GE Citizenship Report Applauded for Transparency on Nuclear Stance

In his ZDnet blog, sustainability expert James Farrar discusses Siemens' recent announcement of plans to exit the nuclear business, and wonders aloud why the company didn't discuss its changing position toward nuclear in its sustainability reports.

"[W]hat is somewhat more curious is how Siemens’ communicated its changing nuclear position & stakeholder demands in its sustainability reporting," writes Farrar. "As late as 2008 it reported a commitment to its nuclear business but then fell completely silent in the 2009 and 2010 reports. The 2010 report was issued just one month after the Fukushima accident which clearly had a dramatic influence on the sustainability strategy of the firm given today’s announcement but the nuclear question was not aired. Indeed, PwC signed off on the report and published an independent opinion of assurance that all material issues had been addressed even though the issue of its nuclear business was not addressed.

"In contrast, arch competitor GE’s 2010 corporate citizenship report issued in July takes the issue of nuclear head on and without the benefit of an independent assurance provider’s prompting. It describes concerns over nuclear power as a strategic issue for its energy business and Jeff Immelt also addressed it writing in the foreword:

"We remain committed to nuclear as part of the overall energy mix, and we are committed to learning from all the events created by the horrific earthquake and tsunami in Japan."

To read the blog in its entirety on ZDNet, click here.

About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is an advanced technology, services and finance company taking on the world’s toughest challenges. Dedicated to innovation in energy, health, transportation and infrastructure, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.ge.com.
 
Citizenship at GE is more than a program or a set of good intentions - it is a full-time commitment built upon cultural behaviors and actions. These actions are integrated with business strategy and have defined goals, strategies and metrics that make it actionable and accountable.

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