Strategic priorities

Swisscom’s corporate responsibility activities focus on issues which have high relevance for stakeholders and at the same time are closely linked to the company’s core business and are therefore associated with creating market opportunities. Swisscom has the following four strategic priorities:

Swisscom supports customers in their endeavours to conserve resources. Green ICT enables companies to massively reduce energy consumption and CO₂ emissions: video conferencing and home office solutions generate savings in travel time and costs, and buildings and networks can be managed in an energy-efficient manner thanks to ICT solutions. Swisscom offers Green ICT Check, a simple tool that enables companies to assess their potential energy and CO₂ savings. Swisscom also provides residential customers with numerous ways to manage their carbon footprint, from online billing to a recycling service for mobile phones.

Example from Swisscom’s list of targets: Swisscom aims to increase revenue generated from Green ICT services by 10% a year.

Swisscom is among Switzerland’s ten biggest purchasers of electricity. It continuously improves its energy efficiency, meets its full electricity requirements from renewable domestic energy sources and is one of the biggest purchasers of wind and solar power in Switzerland. Since 1998, Swisscom has more than halved CO₂ emissions from vehicles and buildings. Swisscom also requires that suppliers comply with high ecological and corporate social responsibility standards.

Example from Swisscom’s list of targets: Swisscom aims for a 25% improvement in energy efficiency by 2015 versus the 2010 reference year.

Swisscom makes it possible for everyone in Switzerland to access digital media and also helps them to use these media responsibly. To date, Swisscom has provided free Internet access to 6,600 schools and introduced over 100,000 first-time users to the digital world through training courses. Swisscom also provides technical products and offerings aimed at protecting young people in the use of online media and promoting media skills.

Example from Swisscom’s list of targets: Swisscom holds 800 training courses every year (with approximately 15,000 participants) aimed at improving the media skills of young people.

Swisscom offers employees the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills and promotes work-life balance. Fair terms and conditions of employment are as important to Swisscom as an active social partnership and an above-average commitment to vocational training. Employees also have the chance to get involved in social and community projects, for example, by participating in the Corporate Volunteering Programme.

Example from Swisscom’s list of targets: In line with its commitment to diversity, Swisscom aims to increase the percentage of women in management to 20% in the medium term.

The most important indicators of Swisscom’s CR-targets

Further information on Swisscom’s commitment (GRI Appendix)

In addition to the above strategic priorities, Swisscom is engaged in a wide range of social and cultural commitments and promotes innovation and development. Further information on Swisscom’s commitments and detailed information on this Annual Report are available in the corresponding GRI Appendix. The GRI Appendix provides details on the reporting boundaries, governance, customer focus, the four strategic priorities of Swisscom, further environmental aspects of operations, as well as memberships and partnerships. It can only be accessed online.

Swisscom’s responsibility towards the public

Commitments and participation

As a responsible “corporate citizen”, Swisscom actively participated in discussions on the following issues during the reporting year:

• Sustainable conduct in the ICT sector
• ICT in the education system
• Improvements in customer service (for example regarding consumer protection)
• Nationwide provision of the mobile and broadband infrastructure in Switzerland
• Improvement of customer information systems
• (for example, information on mobile phone services for customers abroad)
• ICT and energy reform

During the year under review, Swisscom submitted statements as part of consultations at a federal level on the proposed revision of the anti-trust law, as well as the revision of the Telecommunications and Radio and Television Act (RTVG). The preparatory work for the planned revision of the Federal Law on the Monitoring of Postal and Telecommunications Traffic (BÜPF) progressed well during the business year. As part of the current consultation process, Swisscom formulated an independent statement of its own on the revision and collaborated with Association Suisse des Télécommunications (asut) in formulating the statement of the industry association. The statements can be viewed on the websites of the authorities in question.

These statements are based on the principle of promoting self-regulation and competition in an open marketplace. Numerous attractive new customer offers and high investments made in the reporting year underscore this principle.

This is reflected in Swisscom’s solution-oriented approach, which is geared to serving the common good as well as the interests of the company. The positions Swisscom takes are based on clear facts and reflect our own ideas. Swisscom maintains transparent relationships with politicians, public authorities and the community which are based on mutual trust. By participating in public hearings and events and issuing written statements, Swisscom plays its part in the political process. Swisscom rejects unlawful or ethically questionable practices aimed at exerting influence on opinion leaders. Furthermore, Swisscom is a non-denominational, politically neutral organisation which does not financially support any political party.

Common-interest associations

Swisscom is involved in various industry associations including economiesuisse, SwissHoldings, ICT Switzerland, Glasfasernetze Schweiz and asut. It has a seat on the Boards of economiesuisse, Glasfasernetze Schweiz and asut, where it seeks to promote stable, legal framework conditions as a prerequisite for continued investment in costly infrastructure expansion. Swisscom invested around CHF 1.7 billion in Switzerland’s telecoms infrastructure in 2013.

Memberships and partnerships

Swisscom works as an association member or in projects with various partners on specific issues relating to the four strategic priorities.

• Sustainable living and working: the myclimate foundation; the Swiss Research Foundation on Mobile Communication (FSM)
• Sustainable use of resources: Energy Agency for Industry (EnAW); WWF Switzerland; Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI); Joint Audit Cooperation (JAC) and Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) – supply chain module
• Telecommunications for all: Swiss Foundation for the Protection of Children; Federal Social Insurance Office – a national programme promoting media skills and a foundation promoting media access for all
• Responsible employer: Swiss Women’s Network; the Swiss Employers’ Association

Further partnerships are listed in the GRI Appendix to the Annual Report.