RBS 2010 Annual Report Download - page 46

RBS Group 201044
Sustainability
Sustainability in practice
Stakeholder feedback
We work actively with stakeholders to find out
what they think about us and how we do
business. The table below outlines some of the
ways we consulted stakeholders in 2010.
Taking sustainability seriously
One of the ways we show the world that we take sustainability
seriously is by embedding it in the way we run the business, from
the highest levels to the responsibilities of individual employees.
Our Senior Independent Director, Sir Sandy Crombie chairs the
Group Sustainability Committee (GSC). Other members of the GSC
include the Chief Executive Officers of a number of our divisions.
The GSC reviews the Group’s overall sustainability strategy, values
and policies.
The Group Sustainability Forum is a network of senior managers
from each division that makes sure we put into practice the priorities
the GSC sets. The executive-led Environment Working Group
monitors environmental developments, commercial opportunities,
operational impacts, and communications and engagement.
The Retail Sustainability Taskforce focuses on the sustainability
issues that most affect our Retail division. The Microfinance
Advisory Board comprises senior members from a range of
stakeholder groups and provides external oversight and support for
microfinance and supporting enterprise programmes across the
Group’s international business.
“To ensure that we are operating as a sustainable business in
every sense of the word, we will have to develop and work to a
set of principles which guide our management on social and
ethical issues.”
Sir Sandy Crombie, Senior Independent Director
Stakeholder group
Customers
Employees
Investors
Industry Forums
Consumer Groups
Non-Governmental
Organisations
(NGOs)
Types of consultation
We started to change how we gather our
customers’ opinions. We launched a new Public
Opinion Survey and we spoke to over 21,000
people through surveys. This work, along with the
regular feedback we receive from our customers is
a key component in how we shape our business.
Our Employee Opinion Survey gathered the
views of over 119,000 employees, a response
rate of 81%.
Last year the Group engaged with over 1,200
institutional investors. Socially responsible
investment continues to grow in importance and
last year we took part in regular meetings with
analysts on this issue, including meetings with
our Chairman and senior executives focused
exclusively upon sustainable investment.
The Group is involved in a number of industry
forums including both the Equator Principles (EPs)
and UN Global Compact (UNGC) which have a
specific focus on sustainability issues. Last year
we took the lead in one of the EPs working groups
and became Chair of the UK Network of the UNGC.
In 2010, we substantially increased our dialogue
with consumers groups. We met a wide variety of
groups to discuss a range of issues from debt
advice to our Group Customer Charter.
We regularly consult with NGOs, which in 2010
included direct engagement with both our
Chairman and the Group Sustainability Committee.
Group Board
Group
Sustainability
Committee
Group
Sustainability
Team
Environment
Working Group
Group
Sustainability
Forum
Retail
Sustainability
Taskforce
Microfinance
Advisory Board