2003 Sustainability Report of the Agbar Group 2003
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Sustainability Report of the Agbar Group 2003 Sustainability Report of the Agbar Group 2003 INDEX Presentation and field Statement of the Chairman 6 Vision and strategy 10 Profile The Agbar Group 14 Water 14 Health 17 Inspection and Certification 18 Construction and Installations 20 About the Report 24 Governance structure and engagements Governance structure 30 Organisation engagements 32 Stakeholder engagement 36 Environmental performance Environmental indicators 40 Environmental proactive actions 55 Outstanding projects in environmental research 62 Social performance Social indicators 66 Social proactive actions 75 Economic performance Economic indicators 82 Environmental information 89 Annexes Glossary 92 Questionnaire 97 Presentation and field Statement of the Chairman 6 Vision and strategy 10 STATEMENT OF THE CHAIRMAN Just like in our first Report, we have followed the guide proposed by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) to inform about the impact of our activities on the environmental, social and economic areas. The GRI model has been recognised by the Global Compact as a Committee of the Agbar Group which suitable tool to express the fulfilment of the promotes, among other projects, those principles included in this Compact by the specific to the following three groups: organisations that, like ours, have joined it. customers and public in general, employees and suppliers. This Committee is reflecting on The publication of the second Sustainability how to establish a more fruitful dialogue for Report of the Agbar Group confirms our everyone, which must result in the desire of maintaining the communicative improvement of already existing initiatives transparency with all our stakeholders. and/or the implementation of new projects. The basis for establishing this long-term commitment and covering a broad spectrum, As for the environmental and social indicators lies in the conviction that our activity could described in this document, it is worth not be fully valued without the participation mentioning that those relating to our activity of and communication with these in the field of waste are not included, because stakeholders. The contribution of many people it came to an end last year. is needed to work on co-responsibility, a term which, in our opinion, summarises one of the Concerning the incorporation of the economic main challenges of the future: sustainable indicators, I think, that together with the development will only be possible if all the financial data drawn from the Annual Report actors involved commit themselves to it and 2003, they offer an accurate general view of assume their part of responsibility. our Group in this field. During the last year, we have reflected on In general, worth noting is the broader some of the concepts advanced in the information contained in this document: previous Report, particularly on those referring besides our activities in Spain, we present data to the dialogue with the organisations which relating to our international presence. have a legitimate interest in the development of our activities. The main stakeholders This Report specifically includes data about specifically defined by the Group are the Chile, Cuba, Colombia and Mexico following: the shareholders, the public relating to the Water business unit. In the administrations, the customers and the public case of Inspection and Certification, in general, the suppliers and the employees. the information given relates to Argentina, the United States and Portugal. Finally, our To this respect, I would like to stress the activities in Chile are included in creation of the Sustainable Development the Construction sector. 6 Presentation and field We continue to improve quality and reliability, aware that, aiming at advancing towards sustainability, our improvement goal must be constant. I am pleased to recommend the reading of the above-mentioned Annual Record of Sociedad General de Aguas de Barcelona, S.A. and of the Annual Report of the Agbar Foundation, corresponding to the year 2003. These documents will give you information related to financial, research, and social investment issues, thus completing and interacting with the information included in this Report. The Sustainable Development Committee of the Agbar Group and its team of collaborators in each business unit have worked with conviction in the elaboration of this Report. Obviously, without this collaboration, the project would not have succeeded. So, to all these people, thank you very much. Ricardo Fornesa Statement of the Chairman 7 Sustainable Development Committee (SDC) of the Agbar Group Chairman FERNANDO PORTA Corporate Manager of Innovation, Environment and Institutional Relations Secretary ANNA BOLAÑOS Corporate Department for Innovation, Environment and Institutional Relations SDC members EULALIA PARÉS Corporate Department of Economy and Finances FRANCISCO GAFFORIO Corporate Department of Human Resources JOAN MONCADA Manager of Shared Services Development LLEONARD CARCOLÉ Development Manager (Water business unit) LEANDRE AMARGÓS Customers and Marketing Department (Water business unit) TERESA RUIPÉREZ Assistance Department (Health business unit) EDUARD FERNÁNDEZ Manager of Technique, Operations and Innovation (Inspection and Certification business unit) LLUÍS TORRENTÓ Service of Quality, Prevention and Environment (Construction and Installations business unit) JORDI MOLINA Manager of the Agbar Foundation Sustainable Development Committee (SDC) of the Agbar Group 9 VISION AND STRATEGY The Agbar Group is based on citizen services, environmental protection and the quality of particularly in the area of water and life of the people. wastewater, health, and inspection and certification. Values The social responsibility of the Agbar Group is – Commitment to the environment and its specifically linked to health protection and the proactive protection. safety of the people. The quality of the service – Search for maximum quality standards in our and the environmental protection are two key products and services. values for our organisation. – Technological advance. – Diversity and sustained development of the Thus, the environmental commitment, society. the search for maximum quality standards, the – Promotion of dialogue and participation technological advance and the will of service regarding the society and the environment. constitute the Group’s decisions in the – Respect of democracy, laws, freedom and progress towards sustainable development. public health. With the approval of the Corporate Code of Vision Ethics and Conduct of the Agbar Group Employees and the Corporate Environmental To be the leading group devoted to public Code in 2002, we have attached value to and services, with strong ties to the community. started the dissemination of the priorities and behaviour models which are of the utmost importance in our organisation. Mission The existence of some outstanding advances To operate in the fields of complete water in this respect must be recognised. It is cycle, communication networks, health, necessary to guarantee broader dissemination, inspection and certification, and construction understanding and use of both codes as a and installations, having as a reference reference, and we are on the right track. Main stakeholders and their influences Economic Environmental Social Shareholders Administrations Customers and public in general Administrations Customers and public in general Employees Suppliers Suppliers Shareholders Employees 10 Presentation and field The main stakeholders defined by the Group Employees: their social and professional are the following: shareholders, public development is considered a substantial administrations, customers and public in element for corporate success and for the general, suppliers and employees. future of the organisation. Training plans and the protection of their health and safety constitute a constant goal of the Relationship with stakeholders * organisation. Shareholders: the conduct is ruled by the In 2003, with the creation of the Sustainable general principle of transparency. There is Development Committee of the Agbar Group, updated information on the Group’s web specific projects were started for three of page, with a specific site devoted to investor these groups: customers and public in general, relation. employees and suppliers. These are the first reflections to carry out a more fruitful Public administrations: the conduct of the dialogue for everyone, and must result in the organisation and its employees in this field improvement of already existing initiatives or must be exemplary, respectful and correct, the implementation of new projects. The goal without exceeding the standards of prudence for 2004 is the existence of at least one and the customs of the place. specific initiative for each of these stakeholders. Customers and public in general: excellence in rendering the service, customer service and orientation, and quality commitment rule the relations of the Group with its customers. Suppliers: the relations with suppliers must be ruled by the principles of integrity and honesty, and their election will be based on the principles of merit and capacity, according to the relation between the quality and the product or the service and its cost. * You will find further information in this respect in the Corporate Code of Ethics and Conduct of the Agbar Group Employees. Vision and strategy 11 Profile The Agbar Group 14 Water 14 Health 17 Inspection and Certification 18 Construction