Corporate Responsibility

FTSE is active in managing its own corporate responsibility. Like any company, it has a range of its own stakeholders, and is committed to meeting high standards of corporate responsibility towards them. As the company has grown over the last ten years, it has taken steps to manage its business impacts and to conduct its activities in the wider community in a responsible way. FTSE has been independently assessed and accredited as a GoodCorporation company for the last 5 years, an achievement of which we are very proud. We define our stakeholders as six separate groups - employees, shareholders, suppliers, clients, local communities and the environment – and we are concerned with managing and minimising risks and impacts in these areas.

Employees

FTSE is committed to providing a great workplace for its one hundred and eighty employees worldwide. We have received Investor in People awards each year for the last 6 years. FTSE runs employee focus groups each year to understand what is going well and to identify the areas that could be improved upon and enhanced. As a result of these focus groups, a number of new initiatives and policies have been introduced to improve the working environment and ensure that we retain the team of financial services professionals we’ve worked hard to build. Examples of this include a policy and management system to assess number of hours worked in each area and ensure a life/work balance, as well as a policy which allows women returning from maternity leave to work on a part time basis.

Clients

We were delighted to be awarded by the Global Pensions magazine, “Leading Index Provider of the Year 2008” award, in recognition of our innovative approach to indexing. A panel of experts representing leading asset owners worldwide selects the winner of this award. This award means a great deal to us, and has strengthened our resolve to continue with the market led approach to the creation and enhancement of our product portfolio.

Communities

A good corporate citizen plays an active role in its community. FTSE fully acknowledges these responsibilities and is committed to work with children’s charity UNICEF. Throughout 2008, part of FTSE’s financial contribution to UNICEF will directly support two projects in Mozambique. We're giving £100,000 to a Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) programme and £100,000 to a Preventing New Infections programme. The PMTCT programme will use our contribution to refurbish health centres, train health workers, and provide basic medicines. The Preventing New Infections programme will run multimedia sessions across Mozambique, delivering healthcare messages in communities with high rates of illiteracy. FTSE has contributed over GBP 2 million to UNICEF, since the two organisations began working together in 1999.

Environment

Environmental conservation figures largely in FTSE Group’s practical commitment to socially responsible issues. FTSE measures, and has targets, for energy usage. For more details please see FTSE’s Environmental Policy in the Environment section.

Suppliers and Shareholders

FTSE’s interaction with its shareholders and suppliers was assessed as part of the Good Corporation verification process, and the company was awarded a “Merit” status, for both areas. Our activities around shareholder interaction was recognised with support for our communication processes and our own corporate governance structures. In dealings with suppliers and subcontractors, the audit found that FTSE was honest and fair in its dealings with suppliers.