BEYOND THE NUMBERS Registered Office: The Indian Hotels Company Limited, Mandlik House, Mandlik Road, Colaba, Mumbai - 400 001. INDIAN HOTELS COMPANY LIMITED Tel.: 91 22 6639 5515, Fax.: 91 22 2283 4922 CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2012-13 www.tajhotels.com For any feedback/queries, please contact: Mr. Vasant Ayyappan Director - Corporate Sustainability Tel.: +91 22 6665 1000 Email: [email protected] BEYOND THE NUMBERS ABOUT THE REPORT At Taj Hotels, we have always believed in giving back to This report tells you all about Indian Hotels Company society what we earn from it. Which is why, over the last 11 Limited’s (IHCL) sustainability impacts and performance. CONTENTS decades, we’ve made corporate citizenship integral to who Published annually, our tenth sustainability report covers we are. the performance data and information for the financial year 2012-13. This report is based on the Global Reporting Whether it’s our efforts in environmental preservation or Initiative’s G3.1 Guidelines and also serves as our our community building initiatives, our legacy restoration Communication on Progress to the United Nations Global programs or our education drives, every little thing we do is Compact. This year, we have also aligned our report with with the intent of making a difference to the lives of others. the National Voluntary Guidelines on Social, Environmental and Economic Responsibilities of Business, released by The Corporate Sustainability Report 2012-13 bears Ministry of Corporate Affairs, India. testimony to the fact that at Taj, goodness is not an afterthought - it is a habit. Each day, in all that we do, we The report is prepared keeping in mind our different make sure to look beyond the numbers and focus on the stakeholders and their needs for information on our bigger picture - to make change happen. sustainability agenda and performance. It is structured in such a way that our initiatives and performance on Message from the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer 3 Which is why, for this edition of our Corporate prioritised critical issues are highlighted, both of which are Sustainability Report, we’ve created a unique ‘Give Back’ of importance to us and our stakeholders. font that uses significantly lesser ink when printed. Each Our Legacy 6 page of this report uses this special font, so that between The analysis of our performance is presented in individual the hundreds of copies of this report that are distributed, sections of the report and references, where appropriate, 110 Years of the Taj 8 we still do our bit to preserve the environment. Every are made to additional sources of information like our character in the font has been inscribed with websites, annual report and earlier sustainability reports. micro-hexagons, inspired by the Taj logo, that most printers The GRI content index, UNGC index and NVG-SEE mapping A Foundation of Ethics 12 can print without distortion thereby saving a significant presented in the report are intended to methodically amount of ink. This is just another small way in which we’re guide the stakeholders to find relevant information on Towards a Sustainable Future 16 furthering our commitment to the planet and sustainability aspects that may be of specific interest strengthening our belief of how simple it is to make the to them. Focusing on Growth & Profitability 19 world a better place. To get the freely distributed font for your use please A Culture of Delight & Surprises 21 email us on: [email protected] Our People, Our Power 28 Creating Safe Environments 33 Preserving the Planet 36 Community & Compassion 45 Assurance Statement 52 GRI/UNGC/NVG-SEE Content Index 55 Glossary 59 PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR ACHIEVEMENTS IN LAST THREE YEARS MESSAGE FROM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 17 new hotels launched 92.4% increase in INR 104.8 million renewable based direct CSR energy consumption expenditure 71 hotels certified 10.4% reduction in 7,217 under-privileged by EARTHCHECK TM total CO2 emissions, youth certified for Environment per room night sold employability certification hotels use solar energy, 47 5.8% reduction in 38 hotels have zero water consumed, discharge of wastewater, per room night sold 18 hotels harvest rainwater 10,925 employee volunteers 02 MESSAGE FROM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR & been cited as one of the best examples in the UNGC publication efforts have been recognized by leading travel publications such as CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER ‘Growing in Your Sustainability Commitments: A Roadmap for Impact Conde Nast and Travel & Leisure. and Value Creation’. Dear Reader, All our sustainability efforts together reaffirm how strongly we feel I am glad to present to you our 10th Corporate Sustainability Report At the helm of our growth story are our dedicated associates. As a about creating a better world. I am confident that, with the continued and share with you insights on how we conduct our business people company, we do our best to help them grow in a vibrant and support of our stakeholders, we will leap into the future as a model responsibly, while creating lasting value for our stakeholders. This inspiring work environment, by bringing out the best of their potential enterprise that is committed to sustainable development. As always, I report is a reflection of our sustainability performance for the year and suitably rewarding them. The safety and security of our people, welcome constructive feedback on this report that will help us further 2012-13 and is developed based on GRI G3.1 guidelines, conforming to assets and communities is another aspect of our business that remains refine our processes to serve the best interest of all stakeholders. the ‘A+’ application level. It also serves as Communication on Progress, uncompromised. Robust safety management systems, along with training and awareness on these systems, are aimed at making safety in support of our commitment to the United Nations Global Compact and security integral to our everyday operations and establishing a (UNCG) principles, and is externally assured by KPMG. work culture that’s sensitive to these issues. Whether it’s about minimising the chances of accidents and injuries, or going the extra Over the past 110 years, IHCL has evolved tremendously in keeping mile to ensure our female associates and guests are always safe, we do with the times and our guests. And while we believe it is this agility what we must and more to make our workplaces and hotels that has made us one of the largest and most respected chains of comfortable in whatever way we can. hotels in South Asia today, what has remained unchanged over all Raymond Bickson these years is our value system. Inspired by the Tata legacy of Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer Beyond our immediate working environment, we’re also aware of our entrepreneurship for greater community good, we’ve always sought responsibility towards the external environment at large. We to look at profits beyond the numbers. Rather, we’ve tried to constantly work towards reducing our environmental footprint, by understand and do what we can to profit the society and environment adopting hotel designs and technologies that are smart, thoughtful within which we function. The passion of our associates, who and considerate. While our existing hotels continually take up energy relentlessly work with integrity to delight guests, empower and environment projects under the EARTH initiative, upcoming new communities and conserve nature, is what defines our culture and is hotels have green features embedded right at the design stage to also our core strength & competitive advantage. create environmentally sustainable infrastructure. Energy, water, waste and biodiversity management are key focus areas of our green Travel and tourism as an industry continues to grow and impact the endeavours and our focused efforts on these aspects, complemented economy significantly. Among the many direct and indirect economic by the heightened environmental sensitivity of our associates, help us impacts of this industry, the ones of note are its contribution to GDP, in protecting the environment. The EARTHCHECK TM certification the supporting and creating of jobs, its impact on foreign exchange process that we follow reaffirms our commitment towards creating a and increased investments. By 2023, this industry is expected to greener and better planet. Till date, 61 of our hotels have achieved the contribute around 10% to global GDP and employment - a figure that EARTHCHECK TM Silver certification, while 10 hotels have achieved the assures us of the huge role it has to play in the days to come. Industry Bronze certification. trends, in fact, suggest that growth is likely to be driven by emerging economies, with China being expected to overtake USA as the largest As a hospitality company, we also understand that it is not just our travel and tourism economy. These future prospects excite us, despite guests whom we’re meant to serve. Which is why ‘Building Sustainable the impact of economic volatility on the hospitality sector in the recent Livelihoods’ is the cornerstone of our corporate responsibility agenda. past. Having understood these trends, we are strategically making Our livelihood initiatives aim to empower the rural and less-privileged investments to seize these growth opportunities, by catering to new youth with skills that make them employable in the hospitality sector. destinations - both, in India and abroad. And we’re confident that our This also serves to meet the increasing industry demand for skilled and exciting philosophy of customer delight, together with our unique and well-groomed manpower. Towards this goal, we work with various exhaustive brand architecture, will deliver value at differential price like-minded partners, including corporate organisations, government points to a varied set of guests and will be our game plan to stay ahead agencies and developmental institutions, to deliver vocational training of the curve.