Safaricom - 2020 Sustainable Business Report

21 INTRODUCTION OUR BUSINESS OUR MATERIAL TOPICS OUR STAKEHOLDERS CONCLUDING REMARKS Our sustainability vision We aspire to use our products and services to transform lives and contribute to sustainable living throughout Kenya. Based on this fundamental aspiration, our vision sets out how we use our ability to deliver connectivity and innovative services to improve the quality of life and livelihoods of all Kenyans. Central to achieving this vision is our commitment to managing our operations responsibly and ethically. Our vision is based upon the twin pillars of responsible, ethical business and transformational products and services. Our sustainable business strategy In 2006, we signed up to the UN Global Compact (UNGC) and in 2012 we started reporting on our approach to sustainability and progress. In 2016, we brought our approach into alignment with the SDGs to help translate our sustainability ideals into meaningful and concrete plans, from overarching objectives to simple daily activities that could be put into practice throughout the organisation. In 2018, we were awarded UN Global Compact LEAD Company status in recognition of our commitment to the 10 principles of the UNGC. Global Compact LEAD companies are identified annually for high levels of engagement as a Participant of the United Nations Global Compact. Participation in the UN Global Compact at the LEAD-eligible level provides a unique opportunity to be recognised for commitment, to lead to a new era of sustainability. By bringing committed companies together with relevant experts and stakeholders in Action Platforms, the UN Global Compact provides a collaborative space to generate and implement advanced corporate sustainability practice. As a highly engaged part of the UN Global Compact, Global Compact LEAD companies are uniquely positioned to inspire widespread uptake of sustainability solutions among businesses around the world. The Board is responsible for ensuring that sustainability is at the heart of our overall business strategy. Safaricom management assumes the responsibility of implementing, monitoring and reporting on sustainability initiatives through seamless integration of the SDGs into the day-to-day operations and functional responsibilities of the business. The Board and management teams are further supported by a team of champions, who assist with the implementation, monitoring and reporting of SDG-related initiatives in each of the business units. For more information on our governance structure and the responsibilities of the relevant governing bodies, please refer to the governance section of the 2020 Safaricom Annual Report. Since 2016, we have incorporated nine of the 17 SDGs into our performance objectives, both as a company and on the individual employee level. Each division is implementing projects or developing products and services in line with the SDGs. Reporting on targets related to the SDGs is now central to our ways of working, and we seek to empower everyone we work with – employees, partners and other stakeholders – to set their own. We commit to deliver connectivity and innovative products and services (SDG9) that will provide unmatched solutions to meet the needs of Kenyans by enabling access (SDG10) through our technologies and partners (SDG17) and by exploring opportunities in Health (SDG3) , Education (SDG4) and Energy (SDG7) . We will do so by managing our operations responsibly (SDG12) and ethically (SDG16) . This will stimulate growth and generate value (SDG8) for our company, society and economy. The Safaricom SDG Purpose Statement