Release of 29.08.2014
The 2013/14 Sustainability Report from the Telekom Austria Group offers an insight into its active contributions to creating social and ecological value. Under the heading "Insights", the Group renders a transparent account of its sustainability concept, management and initiatives as well as the beliefs that motivate the management.
"We see a responsibility to organise our core business in a way that creates the greatest possible benefit for society, customers, employees and the environment", says Hannes Ametsreiter, CEO of the Telekom Austria Group and A1, describing the Group's social and ecological objectives. "In our latest Sustainability Report we show how we are investing in the central infrastructure of the knowledge society, advancing energy-efficient technologies, supporting safe media use, and contributing to equal access to information, education and knowledge."
External Experts on Sustainability
Insights and views on the diverse aspects of sustainability from an external perspective are provided by specialists such as the renowned meteorologist and climate researcher Helga Kromp-Kolb in her expert commentary on global challenges and approaches to climate protection. In his leading article, Franz Josef Radermacher, Member of the Club of Rome, from the University of Ulm explains why sustainability is not only worthwhile for companies but is also increasingly an essential prerequisite for a "licence to operate" on the markets. The neurobiologist and management trainer Bernd Hufnagl uses his article to explain why a "passion to perform" depends on a healthy leadership culture that is shaped by an interest in other people. Bernhard Jungwirth from saferinternet.at describes strategies for helping children and young people to become proficient in the use of new media and also raise awareness of the risks in the digital world. Finally, Aslan Milla, Senior Partner at PwC Austria, outlines the current challenges and the possibility of a global reorientation of corporate reporting – keyword: Integrated Reporting.
"Insights" into the Four Action Areas
In journalistic style, the main chapters of the sustainability magazine provide informative insights into the initiatives and progress of the Telekom Austria Group in the four action areas identified in a materiality analysis in 2012. The environmental chapter (Living Green) now provides a year-on-year comparison with the environmental data collected throughout the Group for the first time in 2012 and describes how the Telekom Austria Group has been able to become a pioneer and innovator also in an ecological context.
One of the highlights in the society chapter (Creating Equal Opportunities) is the successful Internet initiative of the Group's Austrian subsidiary A1 "Internet for All" that promotes media literacy skills and equality of opportunity as regards participation in the knowledge society: more than 50,000 people throughout Austria have participated in over 4,000 courses since the initiative was launched in 2011.
The product chapter (Providing Responsible Products) explains that broadband expansion is more than just a means of providing the people living in the Telekom Austria Group's markets with 'technological' equal opportunities. It is also an enormous catalyser for innovative solutions in the key areas of education, health, energy and the environment.
The chapter on employees (Empowering People) and a guest column by Group Chief HR Officer Silvia Buchinger describes how promoting employee development and active diversity are crucial factors behind the Group's success. These internal insights are rounded off by an article written by Compliance Officer Martin Walter on the successful certification of the Telekom Austria Group's Compliance Management System and the next objectives on his agenda.
For the first time, the Telekom Austria Group Sustainability Report 2013/14 meets the requirements of the Sustainability Reporting Guideline G4 (comprehensive) of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) incl. the Telecommunications Sector Supplement (Pilot Version 1.0). In addition, it complies with the annual United Nations Global Compact Progress Report. Selected topics and indicators were also reviewed by an independent auditor as part of an external auditing process.
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