Carolyn L. Green

In the spirit of continuous improvement, this year’s report includes a number of changes that I’d like to share with you. Many are based on the newly issued Global Reporting Initiative Reporting Framework Version 3 or G3 as it’s called. We also have consulted with stakeholders, including community advisory panels and councils, and with our Ceres Stakeholder Engagement Team. So, what’s new?

First, instead of reporting on the whole range of issues, G3 encourages companies to focus on key items. For 2006, those issues were: HES Performance, which includes environment and worker safety and health; Governance; Energy Use and Climate Change; Product Stewardship; Security and Business Continuity; Workforce Preparedness; and Community Engagement. This list is an amalgam of issues identified internally, by our Ceres Stakeholder Engagement Team, and by our Community Advisory Panels and Councils.

Second, both the G3 guidelines and our Ceres Stakeholder Team request that we describe our issues management approach, our performance, our goals, and any activities or programs that helped achieve the performance targets. In response we have made every effort to put all the information related to each issue area in one place. In addition, our on–line report has many more links, so that you can see how one activity helps us perform better in several different areas. You also will notice that, in addition to showing 2007 performance goals on the summary charts, we have included them in the narrative. We hope this re-organization will put our activities into better context and make our performance more transparent.

The third big change is the expanded discussion of corporate governance. During our meeting in Philadelphia with our Ceres Stakeholder Team, we had a lively debate about what comes first, a formal corporate governance infrastructure or HES performance. As a result of those discussions, we have described Sunoco’s governance structure in more detail, particularly as it relates to our HES programs and performance.

Our commitment to detailed and honest disclosure remains unchanged. We continue to provide performance data for three years, so you can judge our progress over time. We still focus on stories that describe how our employees work in our facilities and in the community. And we’re continuing our commitment to continuous improvement – in our reporting and in our performance. Please let us know how you think we’re doing.

Carolyn L. Green
Vice President, HES Regulatory Affairs

Letter from the CEO
For the first time, Sunoco’s Annual HES Report has a theme - “Managing Our Performance; Ensuring Our Future.”...
read more