The content of this report is prepared in accordance with the core option of the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) G4 guidelines.
We have also referred to the GRI Media Sector Supplement and include disclosures for the indicators relevant to our business. These are marked (M). However, the Media Sector Supplement has been developed primarily for content-generating organisations such as broadcasters and newspapers, and issues such as editorial independence and freedom of expression are not material for our business. This means the majority of the indicators in the Media Sector Supplement are not relevant to our reporting and are not included in this Index.
General Standard Disclosures
Strategy and Analysis
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-1 Statement from most senior decision maker.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-2 Key impacts, risks and opportunities.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
Organisational profile
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-3 Name of the organization.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
WPP plc
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-4 Primary brands, products and services.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
WPP – What we do
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-5 Location of the organization‘s headquarters.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
WPP – Where we are
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-6 Number of countries where the organization operates, and names of countries where either the organization has significant operations or that are specifically relevant to the sustainability topics covered in the report.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-7 Nature of ownership and legal form.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
WPP Annual Report and Accounts 2015
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-8 Markets served (including geographic breakdown, sectors served, and types of customers and beneficiaries).
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-9 Scale of organization.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
WPP – At a glance
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-10 (M) Total workforce by employment contract and gender.
- Comment
- We do not report employee numbers by contract type.
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-11 Percentage of total employees covered by collective bargaining agreements.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
Employment/Monitoring progress/ Labour relations
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-12 Describe the organization’s supply chain.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
Supply chain
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-13 Significant changes during the reporting period regarding the organization’s size, structure, ownership, or its supply chain.
- Comment
- No major changes during the year.
- Location in document
-
About this report
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-14 Whether and how the precautionary approach or principle is addressed by the organization.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-15 Externally developed economic, environmental and social charters, principles, or other initiatives to which the organization subscribes or which it endorses.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-16 Memberships in associations (such as industry associations) and/or national/international advocacy organizations in which the organization:
- Has positions in governance bodies
- Participates in projects or committees
- Provides substantive funding beyond routine membership dues; or
- Views membership as strategic.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
Identified material aspects and boundaries
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-17 All entities included in the organization’s consolidated financial statements or equivalent documents and whether any of these entities is not covered by the report.
- Comment
- The data in our Sustainability Report covers all subsidiaries of the Group. A subsidiary is an entity which we control and/or have a majority shareholding. Associates and joint ventures, where the Group may have influence or joint control, but not outright control, are not included. Data in our financial reporting will include associate companies not covered in our Sustainability Report.
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-18 Explain the process for defining the report content and the Aspect Boundaries and how the organization has implemented the Reporting Principles for Defining Report Content.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-19 All the material Aspects identified in the process for defining report content.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
Our sustainability priorities
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-20 The Aspect Boundary within the organization for each material Aspect.
- Comment
- All material Aspects selected in this report apply equally to all of our operations and entities as listed in G4-17, unless otherwise noted.
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-21 The Aspect Boundary outside the organization for each material Aspect.
- Comment
- Our materiality assessment diagram indicates the relative importance of each of our material issues to stakeholders. The material Aspects apply equally across stakeholder groups and geographies unless otherwise noted.
- Location in document
-
Our sustainability priorities
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-22 The effect of any restatements of information provided in previous reports, and the reasons for such restatements.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
About this report
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-23 Significant changes from previous reporting periods in the Scope and Aspect Boundaries.
- Comment
- There have been no significant changes from previous reporting periods.
- Location in document
-
Stakeholder engagement
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-24 A list of stakeholder groups engaged by the organization.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
Governance and management/Stakeholder engagement
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-25 The basis for identification and selection of stakeholders with whom to engage.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
Governance and management/Stakeholder engagement
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-26 The organization’s approach to stakeholder engagement, including frequency of engagement by type and by stakeholder group, and an indication of whether any of the engagement was undertaken specifically as part of the report preparation process.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-27 Key topics and concerns that have been raised through stakeholder engagement, and how the organization has responded to those key topics and concerns, including through its reporting. The stakeholder groups that raised each of the key topics and concerns.
- Comment
- The topics raised by our stakeholders are included on our materiality matrix and the issues of high importance to our stakeholders are all addressed in our Sustainability Report. The issues covered in our reporting are all topics that are of interest to our two most important external stakeholder groups – clients and investors. We do not report on the specific points raised by individual stakeholders.
- Location in document
-
Report Profile
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-28 Reporting period for information provided.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
- About this report
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-29 Date of most recent previous report (if any).
- Comment
-
- Location in document
- Sustainability Report Archive
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-30 Reporting cycle.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
- About this report
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-31 The contact point for questions regarding the report or its contents.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
- Get in touch
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-32 Report the ‘in accordance’ option the organization has chosen; the GRI Content Index for the chosen option and the reference to the External Assurance Report, if the report has been externally assured.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-33 The organization’s policy and current practice with regard to seeking external assurance for the report.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
Governance
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-34 (M) The governance structure of the organization, including committees of the highest governance body. Identify any committees responsible for decision-making on economic, environmental and social impacts.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-36 Whether the organization has appointed an executive-level position or positions with responsibility for economic, environmental and social topics, and whether post holders report directly to the highest governance body.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
Ethics and integrity
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-56 (M) The organization’s values, principles, standards and norms of behaviour such as codes of conduct and codes of ethics.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
Specific Standard Disclosures
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-DMA Disclosures on Management Approach
a. Why the Aspect is material, and the impacts that make this Aspect material. b. How the organization manages the material Aspect or its impacts.
c. The evaluation of the management approach, including:
- The mechanisms for evaluating the effectiveness of the management approach; *The results of the evaluation of the management approach; *Any related adjustments to the management approach.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
Indicators by aspects
Category: Economic
Economic Performance
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-DMA
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-EC1 a. The direct economic value generated and distributed (EVG&D) on an accruals basis including the basic components for the organization’s global operations as listed below. If data is presented on a cash basis. b. EVG&D separately at country, regional, or market levels, where significant, and the criteria used for defining significance.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
- WPP Annual Report 2015 – Our financial statements
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-EC2 Risks and opportunities posed by climate change that have the potential to generate substantive changes in operations, revenue or expenditure.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
Market Presence
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-DMA
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-EC6 Portion of senior management hired from the local community at significant locations of operation.
- Comment
- We report data for nationalities represented on the WPP Board.
- Location in document
- Employment/Diversity and inclusion
Indirect Economic Impacts
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-DMA
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-EC8 Significant indirect economic impacts, including the extent of impacts.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
- Valuing our impacts
CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENTAL
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-DMA for all material environmental aspects
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
Energy
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-EN3 Energy consumption within the organization.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-EN4 Energy consumption outside of the organization.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-EN6 Reduction of energy consumption.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-EN7 Reduction in energy requirements of products and services.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
- Environment/Our wider carbon impact.
Water
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-EN8 Total water withdrawal by source.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
- Environment/Resource use and waste/Water
Emissions
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-EN15 Direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Scope 1).
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-EN16 Energy indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Scope 2).
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-EN17 Other indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Scope 3).
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-EN18 Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-EN19 Reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
Effluents and Waste
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-EN23 Total weight of waste by type and disposal method.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
- Environment/Resource use and waste/Waste
Products and Services
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-EN27 Extent of impact mitigation of environmental impacts of products and services.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
- Environment/Our carbon strategy/Air travel, videoconferencing and offsetting
Transport
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-EN30 Significant environmental impacts of transporting products and other goods and materials used for the organization’s operations, and transporting members of the workforce.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
- Environment/Our carbon strategy/Air travel, videoconferencing and offsetting
Supplier Environmental Assessment
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-EN32 Percentage of new suppliers that were screened using environmental criteria.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
- Supply chain/How we select suppliers
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-EN33 Significant actual and potential negative environmental impacts in the supply chain and actions taken.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
- Environment/Our wider carbon impact
CATEGORY: SOCIAL
LABOUR PRACTICES AND DECENT WORK
Employment
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-DMA
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-LA1 Total number and rates of new employee hires and employee turnover by age group, gender, and region.
- Comment
- We do not currently have the data to report turnover rates by category.
- Location in document
- Employment/Monitoring progress/Labour relations
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-LA3 Return to work and retention rates after parental leave, by gender.
- Comment
- We hope to report on this next year.
- Location in document
- Employment/Monitoring progress/Labour relations
Labour/Management Relations
Occupational Health and Safety
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-DMA
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-LA5 Percentage of total workforce represented in formal joint management-worker health and safety committees that help monitor and advise on occupational health and safety programs.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
- Employment/Health, safety and well-being
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-LA6 Type of injury and rates of injury, occupational diseases, lost days, and absenteeism, and total number of work-related fatalities, by region and by gender.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
- Employment/Health, safety and well-being
Training and Education
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-DMA
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-LA9 (M) Average hours of training per year per employee by gender, and by employee category.
- Comment
- We report training spend per employee rather than training hours.
- Location in document
- Employment/Training and development
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-LA10 Programs for skills management and lifelong learning that support the continued employability of employees and assist them in managing career endings.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
- Employment/Training and development
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-LA11 Percentage of employees receiving regular performance and career development reviews, by gender and by employment category.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
- Employment/Training and development/Appraisals and performance development
Diversity and Equal Opportunity
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-DMA
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-LA12 Composition of governance bodies and breakdown of employees per employee category according to gender, age group, minority group membership, and other indicators of diversity.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
- Employment/Diversity and inclusion
Supplier Assessment for Labour Practices
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-DMA
- Comment
-
- Location in document
- Our management approach for material issues relating to our supply chain – Supply chain/Management approach
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-LA14 Percentage of new suppliers that were screened using labour practices criteria.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
Labour Practices Grievance Mechanisms
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-DMA
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-LA16 Number of grievances about labour practices filed, addressed, and resolved through formal grievance mechanisms.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
- Employment/Monitoring progress/Employment infringements
HUMAN RIGHTS
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-DMA for all material human rights related aspects
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
Investment
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-HR1 Total number and percentage of significant investment agreements and contracts that include human rights clauses or that underwent human rights screening.
- Comment
- Human rights issues are covered in our Code of Business Conduct – Supplier Version, which suppliers are asked to sign.
- Location in document
- Supply chain
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-HR2 Total hours of employee training on policies and procedures concerning aspects of human rights that are relevant to operations, including the percentage of employees trained.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
- Our client work/Human rights
Non-discrimination
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-HR3 Total number of incidents of discrimination and corrective actions taken.
- Comment
- We do not report separate data on this. Any cases involving allegations of discrimination against employees are included in the data on employment infringements.
- Location in document
- Employment/Monitoring progress/Employment infringements
Forced or Compulsory Labour
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-HR6 Operations and suppliers identified as having significant risk for incidents of forced or compulsory labour, and measures to contribute to the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour.
- Comment
- There is a low risk of forced or compulsory labour in our workforce but we issued guidance to our operating companies on this topic during the year.
- Location in document
- Our client work/Human rights/Anti-trafficking and slavery
Assessment
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-HR9 Total number and percentage of operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
Supplier Human Rights Assessment
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-HR10 Percentage of new suppliers that
were screened using human rights criteria.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
SOCIETY
Anti-corruption
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-DMA
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-SO3 Total number and percentage of operations assessed for risks related to corruption and the significant risks identified.
- Comment
- We do not currently report data in this area.
- Location in document
- Our client work/Our ethical standards.
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-SO4 Communication and training on anti-corruption policies and procedures.
- Comment
-
- Our client work/Our ethical standards.
Public Policy
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-DMA
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-SO6 Total value of political contributions by country and recipient/beneficiary.
- Comment
- We do not currently report data in this area
- Location in document
- Our client work/Public policy and lobbying
Supplier Assessment for Impacts on Society
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-DMA
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-SO9 Percentage of new suppliers that were screened using criteria for impacts on society.
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
PRODUCT RESPONSIBILITY
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-DMA
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-PR7 (M) Total number of incidents of non-compliance with regulations and voluntary codes concerning marketing communications, including advertising, promotion, and sponsorship by type of outcomes.
- Comment
- We do not currently report data in this area.
- Location in document
- Our client work/Our ethical standards/Compliance with marketing standards
Customer Privacy
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-DMA
- Comment
-
- Location in document
-
- General Standard Disclosures
- G4-PR8 Total number of substantiated complaints regarding breaches of customer privacy and losses of customer data.
- Comment
- We do not currently report data in this area.
- Location in document
- Our client work/Privacy and data security