ABB sees the Global Compact as key to increasing society''s understanding of the positive influences on globalisation that industry can bring to bear, and was one of the inaugural companies to support the launch of the Global Compact in July 2000.

ABB''s activities support the Global Compact in three ways: by incorporating the nine principles into its ongoing sustainability management programme, applying the principles to all new projects and acquisitions, and supporting efforts to implement the Global Compact in the world''s least developed countries.

These activities, encompassing all the Global Compact''s principles, are described in ABB''s annual Sustainability Report.
The report has widened its scope to become a triplebottomline report, converging on the recommendations of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) to cover the economic, environmental and social dimensions of ABB''s activities, products and services.

In his letter at the front of the report, ABB''s chairman and CEO reaffirmed ABB''s pledge to support efforts to implement the Global Compact locally, focusing on Senegal and Tanzania, as examples of least developed countries.

As a socially responsible, global supplier of environmentally sound products and services, ABB believes that the principles of the Global Compact are already internalised into its culture and way of doing business. For ABB, the challenge lies more in the performance of its suppliers and in the conditions prevailing when executing projects and acquisitions in developing countries. To this end, ABB has focused attention during the last year on the development of internal procedures to address these challenges.

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An ongoing programme of stakeholder dialogue in 35 countries has focused attention on the following issues relating to the Global Compact:

ABB has taken the human rights principles of the Global Compact as part of its social policy, which it is now widening to apply human rights criteria to the operations of security guards employed to safeguard ABB''s facilities and employees . It is also providing training for senior managers on potential human rights abuses relevant to its operations.

ABB has a good record as a multi-racial organisation and runs programmes targeted at minority groups. Women are also in a minority in senior positions, and ABB is now investigating ways to provide more interesting opportunities for women. In its Sustainability Report, ABB gives the percentage of women in the top three tiers of management in some 20 countries.

In 1992 ABB adopted the ICC Business Charter for Sustainable Development as its environmental policy. It has now drafted a new environmental policy, better suited to today''s challenges and to ABB''s changed activities and organisation.

ABB now requires its key suppliers to implement the employee-related principles of ABB''s social policy. A new supplier qualification system has been introduced, backed up by guidelines, audits and reports, to ensure suppliers meet ABB''s social as well as environmental requirements.

In response to the Global Compact initiative, ABB has launched its Access to Electricity program to help some of the world''s poorest communities. With a wide range of partners, ABB is evaluating projects in Tanzania and Senegal, aimed at growing sustainable business in two of the world''s least developed countries.