ANSTO today became one of the first government agencies to publish a corporate social responsibility (CSR) report, reflecting its belief that it is imperative to engage with and transparently address stakeholder needs, and be accountable for its actions.
The 2003-04 report, ANSTO’s first, is in line with a movement led by commercial organisations that acknowledge ethical, responsible corporate behaviour contributes to a more attractive bottom line, a higher degree of stakeholder satisfaction and a sustainable organisational future.
“ANSTO strives to be open with its communications and this report reflects our desire to further share and communicate all aspects of our operations to various stakeholders, whether they support our work or have issues with it,” said ANSTO Executive Director, Dr Ian Smith.
The report focuses on ANSTO’s performance in the areas of the environment, safety, social issues, the community, corporate governance and employee relations, relevant to staff, customers, the Australian community and key stakeholders.
“Although many Australians both benefit from our work and are justifiably proud of our achievements, we are not claiming to be perfect,” continued Dr Smith. “The report, however, reflects our desire to illustrate, identify and explore those aspects of our work where we do well, along with those where improvement is required.”
ANSTO’s CSR report features the perspectives of those who are not satisfied with certain aspects of its operations, including Greenpeace, and also outlines situations where the organisation has not performed to its own high standards.
“There were many highlights to our CSR performance during 2003-04, but obtaining the world’s highest possible environmental performance standard in the form of ISO 14001 certification was of particular significance,” said Dr Smith.
“Nuclear science by its very nature means we must be extremely precise in our handling and production of radiopharmaceuticals and radioisotopes,” continued Dr Smith. “With ISO 14001 we accept the responsibility to ensure that we take the same duty of care with our day-to-day use of all products from drinking water to the amount of paper and energy we consume.
“Just as we have engaged with environmental issues, we are also energetic in engaging with the Australian community as a whole, especially through school education, and sectors such as government and business. We have a genuine desire for this engagement to increase,” concluded Dr Smith.
The report provides overviews of ANSTO’s CSR performance as well as case studies. It also features a section devoted to the organisation’s science.
Published: 28/04/2005