BT Wins Responsible Company of the Year

BT has won Business in the Community’s prestigious Company of the Year award at the 2007 Awards for Excellence for its positive impact on society. 

BT showed us how, by being true to its values, this global communications company is building the business and helping to build a better world.”

The Impact on Society Award in association with Tomorrow’s Company, was presented to Sir Christopher Bland, Chairman, BT by HRH the Prince of Wales, and recognises outstanding achievement in responsible business practice.

Stuart Rose, Chairman of the judging panel and Chief Executive of last year’s Company of the Year, Marks & Spencer, said:

“BT has been a leader in the field of responsible business for more than a decade as their track record demonstrates. With powerful examples of impact from across the company - from their extraordinary achievements with ChildLine and the Disasters Emergency Committee to their comprehensive supply chain programme - BT showed us how, by being true to its values, this global communications company is building the business and helping to build a better world.”

BT published its first Environment Report in 1992 and has been reducing its environmental impacts since, signing in 2004 what was then the world’s biggest green energy contract. BT is a world leader in relation to business response to climate change with a 60 per cent reduction in its carbon emissions since 1996.  By integrating social and environmental criteria into its purchasing and procurement standards BT has reduced risk and improved ethical behaviour in its supply chain.

BT enhances the diversity and work-life balance of its people by enabling home and
tele-working.  Over 11,000 of its people in the UK are home-based and 64,000 equipped to work flexibly.

Thirty four per cent of its workforce is engaged in its world class community and education programmes.  For example, since 2003 over £6 million has been raised for ChildLine by BT employees and customers helping 2 million children.

Julia Cleverdon, Chief Executive, Business in the Community, added:

“BT’s achievements as a responsible business are truly remarkable.  As a company it has shown real leadership and commitment and is a shining example of what companies of all sizes can achieve.  The award is all the more significant given the stiff competition BT faced from the other shortlisted companies - Barclays, BHP Billiton and RWE npower - all of which are world class responsible businesses.”