Managing corporate responsibility

Corporate responsibility (CR) is an integral part of our business strategy and our management approach. We believe that business success is only possible when it also benefits the environment and the society. (See Our approach to corporate responsibility)

Corporate Affairs is responsible for our corporate responsibility strategy and has overall responsibility for CR. The head of Corporate Affairs sits on the Executive Board and reports to the CEO. Environmental Affairs, part of the Corporate Affairs team, is responsible for our environment strategy and policy. The Corporate Social Responsibility team oversees community engagement programs including employee volunteering and charity donations. In 2008 we appointed a new Ethics Officer who has responsibility for implementing the Nokia Siemens Networks Code of Conduct.

Governance

In 2008 we established a Corporate Responsibility Steering Committee (CRSC) chaired by the Head of Corporate Affairs to consolidate functional activity and direct our approach to CR.

The CRSC reports to the Executive Board and includes four executive board members. Other members are the Ethics Officer, head of social responsibility and representatives of business functions, as well as an employee representative.
 

 
The mission of the CR Steering Committee is to:

• Assess overall company adherence to the Code of Conduct, and employee engagement

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  Consider further revision and/or refinement of the Code, where and when needed

   

• Follow social issues that affect the industry and Nokia Siemens Networks and assign responsibilities to address them

• Review CR globally, including the success of community involvement initiatives

• Ensure CR activity is reported transparently both internally and externally

• Organize the response to CR related issues within Nokia Siemens Networks

Management system

In 2008 we joined (Electronics – Tool for Accountable Supply Chains) an industry supply chain consortium. We have begun to use the E-TASC self-assessment and audit process to assess our performance on labor, health and safety, ethics and environmental issues in our factories.

The initial assessment covered the company as a whole and produced a score of 94 percent. While this was a very positive result, the assessment identified the need to create more robust management systems for labor conditions. Most factories completed the E-TASC audit by the end of 2008, and the results range from 72 percent to 88 percent, with an average of 83 percent. In 2009 we intend to verify the data to address some inconsistencies in the e-TASC tool.