For the first time, Philips Brazil has used the Earth Charter Principles into its sustainability reporting, in conjunction with the GRI guidelines, the Global Compact, the Millennium Development Goals and the Ethos CSR Indicators.
In Brazil, Philips started its activities in 1924 to facilitate imports from its European partners, Philips Brazil currently operates in three segments: healthcare consumer and lifestyle, and lighting. Hiring 4.137 employees in four manufacturing plants and six research centers, the company is one of the largest privately-owned employers in Brazil. Its headquarters is located in Barueri, São Paulo, and the current CEO is Mr. Marcos Bicudo.
The 2010 Sustainability Report presents information on actions by Philips Brazil in all three spheres of sustainable development, climate change and energy efficiency, or just employment practices and the strengthening of local communities through business. The company presents its projects, as well as their impacts on various spheres of sustainability.
The links between every issue and policy discussed, and the corresponding principle from the Earth Charter and other instruments are clearly marked, enabling the company to analyze its performance from a variety of perspectives. Together with GRI-based indicators, this cross-reference approach presents better transparency and accountability to stakeholders, and can be seen as a fine illustration of Earth Charter recognition and practical use in business. This is a first exercise of this kind. There is possibly much room to improve.
You can find the report (which was originally done in Portuguese and translated into English) in the following link:
http://www.sustentabilidade.philips.com.br/relatorio-de-sustentabilidade-e-publicacoes.htm