Reed CSR 2007.indd - Reed Elsevier

Reed Elsevier Corporate Responsibility Report 2007 Chief Executive’s Introduction
Corporate responsibility is fundamental to Reed Elsevier
We endeavour to be a leader in our sector recognised for:
> profi table, ethical, innovative, business performance
> positive engagement with stakeholders including shareholders,
employees, and communities
> enhancing the positive impact of what we do and limiting any
negative consequences, including on the environment
This report details our efforts to meet these aims. It reviews our corporate
responsibility objectives and our performance against them. For example,
the spread of our Code of Ethics online training; stakeholder engagement
with investors, staff, government and non-governmental organisations;
and the advance of legal and scientifi c understanding through our products
and services, including on key issues like climate change with the launch
of Elsevier’s International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control and
LexisNexis’ Climate Change Center with timely analysis on the legal impact
of global warming.
Corporate responsibility also means lending our support to initiatives like the
UN Global Compact which spurs corporate responsibility and transparency
across the world through the promotion of ten principles covering human rights,
labour, the environment, and anti-bribery. As the Global Compact makes clear,
“in this way, the private sector – in partnership with other social actors – can
help realise…. A more sustainable and inclusive global economy.” This report
describes the ways we are working to strengthen the Global Compact, including
through engagement with developing Global Compact networks and in our
supply chain.
The introductory section of the report aligns 2007 corporate responsibility
activity with our vision for Reed Elsevier and includes a summary of key data.
The body of the report provides in-depth assessment of key areas: governance,
marketplace, workplace, community and environment.
We are serious about making progress. We are pursuing new ways to be
responsive to our stakeholders, including through a new group-wide customer
service measure, REcommend, and listening tours of our locations that scored
well in our last group-wide employee opinion survey. We are pleased with our
achievements such as a 23% increase in in-kind contributions between 2006
and 2007, a meaningful expansion of Socially Responsible Supplier programme,
and a 13% decrease in carbon emissions since 2003 when normalised against
business growth. And we are determined to improve areas of concern such as
rising energy usage at our data centres as more of our business moves online.
Corporate responsibility underpins what we do and how we do it. We are
dedicated to being the best we can be.
Sir Crispin Davis, CEO