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*At a joint Nestlé-UN Global Compact event in New York, Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Chairman and CEO of Nestlé, presented the company's first Creating Shared Value report, including new figures on the impact of its business activities on the environment and society across the world. *
In 2007, Nestlé reduced its direct greenhouse gas emissions by 16% compared to 10 years ago, and its overall water withdrawal by 28%, while at the same time increasing the total volume of goods produced by 76%.
That same year, Nestlé invested over CHF 100 million in environment-related industrial improvements, as well as around CHF 170 million in new production facilities in Brazil, Pakistan and China.
The company also continued to provide free technical assistance to over 600,000 farmers in the developing world, including CHF 30 million in micro-credits.
Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Chairman and CEO of Nestlé, said: "Creating Shared Value means thinking long-term, while at the same time delivering strong annual results. One of the fundamental Nestlé Corporate Business Principles is that we will not sacrifice long-term development for short-term gain.
"This enables us to deliver the Nestlé model – 5-6% organic growth together with an EBIT margin improvement in constant currencies – year after year, while at the same time improving our environmental and social performance, thereby having a positive impact on millions of people across the world."
Detailed figures The report, which was reviewed for accuracy by Bureau Veritas, is an integral part of Nestlé's business reporting. It contains a number of detailed figures which have become available as a result of the continued development of GLOBE, Nestlé's worldwide management information system, and are now made public for the first time.
Indeed, GLOBE will supply increasing amounts of information about Nestlé over the coming years, allowing the company to provide progressively more quantitative information about its activities in local communities everywhere. The full text of the report in English, French, German and Spanish, as well as supporting video material, is available at <<1>.">www.nestle.com/csv]<1>.