The Ethical Business Guide: Integrating Social Responsibility

INTEGRATING SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY INTO OUR ACTIVITIES

CASE STUDY | TNT

A TNT plane loading relief goods for refugee camps in Chad TNT’s mission states among other things that TNT seeks to share responsibility for the world in which it operates. TNT benefits from globalisation and the increase in international flows of goods that is a result. As distances between the continents shrink, all inhabitants of this planet are becoming neighbours. This means the problems of the developing nations are also the problems of the industrialised part of the world, which creates a responsibility TNT feels as a company.

The Board of Management is actively involved in developing social responsibility (SR) policies across the company, including setting SR targets for management and linking them to their incentive schemes.

TNT is convinced that any actions a company undertakes to help address a major problem in the world can be a source of pride for its employees, as well as having a positive influence on a company’s reputation. These are vital factors for a company in a services industry, where
success is a direct result of employees’ engagement and customers’ trust.

DIFFERENTIATING OURSELVES

TNT’s SR strategy also aims to differentiate TNT through inspiring initiatives on responsible corporate citizenship, like our partnership with the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP).

More than five years have gone by since TNT and WFP started this partnership. From the first global fundraising event, Walk the World, to the latest disaster relief emergency response to Mozambique and from the various knowledge transfer projects to the School Feeding Volunteer Programmes, the TNT/ WFP partnership has become an incredible global example of best practice corporate social responsibility. The last five years have also become a defining phase in TNT’s history. The partnership has given TNT a genuine social soul.

It has instilled immense pride in TNT’s employees as well as strengthened the company’s reputation. No wonder… so far, TNT has supported WFP through 30 emergencies, including 10 emergency airlifts, trained more than 1,000 WFP staff in a range of skills, helped more than 1,000,000 school children and funded 58,000,000 school meals.

THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT IS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN DEVELOPING SR POLICIES ACROSS THE COMPANY

The tsunami disaster of 2004 turned out to be a defining moment for the partnership. The way WFP and TNT responded demonstrated the depth and strength of their willingness to work together. With emergency operational procedures already in place, TNT was able to move swiftly and efficiently, transporting emergency response goods, staff and food to assist the
six countries affected by the devastating catastrophe. And it meant that WFP could provide
relief aid far sooner than would have been possible in the past.

The future will see TNT continue to focus on emergency response needs, knowledge transfer projects, and awareness and fundraising programmes.

SO FAR, TNT HAS SUPPORTED WFP THROUGH 30 EMERGENCIES

Planet Me, the second initiative and launched in January 2007, is a CO2 reduction programme.

Climate change may be the biggest challenge the world is facing today. Most scientists agree climate change is caused by the increased emission of greenhouse gases, mostly CO2. As transportation is responsible for 18 per cent of total CO2 emissions in the world, TNT feels that it has a special responsibility in this regard to pro-actively minimise the impact of its operations.

TNT’s stakeholders are involved as well. TNT anticipates legislation that will enforce greener transportation.

TNT also increasingly sees restrictions being created to stimulate clean inner city distribution, for instance in London, but also in Rotterdam and in other cities. Since TNT’s services are part of their supply chain, customers demand that TNT increases the transparency of its CO2 footprint (per customer, per parcel, per route) and that TNT improves its relative and absolute performance. This will over time become a qualifier for the licence to operate for both TNT and the industry.

Planet Me consists of three projects: Count Carbon, Code Orange and Choose Orange.

Within Count Carbon, TNT will install a consistent model and process to manage, measure, and report on CO2 throughout TNT. TNT’s operational commitment is called Code Orange. TNT is working hard to reduce CO2 emissions in every segment of its operations. To achieve this TNT is in the process of formulating a set of practices. The third and most innovative part of TNT’s initiative is the way in which it wants to involve its employees in TNT’s CO2 reduction efforts. TNT wants to strike a deal with its people: TNT will show them what TNT as a company is doing and then TNT wants to challenge them to take this approach at home as well. This approach TNT calls Choose Orange.

TNT is the current leader of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index in the Industrial Goods and Services sector: a position it has held for the past four years. TNT provides businesses and consumers worldwide with an extensive range of services for their express delivery and mail needs. To find out more visit www.tnt.com

© BLUE ROCKET AND THE GOOD FOLK 2009