Hydro is a Fortune 500 energy and aluminium supplier operating in ...

Introduction
Invitation to a Dialogue, our first publication on Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR), was published in 2000. At
the time, it was considered quite an innovation. Since
then, the CSR agenda has evolved and the social aspect
of business now attracts increasing attention both within
our organization and in society as a whole.
Hydro has always taken special pride in doing
things that help build a better society. When
Hydro was founded 100 years ago, we helped
build a country, not just a company. That sense
of responsibility remains with us today. We have
developed our businesses in ways that contribute
more over time, not just to customers and
shareholders, but also to society in general.
Today all companies have to reconcile the
need for profit with the needs of society. In
Hydro, we believe business and societal
demands are inseparable and interdependent;
you cannot have real, long-term business success
without societal success.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is now
addressed in the public debate on sustainable
development, which has been extended to encompass
the social dimensions of business, in addition
to the financial and environmental aspects. These
are referred to as the triple bottom line.
As a prerequisite for fulfilling the company’s
social responsibility, each individual working for
Hydro needs to behave in an ethical manner. A
Code of Conduct has been drawn up to ensure
that all persons acting on behalf of Hydro perform
their activities in an ethical manner and in
accordance with applicable laws and Hydro
standards.
In the wake of corporate governance
scandals, public awareness and expectations
of business ethics and CSR have increased
significantly. The financial community may not
be perceived as progressive with regard to
social issues; nevertheless Socially Responsible
Investments (SRI) now constitute a growing
proportion of the total investment portfolio.
Hydro benefits directly from cultivating social
responsibility in its management systems, for
example through proactive risk management
and the benefits of a good reputation. However,
credible social performance that is viable in the
long-term must be based on the core values of
our corporate culture, as expressed in The Hydro
Way. These values are brought to life in the way
we relate to society and strive to optimize the
impact of our operations.
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