Key Stakeholder Issues
Climate Change
Cobham recognises that the climate is changing and that this change is likely to impact our business in terms of physical, regulatory and competitive risks as well as providing us with significant commercial opportunities. Many of our customers and investors recognise these impacts, risks and opportunities and the need to transition to a low carbon economy.
In order to keep our stakeholders informed of our progress in this area we have committed to participating in the 2009 Carbon Disclosure Project that will set out our understanding that these changes will have on our business and what we plan to do in response. Our submission will provide information on our first carbon footprint and how we will use this as a basis for developing our climate change strategy during 2009.
Cobham applies its core technology in adjacent markets such as wind and solar power. Our slipring technology is used by some of the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturers (e.g. Enercon, Siemens and Vergnet) and we are adapting our antenna technology to provide unique solar panel tracking systems. Civil defence agencies have utilised our satellite communications expertise to provide temporary satellite communication links following severe weather events when all other conventional systems have failed (e.g. Hurricane Katrina). We anticipate increased opportunities to apply our technology and innovation to opportunities in renewable energy, communications, monitoring and surveillance resulting from the impacts of climate change.
Cluster Munitions and Anti-Personnel Mines
In the lead up to the signing of the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Oslo in December 2008 we received several queries from the investment community regarding our involvement with these weapons. In response to these queries we can confirm that Cobham does not make or sell cluster munitions or anti-personnel mines and we are committed to complying with the national legislation of the countries where we are present, as well as with any relevant international regulations or conventions that our operations are legally bound to comply with. We do not condone the use of any weapons which result in the maiming or loss of civilian life. We are active in developing both detection and neutralisation equipment that mitigates the risks to both forces and civilians arising from unexploded cluster bomblets, anti-personnel mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Cobham Technical Services (Leatherhead, UK) has developed a dual sensor mine detector (Minehound VMR2) that can detect metalled and non-metalled landmines. Its primary use is for humanitarian clearance of anti-personnel mines and has been trialled in several countries including Cambodia, Bosnia and Angola with excellent results. The development project was part funded by the UK Department for International Development (DifD).
A vehicle-mounted detection and neutralisation system, known as ‘Zeus’, has been developed by Cobham Analytic Solutions (Arlington, VA, USA). The system uses a laser to neutralise surface and near-surface ordnance from a vehicle at distance thereby reducing the risk of explosion to ordnance clearance personnel when approaching these sometimes unstable explosive objects.