The Telefónica Group has published its Corporate Social Responsibility Report for 2008, which has been verified by auditors and meets all the stipulated requirements in accordance with the GRI. The long-term international volunteering Pronino program, which aims to reduce the number of children being forced to do labor, helped a total of 107,602 children last year and received a positive evaluation. The company's biggest success within the framework of the CSR was an investment into new technologies amounting to 4.6 million Euro, which is 5% more than in 2007. At the same time, the company has joined the fight against global warming by reducing its electric energy usage by 5% and aims to reach 30% savings by 2015.
Telefónica strives to contribute to environmental protection and social responsibility on a long-term approach. The tasks and challenges that Telefónica has set for itself for 2009 include, for instance, the implementation of a global environmental management system in more than half of the company's locations, increasing its customer satisfaction index, and ensuring training in Ethical Business Principles for 80% of its employees. With this approach the group has become a prominent global subject in the field of sustainable development according to the prestigious internationalDow Jones Sustainability index. This year the group's total score improved from 81.4 points to 86 points, which is 28% above the sector average and 5.6 points more than in 2008. In accordance with this evaluation, Telefónica is performing above-average in all three areas of CSR: 93 points in economics (31% above average), 73 points in environment (19% above average), and 86 points in social (29% above average).
"Dow Jones Sustainability is an index in which only the most mature global companies are allowed to participate and which measures how they uphold the principles of sustainable development. Being included in this index among the top companies is a proof that our company has adopted the right approach in respect to the sustainable development strategy,"< /em> says Luis Abril, General Secretary for Technical Affairs of the Director of Telefónica, and he adds, "We have been a part of this index for six years now. With its help we are able to identify areas in which we can make further improvements. The strategy has three main pillars - sustainability, innovation, and change. Our goal in respect to these pillars is to accomplish all the steps established in the strategy."
Just like the global group, the Czech branch of O2 distributes interactive brochures informing about the key CSR projects and events carried out last year. Last year the Donate Blood with O2 recorded a huge success, in which the company endeavored to improve non-contributory donations in the Czech Republic. Over 500 employees participated in the project. The company also demonstrates a considerable support of Fair Trade products and products made in sheltered workshops. In 2008 proceed from these products amounted to just under three million crowns.
More information at www.cz.o2.com/responsibility