GRI table
We refer to the Global Reporting Index (GRI) when compiling our report. This index shows which GRI indicators are covered fully or partially in our reporting.
| GRI guideline | Where to find information | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Strategy and analysis | |||
| 1.1 | Core | Statement from the most senior decision-maker of the organisation (e.g., CEO, chair, or equivalent senior position) about the relevance of sustainability to the organisation and its strategy. | From our CEO |
| 1.2 | Core | Description of key impacts, risks and opportunities. Organisation should provide two concise narrative sections on key impacts, risks and opportunities. Section 1 should focus on organisation's key impacts on sustainability and effects on stakeholders, including rights as defined by national laws and relevant internationally agreed standards. This should take into account the range of reasonable expectations and interests of the organisation’s stakeholders. Section 2 should focus on impact of sustainability trends, risks and opportunities on long-term prospects and financial performance of the organisation. Should concentrate specifically on information relevant to financial stakeholders or that could become so in the future. | Why sustainability matters Material issues, risks and opportunities |
| Profile | |||
| 2.1 | Name of reporting organisation. | WPP PLC | |
| 2.2 | Primary brands, products and or services. | Who we are Our companies and associates WPP at a Glance |
|
| 2.3 | Operational structure of the organisation including main divisions, operating companies, subsidiaries and joint ventures. | Who we are Our companies and associates Where we are WPP at a Glance |
|
| 2.4 | Location of organisation’s headquarters. | Where we are | |
| 2.5 | Number of countries where organisation operates, and names of countries with either major operations or that are specifically relevant to the sustainability issues covered in the report. | Who we are Our companies and associates |
|
| 2.6 | Nature of ownership and legal form. | Annual Report -Who runs wpp | |
| 2.7 | Markets served (including geographic breakdown, sectors served and types of customers/beneficiaries). | Our companies and associates WPP fast facts |
|
| 2.8 | Scale of the reporting organisation including:
|
WPP at a Glance Annual Report - Consolidated balance sheet |
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| 2.9 | Significant changes during the reporting period regarding size, structure or ownership, including:
|
Annual Report - Financial statements Annual Report - Letter to share owners |
|
| 2.10 | Awards received in the reporting period. | Highlights from 2011 Impact of our work Employees - In our companies - Awards Environment Social investment Reading Room: Awards About share ownership |
|
| Report Parameters | |||
| 3.1 | Reporting period (e.g., fiscal/calendar year) for information provided. | About this report | |
| 3.2 | Date of most recent previous report. | Sustainability report archive | |
| 3.3 | Reporting cycle. | About this report | |
| 3.4 | Contact point for questions regarding the report or its contents. | About this report | |
| Report scope and boundary | |||
| 3.5 | Process for defining report content, including:
|
Why sustainability matters Material issues, risks and opportunities Stakeholder engagement |
|
| 3.6 | Boundary of the report. | About this report | |
| 3.7 | State any specific limitations on the scope or boundary of the report. | Not reported | |
| 3.8 | Basis for reporting on joint ventures, subsidiaries, leased facilities, outsourced operations, and other entities that can significantly affect comparability from period to period and/or between organisations. | Not reported – data is for wholly-owned WPP companies only | |
| 3.9 | Data measurement techniques and the bases of calculations, including assumptions and techniques underlying estimations applied to the compilation of the indicators and other information in the report. | Sustainability management Environment Social investment About this report |
|
| 3.10 | Explanation of the effect of any re-statements of information provided in earlier reports, and the reasons for such re-statement. | Environment | |
| 3.11 | Significant changes from previous reporting periods in the scope, boundary or measurement methods applied in the report. | Environment | |
| GRI content index | |||
| 3.12 | Table identifying the location of the Standard disclosures in the report. | This table | |
| Assurance | |||
| 3.13 | Policy and current practice with regard to seeking external assurance for the report. If not included in the assurance report accompanying the sustainability report, explain the scope and basis of any external assurance provided. Also explain the relationship between the reporting organisation and the assurance provider. | The report is not currently externally assured | |
| Governance, Commitments and Engagement | |||
| Governance | |||
| 4.1 | Governance structure of the organisation, including committees under the highest governance body responsible for specific tasks, such as setting strategy or organisational oversight. | Corporate governance WPP Leadership Annual Report - Who runs WPP - Board of Directors |
|
| 4.2 | Indicate whether the Chair of the highest governance body is also an executive officer (and if so, their function within the organisation’s management and the reasons for this arrangement). | Annual Report - Who runs WPP - Board of Directors | |
| 4.3 | For organisations that have a unitary board structure, state the number of members of the highest governance body that are independent and/or non-executive members. | Annual Report - Who runs WPP - WPP Board of Directors | |
| 4.4 | Mechanisms for stakeholders and employees to provide recommendations or direction to the highest governance body. Include reference to processes regarding:
|
Governance and management Memorandum and Articles of Association Annual Report - Internal control |
|
| 4.5 | Linkage between compensation for members of the highest governance body, senior managers, and executives (including departure arrangements) and the organisation’s performance (including social & environmental performance. | Governance and management Annual Report - How we're rewarded - Key elements of short- and long-term remuneration Annual Report - Directors’ remuneration and other statutory information |
|
| 4.6 | Processes in place for the highest governance body to ensure conflicts of interest are avoided. | Memorandum and Articles of Association Annual Report - Conflicts of interest |
|
| 4.7 | Process for determining the composition, qualifications, and expertise of the members of the highest governance body and its committees, including any consideration of gender and other indicators of diversity. | Annual Report - Review of the Company’s governance and the Nomination Committee | |
| 4.8 | Internally developed statements of mission or values, codes of conduct, and principles relevant to economic, environmental and social performance, and the status of their implementation. Explain the degree to which these:
|
WPP’s Code of Conduct WPP’s Sustainability policy Tax policy Privacy Employment - Key numbers Managing sustainability in our supply chain Environment - What we're doing - Building a low-carbon Group |
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| 4.9 | Procedures of the highest governance body for overseeing the organisation’s identification and management of economic, environmental and social performance, including relevant risks and opportunities, and adherence or compliance with internationally agreed standards, codes of conduct, and principles. Include frequency with which the highest governance body assesses sustainability performance. | Material issues, risks and opportunities Risk management, audit and assurance Annual Report - How we behave - Board of directors Annual Report - Internal control |
|
| 4.10 | Processes for evaluating the highest governance body’s own performance, particularly with respect to economic, environmental, and social performance. | Not reported | |
| Commitments to external initiatives | |||
| 4.11 | Explanation of whether and how the precautionary approach or principle is addressed by the organisation. | Material issues, risks and opportunities Risk management, audit and assurance Ethical decision-making Annual Report - Internal control |
|
| 4.12 | Externally developed economic, environmental, and social charters, principles or other initiatives to which the organisation subscribes or endorses. Include date of adoption, countries/operations where applied and the range of stakeholders involved in the development. Differentiate between non-binding, voluntary initiatives and those with which the organisation has an obligation to comply. | Highlights from 2011 WPP's Code of Conduct WPP's Sustainability Policy Compliance with marketing codes Environment |
|
| 4.13 | Members in associations and/or national/international advocacy organisations in which the organisation:
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Public affairs Privacy Diversity and inclusion Marketing ethics |
|
| Stakeholder engagement | |||
| 4.14 | List of stakeholder groups engaged by the organisation E.g. communities, civil society, customers, shareholders and providers op capital, suppliers and employees, other workers and their trade unions. | Stakeholder engagement | |
| 4.15 | Basis for identification and selection of stakeholders with whom to engage. Includes process for defining stakeholder groups and for determining the groups with which to engage. | Stakeholder engagement | |
| 4.16 | Approaches to stakeholder engagement, including frequency of engagement by type and by stakeholder group.E.g. surveys, focus groups, community panels, corporate advisory panels, written communication, management/union structures and other vehicles. Say whether any engagement was undertaken specifically as part of the report preparation process. | Stakeholder engagement | |
| 4.17 | Key topics and concerns that have been raised through stakeholder engagement, and how the organisation has responded to those key topics and concerns, including through its reporting. | Partially reported: Stakeholder engagement | |
| Provide a concise disclosure on the Management Approach items outlined below with reference to the following economic aspects; economic performance, market presence and indirect economic impacts | Tax policy Annual Report |
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| EC1 | Core | Direct economic value generated and distributed, including revenues, operating costs, employee compensation, donations and other community investments, retained earnings, and payments to capital providers and governments. | Social investment Annual Report |
| EC2 | Core | Financial implications and other risks and opportunities for the organisations activities due to climate change. | Environment |
| EC3 | Core | Coverage of the organisation’s defined benefit plan obligations. | Annual Report - Provision for post-employment benefits |
| EC4 | Core | Significant financial assistance received from government. | Not material |
| EC5 | Additional | Range of ratios of standard entry level wage compared to local minimum wage at significant locations of operation. | Not reported |
| EC6 | Core | Policy, practices, and proportion of spending on locally based suppliers at significant locations of operation. | Not reported |
| EC7 | Core | Procedures for local hiring and proportion of senior management hired from the local community at locations of significant operation. | Not reported |
| EC8 | Core | Development and impact of infrastructure investments and services provided primarily for public benefit through commercial, in-kind, or pro-bono engagement. | Not material – WPP is not involved in infrastructure investments |
| EC9 | Additional | Understanding and describing significant indirect economic impacts, including the extent of impacts. | Social investment |
| Provide a concise disclosure on the management approach items outlined below with reference to the following environmental aspects: materials, energy, water, biodiversity, emissions, effluents and waste, products and services, compliance, transport and overall. | Sustainability management WPP's Code of Conduct WPP's Sustainability Policy Environment - What we’re doing Environment - Key numbers Data summary |
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| EN1 | Core | Materials used by weight or volume. | Not reported |
| EN2 | Core | Percentage of materials used that are recycled input materials. | Not reported |
| EN3 | Core | Direct energy consumption by primary energy source. | Carbon footprint |
| EN4 | Core | Indirect energy consumption by primary source. | Carbon footprint |
| EN5 | Additional | Energy saved due to conservation and efficiency improvements. | Environment - What we're doing |
| EN6 | Additional | Initiatives to provide energy-efficient or renewable energy based products and services, and reductions in energy requirements as a result of these initiatives. | Not material |
| EN7 | Additional | Initiatives to reduce indirect energy consumption and reductions achieved. | Enviroment - What we're doing |
| EN8 | Core | Total water withdrawal by source. | Not material – WPP does not use large quantities of water, nor does the business depend on water |
| EN9 | Additional | Water sources significantly affected by withdrawal of water. | |
| EN10 | Additional | Percentage and total water volume of water recycled and reused. | |
| EN11 | Core | Location and size of land owned, leased, managed in, or adjacent to, protected areas and areas of high biodiversity outside protected areas. | Not material – WPP is an office based company and does not operate in areas of high biodiversity |
| EN12 | Core | Description of significant impacts of activities, products, and services on biodiversity in protected areas and areas of high biodiversity value outside protected areas. | |
| EN13 | Additional | Habitats protected or restored. | |
| EN14 | Additional | Strategies, current actions and future plans for managing impacts on biodiversity. | |
| EN15 | Additional | Number of IUCN Red List species and national conservation list species with habitats in areas affected by operations, by level of extinction risk. | |
| EN16 | Core | Total direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by weight. | Carbon footprint |
| EN17 | Core | Other relevant indirect greenhouse gas emissions by weight. | Not material |
| EN18 | Additional | Initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reductions achieved. | Environment - What we're doing |
| EN19 | Core | Emissions of ozone-depleting substances by weight. | Not material |
| EN20 | Core | NOx, SOx, and other significant air emissions by type and weight. | Not material |
| EN21 | Core | Total water discharged by quality and destination. | Not material – WPP does not use large quantities of water, nor does the business depend on water |
| EN22 | Core | Total weight of waste by type and disposal method. | Not reported Environment - Key numbers |
| EN23 | Core | Total number and volume of significant spills. | Not material – there were no significant spills in 2010 |
| EN24 | Additional | Weight of transported, imported, exported or treated waste deemed hazardous under the terms of the Basel Convention Annex I, II, III, and VIII, and percentage of transported waste shipped internationally. | Not material |
| EN25 | Additional | Identity, size, protected status and biodiversity value of water bodies and related habitats significantly affected but the reporting organisation’s discharges of water and runoff. | Not material |
| EN26 | Core | Initiatives to mitigate environmental impacts of products and services, and extent of impact mitigation. | WPP’s Sustainability Policy |
| EN27 | Core | Percentage of products sold and their packaging materials that are reclaimed by category. | Not material |
| EN28 | Core | Monetary value of significant fines and total number of non-monetary sanctions for non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations. | Not material – There were no fines for environmental non-compliance |
| EN29 | Additional | Significant environmental impacts of transporting products and other goods and materials used for the organisation’s operations, and transporting members of the workforce. | Environment - What we're doing |
| EN30 | Additional | Total environmental protection expenditures and investments by type. | Not reported |
| Provide a concise disclosure on the management approach items outlined below with reference to the following labour aspects; employment, labour/management relations, occupational health and safety, training and education and diversity and equal opportunity.The ILO Tripartite Declaration Concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises should be primary reference points | WPP’s Code of Conduct WPP’s Sustainability Policy Material issues, risks and opportunities Employment - What we're doing Training and development Safety, health and wellbeing |
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| LA1 | Core | Total workforce by employment type, employment contract and region. | Employment - Key numbers |
| LA2 | Core | Total number and rate of employee turnover by age group, gender and region. | Employment - Key numbers |
| LA3 | Additional | Benefits provided to full-time employees that are not provided to temporary or part-time employees, by major operations. | Not reported |
| LA4 | Core | Percentage of employees covered by collective bargaining agreements. | Not reported |
| LA5 | Core | Minimum notice period(s) regarding operational changes, including whether it is specified in collective agreements. | Not reported |
| LA6 | Additional | Percentage of total workforce represented in formal joint management-worker health and safety committees that help monitor and advise on occupational health and safety programmes. | Not reported |
| LA7 | Core | Rates of injury, occupational diseases, lost days, absenteeism, and number of work related fatalities by region. | Employment - Key numbers |
| LA8 | Core | Education, training, counselling, prevention, and risk-control programmes in place to assist workforce members, their families, or community members regarding serious diseases. | Employment - Key numbers |
| LA9 | Additional | Health and safety topics covered in formal agreements with trade unions. | Not reported |
| LA10 | Core | Average hours of training per year per employee by employee category. | Employment - Key numbers |
| LA11 | Additional | Programmes for skills management and lifelong learning that support the continued employability of employees and assist them in managing their careers. | Employment - What we're doing |
| LA12 | Additional | Percentage of employees receiving regular performance and career development reviews. | Employment - What we're doing |
| LA13 | Core | Composition of governance bodies and breakdown of employees per category according to gender, age group, minority group membership and other indicators of diversity. | Employment - Key numbers |
| LA14 | Core | Ratio of basic salary of men to women by employee category. | Not reported |
| Provide a concise disclosure on the management approach items outlined below with reference to the following human rights; investment and procurement practices, non-discrimination, freedom of association and collective bargaining, abolition of child labour, prevention of forced and compulsory labour, complaints and grievance practices, security practices and indigenous rights.The ILO Tripartite Declaration Concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises should be primary reference points | WPP’s Code of Conduct WPP’s Sustainability Policy Material issues, risks and opportunities Managing sustainability in our supply chain Employment - What we're doing |
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| HR1 | Core | Percentage and total number of significant investment agreements that include human rights clauses or that have undergone human rights screening. | Not reported |
| HR2 | Core | Percentage of significant suppliers and contractors that have undergone screening on human rights and actions taken. | Not reported |
| HR3 | Additional | Total hours of employee training on policies and procedures concerning aspects of human rights that are relevant to operations, including the percentage of employees that are trained. | Business ethics |
| HR4 | Core | Total number of incidents of discrimination and actions taken. | Not reported |
| HR5 | Core | Operations identified in which the right to exercise freedom of association and collective bargaining may be at significant risk, and actions taken to support these rights. | Not reported |
| HR6 | Core | Operations identified as having a significant risk for incidents of child labour, and measures taken to contribute to the elimination of forced or compulsory labour. | Not material – as a professional services business WPP does not have any operations at significant risk for incidents of child labour. However our commitment to freedom from forced and child labour is communicated in our Sustainability policy and Code of Business Conduct. WPP’s Code of Conduct WPP’s Sustainability Policy |
| HR7 | Core | Operations identified as having significant risk for incidents of forced or compulsory labour, and measures to contribute to the elimination of forced or compulsory labour. | Not material – as a professional services business WPP does not have any operations at significant risk of forced or compulsory labour. However our commitment to freedom from forced and child labour is communicated in our Sustainability policy and Code of Business Conduct. WPP’s Code of Conduct WPP’s Sustainability Policy |
| HR8 | Additional | Percentage of security personnel trained in the organisation’s policies or procedures concerning aspects of human rights that are relevant to operations. | Not material |
| HR9 | Additional | Total number of incidents of violations involving rights of indigenous people and actions taken. | Not material |
| Provide a concise disclosure on the management approach items outlined below with reference to the following society aspects; community, corruption, public policy, anti-competitive behaviour and compliance | WPP’s Code of Conduct WPP’s Sustainability Policy Material issues, risks and opportunities Business ethics Lobbying and political contributions Social investment Marketing ethics - What we're doing |
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| SO1 | Core | Nature, scope and effectiveness of any programmes and practices that assess and manage the impacts of operations on communities, including entering, operating and exiting. | Not material |
| SO2 | Core | Percentage and total number of business units analysed for risks related to corruption. | Not reported |
| SO3 | Core | Percentage of employees trained in organisation’s anti-corruption policies and procedures. | Business ethics |
| SO4 | Core | Actions taken in response to incidents of corruption. | Not reported |
| SO5 | Core | Public policy positions and participation in public policy development and lobbying. | Lobbying and political contributions Public affairs |
| SO6 | Additional | Total value of financial and in-kind contributions to political parties, politicians and related institutions by country. | None |
| SO7 | Additional | Total number of legal actions for anti-competitive behaviour, anti-trust and monopoly practices and their outcomes. | Annual Report |
| SO8 | Core | Monetary value of significant fines and total number of non-monetary sanctions for non-compliance with laws and regulations. | Not reported |
| Provide a concise disclosure on the management approach items outlined below with reference to the following society aspects; customer health and safety, product and service labelling, marketing communications, customer privacy and compliance | WPP’s Code of Conduct WPP’s Sustainability Policy Material issues, risks and opportunities Impact of our work Marketing ethics |
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| PR1 | Core | Life cycle stages in which health and safety impacts of products and services are assessed for improvement, and percentage of significant products and services categories subject to such procedures. | Not material |
| PR2 | Additional | Total number of incidents of non-compliance with regulations and voluntary codes concerning health and safety impacts of products and service during their life cycle, by type of outcomes. | Not material |
| PR3 | Core | Type of product and service information required by procedures, and percentage of significant products and service subject to such information requirements. | Not material |
| PR4 | Additional | Total number of incidents of non-compliance with regulations and voluntary codes concerning product and service information and labelling, by type of outcomes. | Not material |
| PR5 | Additional | Practices related to customer satisfaction, including results of surveys measuring customer satisfaction. | Not reported |
| PR6 | Core | Programmes for adherence to laws, standards and voluntary codes concerning marketing communications, including advertising, promotion and sponsorship. | Marketing ethics |
| PR7 | Additional | Total number of incidents of non-compliance with regulations and voluntary codes of concerning marketing communications, including advertising, promotion, and sponsorship by type of outcomes. | Compliance with marketing codes |
| PR8 | Additional | Total number of substantiated complaints regarding breaches of customer privacy and losses of customer data. | Not reported Privacy |
| PR9 | Core | Monetary value of significant fines for non-compliance with laws and regulations concerning the provision and use of products and services. | Not reported |