Our commitment to society
The internet is now playing a much
Introduction
Our certi¢cation to ISO 14001, the
BT takes seriously the responsibility
greater role in schools. A new BT teacher
international standard for environmental
that comes with being a company that
resource, www.bt.com/futuretalk/
management systems, provides an
has the potential to improve people's
education/ published in September 2000,
additional level of risk management
lives through better communications.
o¡ers information and communications
assurance and opportunities for
technology teaching solutions and has
enhancing marketing and sales
attracted more than four million hits. It
propositions, as well as enhancing our
We aim to discharge this
responsibility:
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through our community programme;
has been formally endorsed by the
wider corporate reputation by
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by minimising the environmental
National Grid for Learning.
demonstrating sustainable and socially-
impact of our activities;
&
&
&
Our contribution to charitable
responsible business practices.
through ethical sourcing policies and
causes is extensive and uses a range of
practices;
communications tools, such as telethons
processes, which are part of our
by respecting di¡erent cultures and
for Comic Relief, Children in Need and
approach to meeting the requirements of
those who are disadvantaged or
GMTV's Get Up and Give, plus disaster
the Combined Code on Corporate
disabled; and
appeals, including that for the Indian
Governance, the bulk storage of diesel
by encouraging our people to act with
earthquake crisis. We also provide
fuel for use in back-up generators at
integrity.
helplines and websites. In this way,
telephone exchanges has been identi¢ed
This is covered in more detail in our
As a result of these risk assessment
every year, we help charities raise tens of
as BT's most signi¢cant environmental
independently veri¢ed, environmental
millions of pounds for vital projects
risk.
and social report.
which can make a real di¡erence to
people's lives.
In addition, during the 2001
BT in the community
Although there are a small number
of BT sites where ground remediation is
taking place, the cost is not material and
We commit a minimum of 0.5% of our
¢nancial year, BT people gave »1.8
so the company declares no material
UK pre-tax pro¢ts to direct activities in
million directly to charities through
contingent environmental liability in its
support of society. This has grown from
Give-as-you-Earn, to which BT added a
¢nancial statements. In order to
»10 million in 1987 to »16 million
direct contribution of »1 million.
minimise any future liability in this area,
(including »1.2 million to charities) in
the 2001 ¢nancial year.
we have commenced an »18 million
Environment
programme to cover tank testing,
Sir Peter Bon¢eld has Board level
enhanced maintenance schedule and
oversees this social investment
responsibility for environmental matters.
remedial works.
expenditure and establishes the strategy
The Environmental Policy Steering
The Community Support Committee
Some components from old exchange
for maximising BT's contribution to
Group has operational management
equipment contain polychlorinated
society. The committee is made up of
responsibility and delivers an annual
napthalenes. When they require disposal,
representatives from BT businesses and
report to the Board and the Executive
we exceed our legal obligations and
external non-executives who have a
Committee.
ensure their safe destruction as
reputation for excellence in this ¢eld.
Our aim is to help create a better
This report advises the Board of
the extent to which the company is
hazardous waste.
During the 2001 ¢nancial year, we
world by tackling big issues where
meeting its obligations arising from its
have made no purchase of any tangible
better communication can make a real
stated environmental policy. In
¢xed assets solely on the basis of
di¡erence.
particular, it reports on the manner in
environmental requirements. We often
which BT:
take environmental considerations into
For example, BT has continued to
make a commitment to education in the
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UK. More than 3,400 schools and 850,000
young people have had direct experience
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manages its operations in ways that
account when purchasing new
meet relevant legal regulations;
equipment, but do not account for these
derives ¢nancial bene¢t from energy,
considerations separately.
of the BT FutureTalk in Education
road transport and waste
programme, a drama-based campaign
minimisation programmes; and
impact associated with BT's operations
minimises its exposure to any
include energy consumption, waste
potential environmental liabilities.
disposal, transportation, and the use of
helping children to improve their
communications skills.
&
The main areas of environmental
ozone-depleting chemicals.
26 BT Annual report and Form 20-F
Since 1993, our energy e¤ciency
internal use of audio conference calls
The next phase of our strategic
programme has been accredited to the
saved BT 59 million car miles during the
approach to corporate social
Energy E¤ciency Accreditation Scheme
period April 1999 to March 2000, and
responsibility will be built around the
run by the National Energy Foundation.
around 150 million journey miles across
overall objective of helping bring about
Since 1991, we have reduced our energy
all modes of transport (car, rail, air, etc).
a better world through better
consumption by over 22%, contributing
This equates to a reduction in CO2
communications. This will be
to a 46% reduction in overall CO2
emitted of some 34,000 tonnes, and a
particularly apparent through our
emissions. This is equivalent to
saving of seven million litres of fuel ^
employee involvement education
850,000 tonnes of CO 2.
worth almost »6 million.
programme, through our support for
charities and through a high-pro¢le
In the 2001 ¢nancial year, we
recycled 18% of our total waste. We
Older or disabled customers
campaign focusing on digital inclusion.
received »4 million income from our
We are committed to supporting all our
We shall also be introducing an internal
recycling activities, o¡set against the
customers and, through our Age and
governance process into the restructured
»7 million we spent on recycling and the
Disability Unit, pay special attention to
BT, based around our existing Statement
»1.5 million spent sending 117,000
the additional requirements of our older
of Business Practice.
tonnes of waste to land¢ll.
or disabled customers. We fund
For more information, you will ¢nd
Typetalk, a text-to-voice relay service
our latest environmental and social
reduced the amount of copier paper we
that allows textphone users to
report at www.groupbt.com/society
purchased by 290 tonnes, largely due to
communicate with hearing people.
During the 2001 ¢nancial year, we
increased use of e-mail and the BT
We provide:
intranet. This year, by printing on both
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sides of the paper used for telephone
bills, we should save a further 156 million
housebound people;
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sheets of paper.
telephones with additional features,
such as large buttons and
We use CFCs in a small number of
ampli¢cation, to give people greater
refrigeration systems and halons for ¢re
freedom to communicate for
extinguishing. We plan to adhere fully to
the proposed new legislation on the use
a free priority fault repair service for
themselves; and
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bills and other information in
of CFCs and are part way through a
alternative formats, such as Braille
programme to eliminate the use of halons
and large print, for those who ¢nd it
for ¢re extinguishing, well in advance of
di¤cult to read standard text.
any legal requirements. During the 2001
Details of these and other products
¢nancial year, 15,750 kilograms of halon
and services can be found in our Guide
was recovered, from over 4,000 BT sites,
for Older or Disabled People via
and has been destroyed.
www.bt.com
Our operational £eet of almost
38,000 vehicles, one of the largest in the
Future objectives
UK, is now predominantly diesel fuelled.
Our success in addressing issues of
Over the past nine years, we have
corporate responsibility has been widely
reduced our £eet size by 27% and
recognised. In the past ¢nancial year,
achieved a 33% reduction in fuel
BT was presented with Business in the
consumption, with a corresponding 25%
Community's Community Investment
reduction in overall CO 2 emissions. This
Award by HRH Prince of Wales, received
is equivalent to 57,800 tonnes of CO2 .
an ACCA award for continued excellence
We are also continuing to reduce our
in environmental reporting, and
transport-related environmental impacts
maintained its position as top of its
in other ways. For example, a research
industry sector in the Business in the
study, undertaken in the 2001 ¢nancial
Environment's annual index of
year on behalf of BT, shows that the
environmental engagement.
BT Annual report and Form 20-F 27