
New Zealand Post scoops CSR award
New Zealand Post Group’s corporate responsibility achievements have been recognised with an award presented in Canberra. The Group received the Best Progress, Silver Category, award in the Australasian Corporate Responsibility Index (CRI) for the year ended 30 June 2009. The awards were presented during an Australian Business Leaders Forum on Sustainable Development, attended by sustainable development leaders from around the world.
This is New Zealand Post Group’s third year of participation in the CRI, which enables companies to assess and benchmark responsible business practice through ratings across a range measures.
In the latest rating, New Zealand Post Group achieved an overall score of 87% following 68% in 2008. The movement of almost 20% lifted New Zealand Post Group into the 80-90% score range of the silver category, and was the largest improvement at this level. The Group achieved an overall score of 51% in its debut year.
The Group lifted its scores across all of the categories that together make up the overall score, and has increased its category star ratings from three to five. It now holds a platinum star rating (over 95%) for corporate strategy, three gold stars (90-95%) for the cross-business integration, social impact and assurance/disclosure measures, and a silver star (80-89%) for management practice.
Group chief executive Brian Roche said a lot of effort was put into the Group’s corporate responsibility programme to continuously improve practices in this area of governance and economic management.
Roche said: “Corporate responsibility to us means responsibility to our customers, employees, the environment and the marketplace in which operate. The CRI lets us measure what we do, make meaningful international comparisons and identify opportunities for improvement, while securing the necessary economic benefits for our business.”
The CRI report noted that New Zealand Post Group had made notable progress in community strategy, environmental impact management and supply chain policy development. “New Zealand Post Group’s leadership is also well demonstrated by a commitment to continual learning and performance improvements in its corporate responsibility practices over the longer term,” Roche said.