Exhibit 15.7 provides an extract from the 2009 CSR report of a company in the IT industry, IBM Corporation.

  

Required:  

  

Discuss the motivations for a company in another industry of your choice to prepare a CSR report, and identify the nature of the information which is most likely to be included in such a report.

  

Reference Exhibit 15.7:

  

      

Transcribed Image Text:

EXHIBIT 15.7 Extract from IBM Corporate Responsibility Report, 2009 IBM Disaster response (since 2001) 2001 New York City, September 11; Gujarat, India, earthquake 2004 Thailand, India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, tsunami 2005 U.S. Gulf Coast, hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Mexico, hurricanes/flooding; Pakistan, earthquake 2006 Indonesia, Mt. Merapi, volcano/earthquake; Guinsaugon, Philippines, landslides 2007 San Diego, wildfires; Peru, earthquake; Tabasco, Mexico, flooding; Indonesia, mud slides; Bangladesh, cyclone; Sri Lanka, flooding 2008 Myanmar, cyclone Nargis; Sichuan Province, China, earthquake; Bihar, India, flooding 2009 Mexico, Hin1 response; Atlanta CDC, H1n1 response; server donation; Philippines, typhoon Ketsana/Ondoy, Indonesia, earthquakes; Vietnam, flooding; Italy, earthquake; Taiwan, typhoon; Kamataka and Andhra Pradesh, India, flooding Victoria, Australia, bush fires. 2010 Haiti, earthquake; Chile, earthquake. Disaster response For decades IBM employees have rallied in response to natural disasters around the world, donating money, time, and technology to aid in disaster management and recovery efforts. But our approach is not only to address the acute needs in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, but also to provide critical capabilities that are systematic and repeatable, enabling faster and smarter responses in the future, even to unforeseen disasters. Throughout 2009, IBMers responded to brushfires in Australia, typhoons in the Philippines, HIN1 outbreaks in Mexico, floods in Vietnam and India, and, of course, the devastating earthquake in Haiti. From developing emergency communications infrastructure to providing servers and software for missing persons registries, asset tracking, and logistics management, IBMers consistently contribute their expertise to assist in these efforts. For example, floods in India and the Philippines and the earthquake in China (2008), led to the deployment of Sahana, an integrated, free open-source disaster management system, designed to run rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations. In Haiti, though the company maintains no presence in the country, IBM worked in coordination with World Vision, a leading global NGO, to develop a sophisticated vehicle tracking system. For longer-term recovery, IBM is also creating a design plan for a mobile Humanitarian Data Center that can be installed when the telecommunications and grid infrastructure are stronger. Both solutions will be reuseable in other situations going forward. To date, IBM employees around the world have donated more than $1.1 million through the employee payroll program, which allows IBMers to automatically contribute to charitable causes through their paycheck. And IBMers are continuing to volunteer as we identify opportunities in their communities through on demand community. EXHIBIT 15.7 Extract from IBM Corporate Responsibility Report, 2009 IBM Disaster response (since 2001) 2001 New York City, September 11; Gujarat, India, earthquake 2004 Thailand, India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, tsunami 2005 U.S. Gulf Coast, hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Mexico, hurricanes/flooding; Pakistan, earthquake 2006 Indonesia, Mt. Merapi, volcano/earthquake; Guinsaugon, Philippines, landslides 2007 San Diego, wildfires; Peru, earthquake; Tabasco, Mexico, flooding; Indonesia, mud slides; Bangladesh, cyclone; Sri Lanka, flooding 2008 Myanmar, cyclone Nargis; Sichuan Province, China, earthquake; Bihar, India, flooding 2009 Mexico, Hin1 response; Atlanta CDC, H1n1 response; server donation; Philippines, typhoon Ketsana/Ondoy, Indonesia, earthquakes; Vietnam, flooding; Italy, earthquake; Taiwan, typhoon; Kamataka and Andhra Pradesh, India, flooding Victoria, Australia, bush fires. 2010 Haiti, earthquake; Chile, earthquake. Disaster response For decades IBM employees have rallied in response to natural disasters around the world, donating money, time, and technology to aid in disaster management and recovery efforts. But our approach is not only to address the acute needs in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, but also to provide critical capabilities that are systematic and repeatable, enabling faster and smarter responses in the future, even to unforeseen disasters. Throughout 2009, IBMers responded to brushfires in Australia, typhoons in the Philippines, HIN1 outbreaks in Mexico, floods in Vietnam and India, and, of course, the devastating earthquake in Haiti. From developing emergency communications infrastructure to providing servers and software for missing persons registries, asset tracking, and logistics management, IBMers consistently contribute their expertise to assist in these efforts. For example, floods in India and the Philippines and the earthquake in China (2008), led to the deployment of Sahana, an integrated, free open-source disaster management system, designed to run rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations. In Haiti, though the company maintains no presence in the country, IBM worked in coordination with World Vision, a leading global NGO, to develop a sophisticated vehicle tracking system. For longer-term recovery, IBM is also creating a design plan for a mobile Humanitarian Data Center that can be installed when the telecommunications and grid infrastructure are stronger. Both solutions will be reuseable in other situations going forward. To date, IBM employees around the world have donated more than $1.1 million through the employee payroll program, which allows IBMers to automatically contribute to charitable causes through their paycheck. And IBMers are continuing to volunteer as we identify opportunities in their communities through on demand community.