Vodafone scoops top reporting prize as Two Tomorrows contributes to debate

Two Tomorrows client Vodafone claimed top prize at this year’s Corporate Register Reporting Awards. As well as taking the Best Report title, Vodafone was also presented with the award for Relevance and Materiality, which was sponsored by Two Tomorrows.

Now in their third year, the Corporate Register Reporting Awards are the only annual global awards for corporate responsibility (CR) reporting. They identify and acknowledge the best CR reports in nine categories. Other winners were The Walt Disney Company, RecycleBank, Novo Nordisk, Hewlett-Packard, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Virgin Media and Banco Bradesco.

The awards ceremony followed a daytime programme of discussion and debate about CR and sustainability reporting.

Two Tomorrows group director Jon Woodhead, who presented Vodafone’s Relevance and Materiality award, says: “With discussions covering crucial issues such as the future of stakeholder engagement, and sustainability in emerging markets, the Two Tomorrows delegates were able to make vital contributions to the debate.

“Ensuring that sustainability is considered throughout the product and service processes so that commercially suitable innovation makes a profit, and provides societal or environmental benefits, was just one of the areas where debate focussed.

“This is especially relevant for companies operating in emerging markets, where licence to operate would be much easier to achieve if they were able demonstrate an awareness of the importance of bringing benefits to the country or region that they are operating in. One of the key challenges is to avoid the perception internally and externally that sustainable products are created for philanthropic reasons – rather they should be considered a key part of the business model.”

Photograph shows Chris Burgess, Vodafone group director of corporate responsibility, left, receiving the Relevance and Materiality award from Jon Woodhead of Two Tomorrows

Vodafone 2008/09 CR report on the Vodafone website

More about the Corporate Register Reporting Awards on the Corporate Register website

Full report on the winners and this year’s voting trends on the Corporate Register website