Stakeholder Engagement

Addressing sustainability and corporate responsibility issues in an effective way requires engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, including customers, employees, investors, suppliers, industry partners, government, consumer and business users of telecommunications services, non-governmental organizations, standardization bodies, research institutes, and media. Through collaboration we seek to understand their views and incorporate their feedback into our ways of working, so that we can arrive at better solutions to address challenges.

To understand how stakeholders perceive us on sustainability and CR issues, we conduct surveys with employees, customers and investors. We also put effort into responding to surveys of others, including investors, NGOs and customers, and pay close attention to improving our rankings. We engage with customers regularly on many issues, including supply chain management, energy efficiency, and our Technology for Good programs.

Here we present a snapshot of some key stakeholders engagement activities during 2012.

Sustainability and CR briefings for investors

Increasingly mainstream, as well as Socially Responsible Investors seek increased insights into how companies manage sustainability and corporate responsibility, particularly in regard to long- and short-term risks affecting the business. Ericsson meets with investors regularly, and provides information on our strategy and approach, risk management, anti-corruption program, handling of human rights and sales compliance processes, among other issues. We answer many investor surveys and strive to report in a thorough and transparent manner.

Supplier forum on energy efficiency

Ericsson held a forum with selected key suppliers to discuss energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions, since suppliers play an important role in helping Ericsson to reduce our indirect emissions. The forum enabled sharing of best practices and focused on challenges related to reducing, measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions and established networks for knowledge sharing and joint initiatives.

Shift listens to stakeholders on human rights

Ericsson has engaged in a Business Learning Program on Human Rights with non-profit group Shift . As part of a trip to Myanmar, Shift conducted over 40 interviews and identified a number of stakeholder concerns specific to the ICT industry in Myanmar with respect for human rights. Further discussions with stakeholders will be an important part of human rights due diligence as Ericsson conducts business in Myanmar, and Ericsson will carefully consider these and other issues.

Strengthening the police or military’s control over villages
Crony and/or corrupt subcontractors
Land-grabbing associated with ICT network coverage
Forced labor associated with public infrastructure
Lack of grievance channels
Security crackdown on public protests
Privacy crackdowns linked to the internet
Increased corruption and discrimination around access to ICT

Channeling social media

The increasing importance of the role of social media in sustainable development discussions was evident at two events in which Ericsson was a key partner: Rio+Social, held in conjunction with the UN Sustainable Development Conference (Rio+20), and the Social Good Summit, in conjunction with the UN General Assembly annual meeting in New York. Both offered platforms to engage a wide audience on global challenges. Partners included Mashable, the UN Foundation, the 92nd Street Y, the UN Development Programme, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

We have expanded our social media channels to be able to reach a broader stakeholder group and begin a dialogue through them.

Employees rank top sustainability issues

Each year we conduct a detailed employee survey to assess employees’ views on the sustainability issues they consider the most relevant for Ericsson to focus on. A total of 3,633 employees participated in 2012. (See graph for results)