Stakeholder dialogue
At the end of 2008 and throughout 2009, we engaged a broad
group of stakeholders in order to obtain their views on the
direction we should be taking on a variety of issues and
concerns, as well as vis-a-vis our material sustainability
issues. Many of the conclusions have been used as input
for our new approach. Stakeholders that we have actively
approached include European Union officials, representatives
from the Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) community,
employees, suppliers, NGOs and our external assurance
provider.
The key stakeholder feedback entailed:
Sustainability must be more embedded into the
organisation and should include SMART (specific,
measurable, achievable, realistic, time-based) targets;
Align the scope of the report with the impact of the
Company's full range of activities. Where necessary,
redefine the scope of the report beyond production units;
Consider including sustainability targets within long- or
short-term incentive plans;
Indicate how stakeholder engagement took place and the
different groups involved;
Provide greater transparency on how Heineken identifies
suppliers and ensures they meet the standards outlined
in our Supplier Code;
Improve coverage of labour issues, and/or disclose more
information on how employee rights are systematically
implemented and monitored;
The activities around agriculture lack quantitative targets
or links to other issues on the sustainability agenda, such
as water and impact on society;
Heineken should be more explicit on its performance,
challenges and ambitions towards energy and safety
in transport.
We have addressed some of these points in our sustainability
approach for 2010 and beyond.
Regular updates on sustainability programmes on our
Company website in the corporate responsibility section;
A Global Compact Reference Index within the
Sustainability Report to help stakeholders find relevant
information more easily; as we follow the GRI Guidelines
we do not feel a Global Compact Reference table adds to
the accessibility of our information;
Extended assurance to provide greater confidence in
the overall reliability of the data (see 'About this report'
on page 2);
Inclusion of more examples of what happens in each of the
markets in which Heineken operates in order to make the
Report less technical, more engaging and easier to read
(see the case studies used throughout the report).
In 2009, we further developed our reputation model that - in
part - enables us to have a deeper insight into the views and
opinions of our stakeholders on our sustainability agenda and
performance. From 2010 onwards, we will begin to use this
model to help track and trace opinions on Heineken.
Your feedback
We cannot improve performance or reporting without
feedback from our stakeholders. If you have any questions
or remarks, we would like to hear from you. Please send
your e-mail to responsibility@heineken.com or write to:
Sean O'Neill, Group Corporate Relations Director
Sietze Montijn, Head of Corporate Responsibility
Mark van Rijn, Manager Company and Society
Heineken
P.O. Box 28
1000 AA Amsterdam
The Netherlands
We thank you for taking the time to read this report and we
look forward to hearing your views and suggestions.
Specific recommendations that have been addressed in this Sean O'Neill
Report are as follows: Group Corporate Relations Director
Greater clarity on the implementation of the Supplier Code
and the pilots planned in Africa and Middle East and Asia
(see 'Supply Chain Responsibility' on page 26);
Comparisons of results of the research commissioned by
the Beer Sellers In Cambodia (BSIC) and by Siem Reap
Citizens for Health, Educational and Social Issues
(SirCHESI) and explanation of the differences between the
research results from both organisations (see 'Our impact
on society' on page 32);
Heineken N.V. - Sustainability Report 2009 3
