The scope of the review
We conducted our review in accordance with RevR 6, Assurance of Sustainability Reports, issued by FAR SRS. A review consists of making inquiries, primarily of persons responsible for preparing the Sustainability Report, and applying analytical and other review procedures. A review is substantially less in scope than an audit conducted in accordance with the IAASB’s standards on auditing and quality control and other generally accepted auditing standards. The procedures performed in a review do not enable us to obtain an assurance that would make us aware of all significant matters that might be identified in an audit. The stated conclusion based on a review therefore does not have the level of certainty as a conclusion based on an audit. The criteria that our procedures are based on are the applicable parts of the Sustainability Reporting Guidelines G3, published by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), which are relevant to sustainability reporting, as well as the accounting and calculation principles that the company has developed and identified. We believe that these criteria are suitable for the preparation of the Sustainability Report.
Our limited assurance review encompasses the indicators presented in the GRI Cross-Reference Table, which can be found on PostNord AB’s website, www.postnord.com, as well as in the pages of this Sustainability Report and in the Annual Report as indicated in the table of contents.
The main procedures of our review, based on our assessment of relevance and risk, have included the following:
a. update of our knowledge and understanding for PostNord AB’s organization and activities
b. assessment of suitability and application of criteria in respect to stakeholders’ need of information
c. assessment of the result of the company’s stakeholder dialogue
d. interviews with responsible management at selected units with the aim to assess whether the qualitative and quantitative information stated in the Sustainability Report is complete, accurate and adequate e. obtain internal and external documents to assess
whether the information stated is complete, accurate and adequate
f. evaluation of the systems and processes used to obtain, manage and validate sustainability information
g. evaluation of the model used to calculate carbon dioxide emissions
h. analytical review of reported information
i. reconciliation of financial information against company’s 2011 Annual Report
j. assessment of the company’s declared application level according to GRI guidelines
k. assessment of the overall impression of the Sustainability Report and format, taking consideration of the internal consistency of information with relevant criteria l. reconciliation of the reviewed information against the
sustainability information in the company’s 2011 Annual Report.
Conclusion
Based on our review procedures, nothing has come to our attention that causes us to believe that the Sustainability Report has not, in all material respects, been prepared in accordance with the above-stated criteria.
Stockholm, 22. February 2012 Ernst & Young AB
Lars Träff Curt Öberg
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GLOSSARYGlossary
B2B Sales of products and services from business to business.
B2C Sales of products and services from business to consumer.
BioDME A biofuel produced from biomass; has high efficiency and low greenhouse gas emissions.
Business communication Services that allow companies to communicate with their customers in the form of invoices, sales letters or statements and for which physical mail and e-mail can be combined. Makes up a significant portion of mail business income.
Climate-efficient services PostNord’s services that are environmentally sound at every stage – from production to delivery, including carbon offset.
Climate Fund PostNord’s program of budget resources earmarked for investment to improve the environment and climate. Introduced in 2009.
C-mail Letter in Denmark with special posting conditions processed in a production flow for distribution within two to four days after mailing.
Consignment freight A shipment of an estimated cohesive production or transport quantity. Usually distributed from door to door, often weighing over 2 tons.
Danish Ministry of Transport The Danish Ministry of Transport regulates Post Danmark and other postal companies operating in the Danish market.
Direct marketing services Direct marketing services.
DPD Direct Parcel Distribution. A collaboration that provides PostNord’s customers with access to Europe’s largest parcel distribution network. www.dpd.com
EFQM The European Foundation for Quality Management is a European quality model for efficient and customer-oriented business management.
Facility services, facility management
Services that ensure the efficient functioning of a business in an area or building. Refers to property-related services or workplace-related services. PostNord’s offer includes services for mail management and management of other external and internal distribution.
First-class mail Designation of a letter distributed at normal speed (prioritaire). The letter is stamped for domestic overnight delivery (distribution on the first working day after mailing). Also the definition for distribution of letters, printed matter and small parcels to recipients worldwide. See also Priority Mail.
FOCUS PostNord’s group-wide employee survey conducted annually. Started in 2011.
Fulfillment, service fulfillment One of Strålfors’ growth areas. Activities in a supply chain that aim bring together or complement the delivery with items or information intended to reach, e.g., a subscriber. Services may include purchasing, physical and electronic storage, packaging, distribution and returns management. Typical customers of PostNord in this area can be found in the telecommunications industry.
Groupage Combination of diverse cargoes into single shipments.
InNight Tailored transport system that takes place over night where the goods are collected from a supplier before closing and are delivered before business opens the next morning.
In-night freight forwarding A freight service that integrates the cargo owners and their customers though, e.g., overnight freight that is in place when customer needs it, such as with InNight freight.
IPC The International Post Corporation is an international industry association for mail companies. www.ipc.be
ISO The International Organization for Standardization is an international standards organization, represented by the national standardization institutions engaged in industrial and commercial standards. Establishes standards for, e.g., quality management and environmental initiatives.
LIX Leadership index. An index that rates leadership quality at PostNord.
Mailings Pre-sorted letters in large volumes.
Mail operator A company or organization that is licensed to conduct postal operations.
MIX Employee index. An index that rates PostNord’s employee commitment.
Mixed cargo groupage Goods of various sizes and types for transport by road, which do not meet a carrier’s capacity and which can be transshipped between short- and long-distance carriers.
Non-priority mail Mail processed in a production flow for distribution within three business days after mailing. Equivalent to second-class letter.
Notification A method of informing the recipient of the delivery status of parcels or pallets, via text message, e-mail or postal notice slip.
Overnight delivery Distribution of first-class letters within a country on the next business day.
Partner outlet network Service outlets for mail and logistics services in the Nordic countries. Outlets are often grocery retailers. Provide service, sales and delivery of letters and parcels to individuals and businesses. The range varies with PostNord’s offering in each national market. In Denmark, PostNord also operates its own services outlets.
Pick-and-pack service A third-party service that includes, e.g., sorting, selecting, enveloping, packaging, addressing and distribution for a customer.
Print services Communication solutions including printing.
Priority mail Another term for first-class mail.
PTS Swedish National Post and Telecom Authority. The authority in Sweden that regulates the areas of postal and electronic communication.
SAC Stand Alone Cost model is a model used to calculate the distribution costs of first- and second-class mail.
Service point A partner outlet, stamp outlet or service outlet run by PostNord, through which customers and recipients can access
various postal services.
Single mail items Individual letters, parcels or periodicals mailed unsorted and forwarded at flat-rate prices.
SKI Svenskt Kvalitetsindex. Organization that conducts regular surveys of customer satisfaction and quality development in various industries in the Swedish public and private sectors.
Stamp outlet One of PostNord’s selected service points in Sweden and Denmark that sells stamps.
tkm The ton-kilometer is a unit of energy calculated using a vehicle's weight multiplied by distance travelled and used to estimate how much fuel a vehicle consumes.
Third-party logistics, TPL or 3PL
A third party agrees to perform all or part of the logistics services required to ensure material flows between a company and its customers. Usually the third party company performs shipments to customers or provides physical warehousing and administration, so-called warehousing facilities.
Third Postal Directive EU directive from 2008. The directive specifies that EU postal markets are to be deregulated by December 31, 2010, with
the exception of the 11 countries that have been granted an exemption until December 31, 2012.
TRIM index, TRI*M index PostNord’s corporate image index. A standardized survey conducted by the external agency TNS. Rates attitudes in
society towards a business.
UDM Unaddressed direct mail. Direct mail distributed with no personal address.
Universal postal service A service that must be provided throughout the country, that is of good quality and that enables all users to receive mail items and, at reasonable cost, post such items.
USO Universal Service Obligation or universal postal service.
VOC Volatile organic compound that easily evaporates at room temperature.