Atlas Copco 2008 – tough ending to a record year Annual Report ...

Corporate ResponsibilityAtlas Copco’s standards and performance expectations are thesame for all operations around the world, and the Business Codeof Practice helps employees understand the Group’s spirit andcommitments to stakeholders. Policy documents, guidelines andinstructions are available in the database The Way We Do Things,and are available to all employees to help Group companies tointerpret and implement the Business Code of Practice. Newemployees are routinely introduced to these standards and expectations.See also page 123. Atlas Copco’s companies have establishedroutines to share the Group’s views with business partnersand customers.Sustainable development workThe Atlas Copco Group’s sustainable development work is basedon the policies that are summarized in the Business Code ofPractice. The principles, guidelines, processes and instructions areestablished in The Way We Do Things, as well as on the voluntaryinternational ethical guidelines that the Group supports. Thegovernance structure, which covers corporate responsibility, isalso presented in the Corporate Governance Report, see pages117–129.International guidelines and standardsAtlas Copco supports the following voluntary internationalethical guidelines:• United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights,www.un.org• International Labour Organization Declaration onFundamental Principles and Rights at Work, www.ilo.org• United Nations Global Compact, www.unglobalcompact.org(Atlas Copco formally joined The Global Compact in 2008)• OECD’s Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises,www.oecd.orgSustainability focusAtlas Copco has grouped its main sustainability activities in three dimensions. All are important, but the third dimension, to reengineer the largerindustrial environment and set new standards, will potentially have a greater positive impact on the environment overall.I Community engagement(Philantropy)– Water for All– Support to orphanages– Many local projects– Natural disaster supportII Reengineer within ‘the family’(Internal processes)– ISO14001 in all production units– Supplier evaluations– Customer assessments– HIV/AIDS program– Measurable targetsIII Reengineer the larger environment(Industry standards)Launch of new, innovative products that shaperegulations and push the industry to adapt to newstandards, e.g. compressors with variable speeddriveParticipation in the development of ISO 26000standardAtlas Copco 2008 99