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ABB commits to citizenship initiative

15 April, 2008

ABB South Africa signed the United Nations Global Compact in Johannesburg on Thursday, 10 April 2008 together with 16 leading South African companies.

The United Nations Global Compact, the world largest corporate citizenship initiative, sets out ten principles in the areas of human rights, labour relations, environmental responsibility and anti-corruption for companies to internalize and promote within their spheres of influence.
The ABB Group signed the UN Global compact in 2000 and several of its operations have committed to the Global Compact at a local level.

To date, almost 5 000 companies in more than 120 countries world-wide have signed up to the Global Compact initiated by previous UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2000 and taken forward by his successor Ban Ki-moon. The initiative is managed in South Africa by the National Business Initiative (NBI) of which ABB is a member.

"ABB is a world leader in corporate citizenship. As members of the SA Global Compact we can further develop our local initiatives and play a greater role in our stakeholder community. Our corporate culture attracts and retains talent as employees want to work for a company that attaches great importance to sustainability," says Carlos Pone, CEO and Country Manager of ABB South Africa.

Chairperson of the South African Global Compact advisory committee, Futhi Mtoba, welcomed ABB and the 16 other companies, including ABB customers in mining and the pulp and paper industries to the initiative, signed at AngloGold Ashanti in Johannesburg.

The SA Global compact was signed by Chesney Bradshaw, Corporate Communications and Sustainability Manager, on behalf of ABB South Africa.