Approach to sustainability

Omnia aligns itself with international sustainability best-reporting practices, including the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), recognised internationally as the benchmark for sustainability reporting. Omnia subscribes to the vision of the GRI, in that disclosure on socio-economic and environmental performance should become as commonplace and comparable as financial reporting, and that such disclosure is inextricably linked to financial success.

In keeping with the GRI’s vision, we will continue to improve our non-financial reporting processes over time, based on the principles of accountability and transparency. We welcome feedback from our stakeholders to assist in continually improving our sustainability reporting.

The Group supports the principles of openness, integrity and accountability as advocated in the King Code of Governance for South Africa of 2009 (King III). In addition, we subscribe to the concept of the triple bottomline, which embraces economic, social and environmental relationships through an integrated sustainability approach that encompasses all the Group’s stakeholders – our shareholders, customers, employees, suppliers, governments and the communities in which we operate.

We continue to improve our sustainability reporting, moving beyond compliance to focus on opportunities for, and challenges to, our sustainability, which we believe should increasingly inform our strategy and enable us to enhance our relationships with stakeholders. Our aim is the long-term integration of economic development, environmental quality and social equity into our business practices to continually improve performance.

The reader is invited to access the information on our website www.omnia.co.za.

Sustainable development approach

Omnia’s approach to managing sustainable development includes striving to continuously improve our management framework to provide our businesses with the policies, governance structures, targets and reporting systems needed to manage the opportunities and risks associated with sustainable development. Our commitment to sustainable development is coordinated at Group level and implemented at business level, with ultimate responsibility residing with our Board of directors.

Omnia’s framework for sustainability is based on:

Code of conduct

Fraud, corruption and bribery undermine the organisational integrity of companies and have negative consequences for the communities around them. They are invariably highly detrimental to a company’s reputation and licence to operate. The Group’s code of conduct, which helps mitigate this risk, stipulates that our people act with the utmost integrity at all times. The code forms part of our employee induction training and compliance is agreed in writing each year. In addition, it makes all employees responsible for reporting breaches of the code, using the anonymous reporting line provided.

Omnia subscribes to an independent reporting service, Tip-Offs Anonymous, administered by Deloitte Consulting, which enables all stakeholders to report unethical and illegal behaviour with full anonymity.

During the year, the hotline received nine contact calls. All contacts were thoroughly investigated, and seven were resolved. Two are currently in process. Hotline details are included in the monthly staff newsletter, and published on the Omnia website.

Stakeholder engagement

The Group interacts with a broad base of stakeholders, based on the principles of promptness, relevance and transparency. Omnia uses general communication channels such as the Omnia website (www.omnia.co.za), as well as print, radio and television media. Specific channels are set out below.

Employees

Investors

Customers

Communities

Environment

Industry