CEO Statement

Accountability has been a part of NKT’s values throughout our almost 120-year history. We work with respect for our employees, shareholders, suppliers, customers and other stakeholders. We care for the environment, not only by constantly seeking to reduce environmental impacts from our own production facilities, but also by taking the customers' use of our products into serious account. This is another aspect of having a global mindset. 

NKT takes responsibility
The pressure on the world’s scarce resources will most probably increase further. As a result, the urgency to develop a sustainable future is evident. We are present all over the world, so the challenge of achieving sustainable solutions for the benefit of everyone is also ours. In NKT, we have already taken action to carry our share of the global efforts to achieve a sustainable world by setting striving goals internally, and also by influencing our entire value chain to be ambitious in this matter. This is why NKT strongly supports the UN Global Compact; adhering to these principles constitutes an important part of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. And meanwhile we strongly urge our suppliers to do the same. In fact, this is one of our main goals within the Human and Employee Rights area.

NKT sets ambitious goals
The 10 UN Global Compact principles are well on the way to being integrated into NKT’s CSR efforts. Two years ago we applied for membership and we have already reached the first goals in each of the four focus areas. We now have an extensive database on reported parameters and the overview will help us to define more specific and focused goals in the future, whilst further establishing our expectations towards both our internal and external value chain.

This is our third Communication on Progress Report. Our aim is continuously to provide a fair picture of our achievements, providing factual information and being straightforward about our successes as well as our challenges. In this reporting period we have seen decreasing Group CO₂ emissions and although encouraging, it will be a challenge to meet the goal of 12% emission reduction relative to output by the end of 2011.

After the closing of this reporting period, NKT received a Statement of Objection from the European Commission in connection with an investigation of the cable market, and NKT is providing its observations. The investigation could take one or two years before being settled. However, this challenge does not change our strong emphasis on fair and equal business conditions for all companies. 

Although we are well on the way to deploying the UN Global Compact into our CSR profile, businesses and value chain, we cannot guarantee there will be no setbacks. What we can promise is that the NKT Board of Management will tackle the work with complete dedication and remain fully focused on our Corporate Social Responsibility.

We see the work with CSR as a long, continuous journey and we hope that the efforts may be a source of inspiration just as the efforts of others have inspired us.

Brøndby, Denmark, 13 October 2011
Thomas Hofman-Bang
President and CEO, NKT Holding A/S