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We publish an annual sustainability report so that our stakeholders – our customers, investors, employees and the community – can gain an understanding of the social, environmental and economic challenges and opportunities we face, and the steps we are taking to address these to enhance the long-term value of our business.
This report covers the performance of AGL group of companies (AGL Energy Limited and its wholly owned Australian subsidiaries)(AGL) and the activities and facilities over which AGL had operational control for all, or part, of the financial year ended 30 June 2009.
Together, the 2009 Sustainability Report and the 2009 Annual Report provide the full account of AGL’s performance for the period.
Where information regarding AGL’s partially owned and non-operated investments is material, available and relevant, it is included and clearly referenced. This report excludes the performance of franchise AGL Energy Shops and AGL Assist. The performance of joint ventures is included where AGL is the operator of the joint venture.
AGL’s previous sustainability report was released in December 2008, covering the 2007/08 financial year. The 2007/08 and 2006/07 sustainability reports for AGL are available on our website at www.agl.com.au in both concise and full (on-line) versions. Sustainability reports published by The Australian Gas Light Company1 for 2003/04, 2004/05 and 2005/06 are also available on the website.
This year, our sustainability reporting process comprises two elements - a complete, on-line report ‘AGL Sustainability Report 2009’, and a concise printed summary ‘AGL Summary Sustainability Report 2009’.
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What’s in print – The‘AGL Summary Sustainability Report 2009’ has been prepared for stakeholders with a general interest in AGL’s sustainability performance. The summary report is designed to be accessible by a broad range of stakeholders, and provides an overview of AGL’s sustainability goals and strategies and outlines the progress that has been made against these during 2008/09. Key achievements and performance information for key sustainability metrics are also included. |
What's on-line – The ‘AGL Sustainability Report 2009’ is AGL’s complete sustainability report for the 2008/09 period. It has been prepared for stakeholders who have a special or detailed interest in aspects of AGL’s sustainability strategy and performance, with the aim of transparently addressing a broad selection of stakeholder needs in as much detail as possible. The complete on-line report is also designed to meet the requirements of best-practice reporting frameworks, and to provide the detailed data requested by many of our stakeholders including investors and analysts for sustainability, ethical and carbon-based indexes and benchmarks (including Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, FTSE4Good, and the Carbon Disclosure Project). |
All data in this report relates to the financial year ending 30 June 2009 unless otherwise stated.
AGL engages an independent third-party to undertake assurance of its sustainability reports. Assurance provides our stakeholders with confidence that the report is a balanced and accurate representation of our performance during the year, and that AGL is adequately responding to the material sustainability issues that are important to our stakeholders.
Net Balance Management Group Pty Ltd (Net Balance) has provided independent assurance over this report using the AA1000 Assurance Standard (2008). A ‘Type 2 – Moderate Level’ of assurance was undertaken which both assesses how well AGL meets the AA1000 2008 AccountAbility Principles of Inclusively, Materiality and Responsiveness, as well as testing the reliability reported information.
In addition, AGL has sourced further assurance about data accuracy and reliability through the following additional mechanisms:
Assurance statements from Net Balance and Positive Outcomes are included in this report.
It is AGL's intention to continue to have our annual sustainability reports assured to the AA1000 Assurance Standard.
AGL is a founding member of the London Benchmarking Group (LBG) Australia / New Zealand and has been measuring and reporting the value of contributions to the community using the LBG framework since 2006. This framework provides a standardised methodology for organisations to account for and communicate their community contributions.
LBG Australia / New Zealand is facilitated by Positive Outcomes. Positive Outcomes annually reviews how we value our community contribution using the LBG framework.
In preparing this report, we were guided by the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) ‘G3’ Sustainability Reporting Guidelines, as well as the GRI Electric Utility Sector Supplement. These documents provide guidance for organisations to use as the basis for disclosure about their sustainability performance, providing a universally applicable, generally acceptable and comparable framework that helps stakeholders understand reported information.
To provide report readers with clarity about the extent to which the GRI guidelines have been applied in the preparation of this report, AGL engaged our assurance provider, Net Balance, to complete a third-party GRI ‘Application Level’ assessment of our report. Net Balance agreed with our self-assessment that the report meets the requirements of a ‘B+’ application level.
It is AGL's intention to continue to report at a 'B+' level in the future.
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A full GRI content index is included in the report.
For further information about the GRI guidelines and application levels, refer to the GRI website at www.globalreporting.org.
We engage with our different stakeholder groups on a regular basis, as outlined in the Stakeholder Engagement section of this report.
We also sought specific comment on the scope and content of aspects of this report from the AGL Climate Change Council and the AGL Customer Council.
All members of the Customer Council were invited to review a draft of the complete on-line sustainability report. Changes that were made to the draft following the review including some minor restructuring and the clarification of AGL's aspirational goals in relation to customer experience.
To evaluate the consistency of our approach to sustainability against international and Australian best-practice, we participate in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, FTSE4Good and Carbon Disclosure Project surveys. Our performance in these surveys is outlined in the How we measure up section of this report.
We welcome your feedback on our sustainability strategy and performance, or on any aspect of our report.
1 In October 2006, AGL Energy Limited became the new holding company for the AGL Energy group of companies following the merger of The Australian Gas Light Company with Alinta Limited and subsequent demerger of AGL Energy Limited.