2009-10 Annual Report - Australia Post

The year since the launch of our corporate responsibility strategy and the release of
our fi rst corporate responsibility report has been a productive one. Despite numerous
challenges during 2009–10, we have once again delivered results that underscore our
commitment to long-term sustainability founded on responsible business practices.
HIGHLIGHTS 2009–10
We launched the Workplace Community Giving program,
raising $387,777 for our eight program partners through
staff donations and Australia Post–matched contributions.
Seventy per cent of contracted suppliers are now covered
by our code of conduct, which requires suppliers to meet a
range of social, ethical and environmental standards.
We set a target to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions
by 25 per cent of our year 2000 emission levels by 2020.
We contributed $4.5 billion to the economy in labour and
operating costs and employed 34,457 people.
We won the Diversity@Work National Diversity and
Inclusion Champion Award.
Corporate responsibility strategy
Last fi nancial year, the Australia Post board endorsed our fi rst
enterprise-wide corporate responsibility strategy, which has been
further refi ned during 2009–10. Our more formal approach to corporate
responsibility governance, which has been strengthened this year by
the introduction of a corporate responsibility policy, has resulted in
major changes to the way we manage the social, environmental
and economic impacts of our business.
Our corporate responsibility strategy vision is to contribute “every day
for a sustainable tomorrow,” and our stated desire is to “be recognised
as a corporation and a workforce that create success via sustainable
business practices”.
The strategy is underpinned by the following seven goals:
1 Minimise our environmental footprint.
2 Invest in the communities where we operate and where
our people live and work.
3 Offer responsible and valued products and services.
4 Integrate sustainable sourcing across our supply chain.
5 Engage our workforce to apply sustainability practices.
6 Understand and be responsive to our stakeholders’ needs
and expectations.
7 Ensure effective governance and reporting.
Our corporate responsibility report
In accordance with our seventh strategic goal – to ensure effective
governance and reporting – we have produced a stand-alone corporate
responsibility (CR) report for the second consecutive year. Once again,
our CR report aligns with the Global Reporting Initiative. Furthermore,
the report was formally assessed by our Stakeholder Council for the
fi rst time this year.
The Environmental Performance summary in this report (see page 28)
and sections of our 2009–10 CR report together address the reporting
requirements of section 516A of the Environment Protection and
Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
To read a full account of Australia Post’s corporate responsibility
performance in 2009–10, please refer to the Australia Post Corporate
Responsibility Report 2009–10, which is being released in conjunction
with this annual report. Our corporate responsibility report can be
viewed online at auspost.com.au/cr.
Community investment
Australia Post’s role in the community extends far beyond our products
and services. We are committed to a community investment approach
that contributes to the education of young Australians, supports
environmental programs and helps sustain rural and regional
communities. We selected these areas based on staff feedback,
research and their alignment with our business priorities.
Some key results for 2009–10:
• We invested $4.37 million, or 4.9 per cent of net profi t, in
community programs.
• We launched the Workplace Community Giving program, achieving
our target of 3 per cent participation in the fi rst year. We raised
$387,777 for our eight program partners through staff donations
and Australia Post–matched contributions.
• We became the principal partner of Kids Teaching Kids, a national
schools-based education program fostering greater awareness
of local environmental issues while increasing the effectiveness
of learning through peer education.
• Since the Be Seen in Red and Green (BSRG) program started in
2000, it has grown to become an avenue for employees, contractors,
licensees and franchisees across Australia to actively fundraise for
community causes. Our staff raised $342,000 through team-based
fundraising activities.
Products and services
We take social, environmental and economic considerations into
account in the planning, development and operation of our network
and the development or procurement of our services and products.
Among activities undertaken during the year to further improve our
performance in this area, we conducted specifi c life cycle assessments
for several of our key products and services. These investigations into
end-to-end procedures, including transport and processing, highlighted
numerous opportunities to reduce environmental impacts.
AUSTRALIA POST ANNUAL REPORT 2009–10 | REPORT OF OPERATIONS 27