Key figures

Quick overview

Hydro’s mission is to create a more viable society by developing natural resources and products in innovative and efficient ways.

In our terms pursuing viability comprises a specific way of bridging viability and business, and a set of performance areas where we measure our progress.

This is what our viability performance reporting is about.

First, we describe The Hydro Way, a set of guiding principles that govern our activities and underpin our approach to viability. Next, we report on our viability performance in 2007 according to a set of areas that capture our most important viability issues while corresponding to generally acknowledged domains of reporting.

Highlights

Index leader
Hydro headed the aluminium and basic resources sector of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the second successive year, and qualified again for FTSE4Good.

Total recordable injuries per million hours worked increased from 4.0 to 4.1. We did not reach our target of 3.2, and we had two fatal accidents in 2007 and one in February 2008.

Restructuring processes in Norway, USA and Canada, as well as the divestment of Automotive Castings, were implemented in cooperation with employees and local communities.

We developed an interactive e-learning program dealing with our policies and employee rights and obligations. Mandatory for all employees worldwide, it discusses issues such as work environment and ethical dilemmas.

We started test production of aluminium in our next generation electrolytic cells to reduce emissions and increase energy efficiency. The cells are prepared for concentrating and capturing CO2, making them ready to provide a feed to third-party capturing solutions, when commercially available.

Stakeholder interviews

We must do something about the uncertainty
”In-house surveys reveal that the employees are happy at their work; the working environment is good and they see challenges in their jobs. But the uncertainty about the future does tend to detract from their job satisfaction. We need to do something about this.”

Michael Hall, chief employee representative for Hydro’s automotive business at Raufoss


A more attractive metal for the future
“As a part of this, new R&D activities have been initiated to make our processes more energy efficient. At the same time we see that aluminium can contribute to reduce overall emissions through its utilization within the transport sector, as vehicles with more aluminium will have a lower weight and consume less fuel. Likewise, it is very favourable to increase the degree of recycling of used aluminium”

Arvid Moss, Head of Strategy and Business Development, Hydro


A new safety drive
"Workers are now talking more with each other about what they do and how and why they do it, every day. We are doing things before accidents happen. This isn't about near-miss reports, and it isn't something that we do on occasion and plan for it, like the traditional safety tools. We are beyond that. We get opinions all the time. Even safe work is feedback. I also feel that this is more motivational than the traditional way we have done things, because of the feedback."

Dieter Mick, head of Works Council, Bellenberg, Germany

”Never become self-satisfied!”
“Most important is the tone from the top – that there is a culture for integrity”, Brooks says. “That commitment is certainly there in Hydro. But that alone is not enough. You also need detailed procedures to prevent corruption, money laundering and cartels, all reflecting the specific nature of your business. Such policies must be implemented through communication and training so every member of staff will understand the message. And you should report publicly what you are doing.”

Jermyn Brooks, Head of development of Business Principles for Countering Bribery Inititive, Board member of Partnering against Corruption Initiative (PACI)

An example of cooperation
"Hydro has proven outstanding cooperation, engagement and transparency in managing the change for the workforce and the site as such here in Stade."

Margrit Wetzel, Member of the German Bundestag

Download the complete chapter: Viability performance (1.32 MB)