2012 Integrated report - Sappi

Stakeholder
engagement report
Sappi’s inclusive approach to stakeholder engagement has
developed over many years based on active engagement with all
stakeholder groupings. Of particular focus has been the
engagement with communities living around Sappi’s mills
in Europe, North America and Southern Africa and Sappi’s
forestry operations in Southern Africa.
Sappi engages with all stakeholder groupings based on the
principles of:
> Materiality – identifying the material concerns of stakeholder
groupings
> Completeness – understanding the expectations of
stakeholders as well as the views of other relevant stakeholder
groupings with regard to any specific material issue
as well as due to the significant restructuring processes undertaken
by Sappi in Europe and South Africa.
Sappi maintains open relationships with all unions in the
countries and regions where it operates.
Investors
Management and the investor relations team maintained their
programme of frequent engagement with shareholders, analysts,
banks, bondholders and rating agencies beyond our quarterly
results announcements, to ensure that the market is fully
appraised of Sappi’s strategy and response to global economic
conditions.
Sappi was able to restructure its debt profile on favourable terms.
> Relevance – understanding the relevance to Sappi’s
operations of issues raised by stakeholders
> Responsiveness – responding coherently and timeously
to stakeholder issues and concerns.
Sappi’s main stakeholder groupings, as per our stakeholder
engagement policy, are reflected below, along with selected
examples of engagement undertaken during the reporting
period:
Customers
Given the tremendous focus on sustainability issues, Sappi in
North America set up a customer council to advise it on issues
of importance and has created a unique online platform to assist
customers in making responsible paper choices.
Sappi in Europe and in South Africa has worked very closely
with its merchant partners and direct customers to ensure
uninterrupted customer service as mills have been closed,
production moved, product portfolios simplified and new
products introduced.
Sappi has concluded agreements with its specialised cellulose
customers which secures the additional production from the
expansion projects at the Cloquet (USA) and Ngodwana
(South Africa) Mills.
Employees
Various programmes and initiatives have been undertaken to
improve staff engagement based on the results of, and feedback
from the 2011 engagement survey conducted across the group,
Apprentices at the Stockstadt Mill in Europe.
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