate change

Oxfam International has launched a call to action for businesses to act on climate change in its latest business briefing – the second we’ve worked on. In the lead-up to Copenhagen in December, the global NGO urges businesses to encourage world leaders to agree a fair and safe global deal, pointing out that the developing world suffers most from climate change. Businesses with supply chains and other operations in emerging markets also stand to suffer if appropriate steps aren’t taken to reduce emissions, Oxfam warns.

Want a drink? Visit the Brown-Forman online forum Our Thinking About Drinking

Brown-Forman Corporation, producer and marketer of beverage alcohol brands, including Jack Daniel’s, Southern Comfort and Finlandia, has launched an ambitious, three-pronged corporate responsibility communications initiative. Along with an online report and a printed thought-leadership document, the company has also developed an on-line Issues Forum "Our Thinking About Drinking", a resource providing a balanced body of research on alcohol-related issues. Your views are welcomed.

Visit www.ourthinkingaboutdrinking.com or www.brown-forman.com/responsibility to learn more.

Pitney Bowes issues online corporate responsibility report

Out client, Pitney Bowes Inc., has issued its new online Corporate Responsibility Report 2008, providing a comprehensive summary of the company’s global citizenship practices, policies, accomplishments and goals. Read it here.

Cash for clunkers boosts sales but will do little for fuel efficiency

The US “Cash for Clunkers” state-subsidized trade-in program – modelled on successful French and German initiatives – is an outstanding sales success, but will do little for overall vehicle fuel efficiency on the thirsty roads of the USA. Buyers can trade in inefficient vehicles for those achieving over 25mpg, and get up to $4,500 subsidy from the tax payer. Analysts quoted by Reuters say clunker replacements will “shave little more than 0.05%, or between 4,000 and 5,000 barrels per day, off the nation's daily consumption of 9 million barrels”.

Kimberly-Clark and Greenpeace make peace

Our long-standing client, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, the maker of Kleenex, Scott and Cottonelle brands, has announced stronger fiber sourcing standards that will increase conservation of forests globally and will make the company a leader for sustainably produced tissue products. Greenpeace, which worked with Kimberly-Clark on its revised standards, announced that it will end its "Kleercut" campaign, which focused on the company and its brands.

The McGraw-Hill Companies commission Context

We are continuing our relationship with McGraw-Hill, helping the New York company develop its corporate responsibility reporting. The McGraw-Hill Companies are involved in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, BusinessWeek and McGraw-Hill Education.