Sydney Water - Annual Report 2009

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Sydney Water follows international best practice by mapping the Annual Report against the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Guidelines 2006, an initiative of the United Nations Environment Program.


In this section:
Content index Economic sustainability indicators Environmental sustainability indicators Social performance – labour practices and decent work	Social performance – human rights Social performance – society Social performance – product responsibility

Content index

Sydney Water has adopted the GRI principles for reporting – transparency, inclusiveness, auditability, completeness, relevance, sustainability context, accuracy, neutrality, comparability, clarity and timeliness. In line with these principles, Net Balance Management Group Pty Ltd independently verified Sydney Water’s Operating Licence Schedule 3 Environmental Performance Indicators 2008–09 and Sustainability Indicators for the Annual Report 2008–09.

Ref	Indicator description	Location
1. Strategy and analysis
1.1	Statement from chief executive officer and chair	Chairman and Managing Director’s review
1.2	Description of key risks and opportunities	Corporate governance > Insurance and risk management
2. Organisational profile
2.1	Name of the reporting organisation	Front cover of the summary report
2.2	Major brands, products or services, including volume	At a glance > Operations snapshot
2.3	Organisational structure	Corporate governance > The executive team
2.4	Location of organisation’s headquarters	About Sydney Water > About this report
2.5	Number of countries where the organisation operates, and names of countries with either major operations or that are specifically relevant to the sustainability issues covered in the report	Australia
2.6	Nature of ownership and legal form	About Sydney Water > Sydney Water’s role
2.7	Markets served	About Sydney Water > Sydney Water’s role
2.8	Scale of the reporting organisation	About Sydney Water > Sydney Water’s role
2.9	Significant changes during the reporting period regarding size, structure or ownership	None
2.10	Awards received in reporting period	Key achievements
3. Report parameters
3.1	Reporting period	Introduction > About this report
3.2	Date of most recent previous report	Financials > Financial statements
3.3	Reporting cycle	Financials > Financial statements
3.4	Contact point for questions regarding the report	About Sydney Water > About this report Annual Report email
3.5	Process for defining report content	Not reported
3.6	Boundary of the report	Introduction > About this report
3.7	State any specific limitations on the scope of the report	Not reported
3.8	Basis for reporting on joint ventures, partially owned subsidiaries, leased facilities, outsourced operations and other situations that affect comparability from last report	Financials > Financial statements
3.9	Data measurement techniques and the basis of calculations, including assumptions	Performance indicators Sustainability indicators
3.10	Explanations of the nature and effect of any restatements of information provided in earlier reports	Throughout
3.11	Significant changes from previous reporting periods in the scope, boundary, or measurement methods applied in the report	No significant changes
3.12	GRI Content Index – table identifying the location of standard disclosures in the report	This table
3.13	Policy and current practice with regard to seeking external assurance for the report	Verification statement
4. Governance, commitments and engagement
4.1	Governance structure of the organisation	Corporate governance
4.2	Indicate if the chair of the highest governance body is also an executive officer	Corporate governance
4.3	For organisations that have a unitary board structure, state the numbers of members of the highest governance body that are independent and/or non-executive members	Corporate governance
4.4	Mechanisms for shareholders and employees to provide recommendations or direction to the highest governance body	Feedback
4.5	Linkage between compensation and the organisation’s performance for members of the highest governance body	N/A
4.6	Process of the highest governance body to ensure conflicts of interest are avoided	Not reported
4.7	Process for determining required qualifications and expertise of the members of the highest governance body	Not reported
4.8	Internally developed mission codes of conduct and value statements	Sydney Water’s role
4.9	Process of the highest governing body for overseeing the organisation’s identification and management of economic, environmental and social performance	Corporate governance
4.10	Process for evaluating the performance of the highest governance body	N/A
4.11	Explanation of whether and how the precautionary approach or principle is addressed by the organisation	Not reported
4.12	Externally developed, voluntary economic, environmental and social charter or initiatives to which the organisation subscribes and/or endorses	Verification statement This table
4.13	Significant memberships in associations	Not reported
4.14	List of stakeholder groups engaged by the organisation	Throughout
4.15	Basis for identification and selection of stakeholders to engage	Not reported
4.16	Approaches to stakeholder engagement, including frequency of engagement	Not reported
4.17	Key issues and concerns that have been raised through stakeholder engagement and how the organisation has responded to these	Not reported

Economic sustainability indicators

Ref	Indicator description	Location
Economic performance
EC 1	Economic value generated and distributed, including revenues, operating costs, employee compensation, donations and other community investments, retained earnings, and payments to capital providers and governments	Financials > Financial statements
EC 2	Financial implications and other risks and opportunities for the organisation’s activities due to climate change	Chairman and Managing Director’s review Feature: Preparing for climate change
EC 3	Coverage of the organisation’s defined benefit plan obligations	Financials > Financial statements
EC 4	Significant financial assistance received from government	Financials > Financial statements
Market presence
EC 5	Range of ratios of standard entry-level wage compared to local minimum wage at significant locations of operation	Not reported
EC 6	Policy, practices and proportion of spending on locally-based suppliers at significant locations of operation	Not reported
EC 7	Procedures for local hiring and proportion of senior management hired from the local community at significant locations of operation	Not reported
Indirect economic impacts
EC 8	Development and impact of infrastructure investments and services provided primarily for public benefit through commercial, in-kind, or pro bono engagement	Not reported
EC 9	Understanding and describing significant indirect economic impacts, including the extent of impacts	Chairman and Managing Director’s review

Environmental sustainability indicators

Ref	Indicator description	Location
Materials
EN 1	Materials used by weight or volume	Not reported
EN 2	Percentage of materials used that are recycled input materials	Compliance reports > WRAPP statement
Energy
EN 3	Direct energy consumption by primary energy source	Sustainability indicators > Energy consumption
EN 4	Indirect energy consumption by primary source	Sustainability indicators > Energy consumption
EN 5	Energy saved due to conservation and efficiency improvements	Performance 4: Optimising resource use
EN 6	Initiatives to provide energy efficient or renewable energy-based products and services, and reductions in energy requirements as a result of these initiatives	Performance 4: Optimising resource use
EN 7	Initiatives to reduce indirect energy consumption and reductions achieved	Sustainability indicators > Energy consumption
Water
EN 8	Total water withdrawal by source	Sustainability indicators report > Water drawn
EN 9	Water sources significantly affected by withdrawal of water	Not reported
EN 10	Percentage and total volume of water recycled and reused	Sustainability indicators > Reuse and recycling
Biodiversity
EN 11	Location and size of land owned, leased, managed in, or adjacent to, protected areas and areas of high biodiversity value outside protected areas	Not reported
EN 12	Description of significant impacts of activities, products and services on biodiversity in protected areas and areas of high biodiversity value outside protected areas	Sustainability indicators > Flora, fauna and heritage
EN 13	Habitats protected or restored	Sustainability indicators report > Flora, fauna and heritage
EN 14	Strategies, current actions and future plans for managing impacts on biodiversity	Sustainability indicators report > Flora, fauna and heritage
EN 15	Number of The World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List species and national conservation list species with habitats in areas affected by operations, by level of extinction risk	Not reported
EN 16	Total direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by weight	Sustainability indicators report > Energy consumption
EN 17	Other relevant indirect greenhouse gas emissions by weight	Sustainability indicators report > Energy consumption
EN 18	Initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reductions achieved	Performance 4: Optimising resource use
EN 19	Emissions of ozone-depleting substances by weight	Not reported
EN 20	Nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides, and other significant air emissions by type and weight	Not reported
EN 21	Total water discharge by quality and destination	Sustainability indicators report > Sewage treatment system discharges > Indicator: Volume of treated wastewater discharged to the environment from inland and ocean sewage treatment plants
EN 22	Total weight of waste by type and disposal method	Sustainability indicators > Waste minimisation
EN 23	Total number and volume of significant spills	Not reported
EN 24	Weight of transported, imported, exported, or treated waste deemed hazardous under the terms of the Basel Convention Annex I, II, III, and VIII, and percentage of transported waste shipped internationally	N/A
EN 25	Identity, size, protected status and biodiversity value of water bodies and related habitats significantly affected by the reporting organisation’s discharges of water and runoff	Not reported
Products and services
EN 26	Initiatives to mitigate environmental impacts of products and services, and extent of impact mitigation	Performance 4: Optimising resource use Home > Sustainability indicators > Clean waterways > Environmental performance monitoring
EN 27	Percentage of products sold and their packaging materials that are reclaimed by category	N/A
Compliance
EN 28	Monetary value of significant fines and total number of non-monetary sanctions for non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations	Operating Licence Compliance Report Schedule 3 > Breaches of statutory instruments
Transport
EN 29	Significant environmental impacts of transporting products and other goods and materials used for the organisation’s operations, and transporting members of the workforce	Sustainability indicators > Energy consumption
Overall
EN 30	Total environmental protection expenditures and investments by type	Not reported

Social performance – labour practices and decent work

Ref	Indicator description	Location
Employment
LA 1	Total workforce by employment type, employment contract and region	Other statutory information > Equal Employment Opportunity
LA 2	Total number and rate of employee turnover by age group, gender and region	Other statutory information > Equal Employment Opportunity
LA 3	Benefits provided to full-time employees that are not provided to temporary or part-time employees, by major operations	Not reported
Labour/management relations
LA 4	Percentage of employees covered by collective bargaining agreements	Not reported
LA 5	Minimum notice period(s) regarding significant operational changes, including whether it is specified in collective agreements	Not reported
LA 6	Percentage of total workforce represented in formal joint management-worker health and safety committees that help monitor and advise on occupational health and safety programs	Not reported
LA 7	Rates of injury, occupational diseases, lost days, and absenteeism, and number of work-related fatalities by region	Sustainability indicators > Safety Performance 6: Developing a safe, capable, committed workforce > Improving safety
LA 8	Education, training, counselling, prevention, and risk-control programs in place to assist workforce members, their families, or community members regarding serious diseases	Not reported
LA 9	Health and safety topics covered in formal agreements with trade unions	Not reported
Training and education
LA 10	Average hours of training per year per employee by employee category	Not reported
LA 11	Programs for skills management and lifelong learning that support the continued employability of employees and assist them in managing career endings	Performance 6: Developing a safe, capable, committed workforce > Developing capability for the future
LA 12	Percentage of employees receiving regular performance and career development reviews	Not reported
Diversity and equal opportunity
LA 13	Composition of governance bodies and breakdown of employees per category according to gender, age group, minority group membership, and other indicators of diversity	Other statutory information > Equal Employment Opportunity
LA 14	Ratio of basic salary of men to women by employee category	Other statutory information > Equal Employment Opportunity

Social performance – human rights

Ref	Indicator description	Location
Investment and procurement practices
HR 1	Percentage and total number of significant investment agreements that include human rights clauses or that have undergone human rights screening	Not reported
HR 2	Percentage of significant suppliers and contractors that have undergone screening on human rights and actions taken	Not reported
HR 3	Total hours of employee training on policies and procedures concerning aspects of human rights that are relevant to operations, including the percentage of employees trained	Not reported
Non-discrimination
HR 4	Total number of incidents of discrimination and actions taken	Not reported
Freedom of association and collective bargaining
HR 5	Operations identified in which the right to exercise freedom of association and collective bargaining may be at significant risk and actions taken to support these rights	N/A
Child labour
HR 6	Operations identified as having significant risk for incidents of child labour, and measures taken to contribute to the elimination of child labour	N/A
Forced and compulsory labour
HR 7	Operations identified as having significant risk for incidents of forced or compulsory labour and measures to contribute to the elimination of forced or compulsory labour	N/A
Security practices
HR 8	Percentage of security personnel trained in the organisation’s policies or procedures concerning aspects of human rights that are relevant to operations	N/A
Indigenous rights
HR 9	Total number of incidents of violations involving rights of indigenous people and actions taken	Not reported

Social performance – society

Ref	Indicator description	Location
Community
SO 1	Nature, scope and effectiveness of any programs and practices that assess and manage the impacts of operations on communities, including entering, operating and exiting	N/A
Corruption
SO 2	Percentage and total number of business units analysed for risks related to corruption	Not reported
SO 3	Percentage of employees trained in organisation’s anti-corruption policies and procedures	Not reported
SO 4	Actions taken in response to incidents of corruption	Not reported
Public policy
SO 5	Public policy positions and participation in public policy development and lobbying	N/A
SO 6	Total value of financial and in-kind contributions to political parties, politicians, and related institutions by country	N/A
Anti-competitive behaviour
SO 7	Total number of legal actions for anti-competitive behaviour, anti-trust, and monopoly practices and their outcomes	N/A
Compliance
SO 8	Monetary value of significant fines and total number of non-monetary sanctions for non-compliance with laws and regulations	Sustainability indicators > Breaches of statutory instruments

Social performance – product responsibility

Ref	Indicator description	Location
Customer health and safety
PR 1	Life cycle stages in which health and safety impacts of products and services are assessed for improvement, and percentage of significant products and services categories subject to such procedures	Sustainability indicators > Water quality
PR 2	Total number of incidents of non-compliance with regulations and voluntary codes concerning health and safety impacts of products and services during their life cycle, by type of outcomes	Sustainability indicators > Water quality
Products and service labelling
PR 3	Type of product and service information required by procedures, and percentage of significant products and services subject to such information requirements	Not reported
PR 4	Total number of incidents of non-compliance with regulations and voluntary codes concerning product and service information and labelling, by type of outcomes	Not reported
PR 5	Practices related to customer satisfaction, including results of surveys measuring customer satisfaction	Sustainability indicators > Customer satisfaction with water
Marketing communications
PR 6	Programs for adherence to laws, standards, and voluntary codes related to marketing communications, including advertising, promotion, and sponsorship	Not reported
PR 7	Total number of incidents of non-compliance with regulations and voluntary codes concerning marketing communications, including advertising, promotion, and sponsorship by type of outcomes	Not reported
Customer privacy
PR 8	Total number of substantiated complaints regarding breaches of customer privacy and losses of customer data	Other statutory information > Compliance with NSW Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998
Compliance
PR 9	Monetary value of significant fines for non-compliance with laws and regulations concerning the provision and use of products and services	Sustainability indicators > Breaches of statutory instruments