Sustainable Performance & Growth CSR Report 2006 - CRH

32IntroductionAbout this ReportOur reporting historyCRH has been committed to CSR concepts since the Group’s inception in1970. We produced our first CSR report in October 2004. We expanded thecontent and levels of transparency with our second report in August 2005,following stakeholder consultation. Our third CSR Report, which saw furtheradvances in content and transparency, was published in August 2006 andwas widely complemented for its content and clarity of presentation. Hencewe have adopted a similar format and content for this, our fourth CSR Report,published in July 2007, covering the calendar year 2006.We were among the first companies in our sector to achieve full independentverification of our CSR Report in August 2005, repeated in August 2006.This report has also been verified by Det Norske Veritas (DNV): the detailedverification statement is included at the end of the report.Adoption of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)This time we have voluntarily adopted the “G3” Sustainability ReportingGuidelines developed by the GRI, including the guidance on defining reportcontent and materiality. As many stakeholders will be aware, GRI is anindependent institution whose mission is to provide a trusted and credibleframework for sustainability reporting. We declare thatour 2006 reporting qualifies for the GRI scope “A+”application level requirements, in accordance with thecriteria table below, and this also has been verified byDNV. More information about the GRI guidelines isavailable at www.globalreporting.org.Scope of CSR reportingAll CRH subsidiaries are management-controlled and the CSR data from100% of these companies forms the basis of this report. Details of ourprincipal subsidiaries are recorded on pages 128 to 131 of our 2006 AnnualReport. Compared to 2005, the 2006 CSR report includes data from the 69acquisitions made in that year, principally APAC, MMI and Halfen-Deha.In common with other large companies, CRH also owns shareholdings inseveral joint ventures and associates, with a listing of the principal investmentsprovided on page 132 of our 2006 Annual Report. Most of these companiesalso supply CSR data to the Group, and actively participate in our CSRactivities, and their key data is included on an appropriate % shareholdingbasis at appropriate points in the report. While it is our aspiration that alljoint ventures and associates should adopt our CSR policies (or their ownequivalent policies), this is clearly not always possible where we do not havemanagement control.Structure of the reportThis report follows a similar structure to our August 2006 report. It opens withan introduction by the CEO, followed by a section outlining some backgroundinformation about CRH. The next sections detail what we perceive to be ourmain CSR focus areas grouped under four headings; corporate governance,environment, health & safety, and social. Each section records our associatedpolicy, systems and performance. The final section details our stakeholdercommunications and community activities and the various ratings that havebeen awarded to the Group’s performance in CSR. The appendices crossreferencethe content of the report to the requirements of the GRI guidelinesand include a glossary of terms.Intended audiencesMany categories of our stakeholders will be interested in the content ofthis report. Our key audiences include current and potential investors,rating and assessment agencies, government and regulatory bodies, localnon-governmental organisations (NGOs) as well as neighbours and localcommunities. We hope that this report fulfils the expectations of all ourstakeholders and we welcome all feedback.Data accuracyEvery effort has been made to provide consistent physical data in this report,a significant challenge when collating the 2006 data from a diverse range ofactivities from over 3,300 locations in 26 countries. It is our experience thatthe data accuracy and quality improves each year, enabling more confidenttrending of results and setting of future objectives. Metric units are usedthroughout.For the most part, data is based on measured or metered physical quantities,or best estimates based on industry knowledge and established calculationfactors and representative samples, if actual data is not available. CO 2emissions are calculated according to the World Business Council forSustainable Development (WBCSD) GHG (Green House Gas) protocol for ourcement and lime plants, while those from other activities are estimated fromestablished fuel and activity air emission factors.Due to the continued high growth of the Group, the absolute quantities ofemission parameters grow significantly year-on-year, and it is necessary tocorrelate these with the increased Group outputs. Therefore, eco-efficienciesfor relevant parameters are estimated by relating total Group values to thetotal annualised tonnage of Group products. Please note that because of theparticular mix of CRH activities, these ratios will not be directly comparablewith peers, but will indicate year-on-year trends for our Group.Sustainable Performance & Growth - The CRH Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2006www.crh.com