Southern Company - Corporate Responsibility Report: GRI Index

Use the index below to locate material organized by Global Reporting Initiative (G3) guidelines, as fits our business. The guidelines align subject matter across companies and industries. Also find a document table of contents at right with an alphabeticial index of topics below it.

Notes

Strategy and Analysis

1.1

Statement from CEO

David Ratcliffe

1.2

Description of key impacts, risks, and opportunities

Organizational Profile

2.1

Organization name

Southern Company

2.2

Primary brands, products, and/or services

2.3

Operational structure and major divisions

2.4

Location of headquarters

Atlanta, Georgia USA

2.5

Countries of operation

USA

2.6

Nature of ownership

Investor-owned utility

2.7

Markets served including geographic breakdown/sectors served/customers

Southeast U.S.

2.8

Scale of organization including number of employees, net sales/revenues, total capitalization

26,742 employees as of December 31, 2007

2.9

Significant changes during reporting period

2.10

Awards

See Events. Awards also noted in corresponding sections.

Report Parameters

3.1

Reporting period

To be updated as new figures are available

3.2

Date of previous report

2006

3.3

Reporting cycle

Annual or more frequent online updates

3.4

Contact point

corporateresponsibility@southernco.com

3.5

Process for defining report content

3.6

Boundary of the report

3.7

Limitations on the scope or boundary of the report

3.8

Basis for reporting on joint ventures, etc.

Refer to Annual Report

3.9

Data measurement techniques and bases of calculations including assumptions

Environmental: collection and sampling per regulatory standards. Sources and assumptions noted on performance charts.

3.10

Restatements of information

See publications

3.11

Significant changes from previous reporting periods

3.12

GRI Content Index table

This page

3.13

Policy and practice for seeking independent assurance for report

Continuous online stakeholder review and revision, submittal to independent evaluation organizations, and feedback requests within the report.

Governance, Commitments, and Engagement

4.1

Governance structure including committees

4.2

Indicate whether chair of highest governance body is also an executive officer

David Ratcliffe: Southern Company Chairman, CEO, and President

4.3

Percent of independent directors

4.4

Mechanisms for shareholders and employees to provide recommendations/direction to highest governance body

Shareholder voting/meeting; town hall employee meetings; live broadcasts with employee-submitted questions; employee concerns line.

4.5

Linkage between compensation and organization’s performance for members of highest governance body/senior executives

See compensation and management succession committee bylaws

4.6

Process for the Board to ensure conflicts of interest are avoided

See Corporate Governance

4.7

Processes for determining qualifications and expertise for guiding strategy

See Corporate Governance

4.8

Mission and values statements, codes of conduct, principles relevant to economic, environmental and social performance, and status of implementation

4.9

Procedures of highest governance body for overseeing economic, environmental and social performance including compliance, codes of conduct

See Corporate Governance

4.10

Processes for evaluating performance of governance body with respect to economic, environmental and social performance

See Corporate Governance

4.11

Explanation of how precautionary approach/principle is addressed by organization

See Corporate Governance

4.12

Externally developed, voluntary economic, environmental, and social charters, sets of principles, or other initiatives

4.13

Significant memberships in associations and/or advocacy organizations

4.14

List of stakeholder groups

4.15

Basis for identification and selection of stakeholders with whom to engage

Also see CEO Viewpoint

4.16

Approaches to stakeholder engagement, including frequency and type

4.17

Key issues raised through stakeholder engagement and how organization has responded

Economic Performance Indicators

EC1

Direct economic value generated and distributed

EC2

Financial implications and other risks and opportunities due to climate change

See also Greenhouse Gases

EC3

Coverage of the defined benefit plan obligations

Fully funded at or above required levels.

EC4

Significant financial assistance received from government

No. See 10-K pII-12 for management's discussion and alalysis of financial condition and results of operations

EC5

Range of ratios of standard entry level wage compared to local minimum wage at significant locations of operation

Not tracked.

EC6

Policy, practices, and proportion of spending on locally-based suppliers at significant locations of operation

EC7

Procedures for local hiring and proportion of senior management hired from the local community at locations of significant operation

Employees are primarily longterm residents of the regions they serve, however no data is released on employee-community proportion; see Demographics for other employee data

EC8

Development and impact of infrastructure investments and services provided for public benefit

See also Stewardship, Lakes, Community Involvement, Economic Development

EC9

Indirect impacts

Fleet impacts to be added to emission reporting in 2009

Environmental Performance Indicators

EN1

Materials used by weight or volume
Note - Raw materials used in significant quantity for the generation of electricity include fuel and chemicals for emission removal. Items sold to us as finished goods would be reported by their respective manufacturers.

Coal: 77.7 million tons (includes some non-affiliate tons that we manage for co-owners at Plants Scherer and Wansley) (2007)
Natural Gas: 238 million MMBtu (excluded Plants Stanton and Oleander where the customers are responsible for the gas supply, and various power purchase contracts where the seller provides the natural gas.) (2007)
Chemicals used for treating emissions to be tracked in 2009.

EN2

Percentage of materials used that are recycled input materials

Not tracked. Most fuel is combusted, a small percentage (2-5) is recycled or renewable including hydro and biomass.

EN3

Direct energy consumption

Energy Used By Southern Company (excluding station use): 271,096 kWH

EN4

Indirect energy consumption

Measures taken to lessen indirect energy consumption include: (a) Smart Meters to eliminate meter reading miles, (b) New directives to increase fuel efficiency for fleet vehicles and (c) encouraging teleconferencing and other measures to limit travel miles among employees.

EN5

Energy saved due to conservation and efficiency improvements

See EarthCents energy efficiency programs

EN6

Initiatives to provide energy-efficient or renewable energy-based products and services, and reductions in energy requirements as a result of these initiatives

EN7

Initiatives to reduce indirect energy consumption and reductions achieved

We offer programs supporting use of mass transit, van pooling, and teleworking. LEED certifications and energy efficiency practices in our office buildings. Energy reductions from these activities are not currently tracked.

EN8

Total water withdrawal

EN9

Water sources significantly affected by withdrawal of water

EN10

Percentage and total volume of water recycled and reused

EN11

Location and size of land owned, leased, managed in, or adjacent to, protected areas and areas of high biodiversity value outside protected areas

EN12

Description of significant impacts of activities, products, and services on biodiversity in protected areas and areas of high biodiversity value outside protected areas

Wildlife; Ecosystems; Rivers, Wetlands and Coastal Restoration; Land Management

EN13

Habitats protected or restored

Wildlife; Ecosystems; Rivers, Wetlands and Coastal Restoration; Land Management

EN14

Strategies, current actions, and future plans for managing impacts on biodiversity

Wildlife; Ecosystems; Rivers, Wetlands and Coastal Restoration; Land Management

EN15

Number of IUCN Red List species and national conservation list species with habitats in areas affected by operations, by level of extinction risk

Southern Company facilities and property are located within known ranges of a number of U.S. federally threatened or endangered species. Species occurrence or presence of critical habitat is evaluated and proper consultation is completed prior to initiating activities that occur in the proximity of identified species or their critical habitat. Below find links to species on the U.S. Threatened and Endangered list in our service territories. Georgia | Alabama | Mississippi/Florida Panhandle

EN16

Total direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by weight

EN17

Other relevant indirect greenhouse gas emissions by weight

Greenhouse gas emissions from our fleet will be tracked starting in 2009.

EN18

Initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reductions achieved

EN19

Emissions of ozone-depleting substances by weight

Not tracked.

EN20

NO, SO, and other significant air emissions by type and weight

EN21

Total water discharge by quality and destination

EN22

Total weight of waste by type and disposal method

EN23

Total number and volume of significant spills

No significant spills in 2007.

EN24

Weight of transported, imported, exported, or treated waste deemed hazardous

The Department of Energy failed to begin disposing of used fuel in 1998 as required by the contracts. Until the contract is fulfilled, used fuel continues to be stored safely on-site, as prescribed in operating licenses.

EN25

Identity, size, protected status, and biodiversity value of water bodies and related habitats significantly affected by the reporting organization’s discharges of water and runoff

See Lakes

EN26

Initiatives to mitigate environmental impacts of products and services, and extent of impact mitigation

EN27

Percentage of products sold and their packaging materials that are reclaimed by category

Electricity is not packaged.

EN28

Monetary value of significant fines and total number of non-monetary sanctions for noncompliance with environmental laws and regulations

For material fines, see 10K, Management's Discussion and Analysis (e.g. II-24)

EN29

Significant environmental impacts of transporting products and other goods and materials used for the organization’s operations, and transporting members of the work force

Southern Company maintains a vehicle fleet for transmission and distribution work and other customer service activities. We are looking at ways to reduce miles driven and add more fuel efficient vehicles. We're partners with auto manufacturers, looking at hybrid vehicle adoption and energy charging logistics. Additionally we encourage mass transit, van pool, and other commuter programs in metro areas where employees are concentrated.

EN30

Total environmental protection expenditures and investments by type

Technology Research | Emission Reduction

Social Performance Indicators

LA3

Benefits

LA7

Health and safety rates