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 Cobham participates in the Carbon Disclosure Project which its report available from on the CDP website.
Cobham applies its core technology in adjacent markets such as wind power. Our slipring technology is used by some of the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturers (e.g. Enercon, Siemens and Vergnet), Cobham flywheels are used as an emission free alternative regulator in electricity production.
Civil defence agencies have utilised our satellite communications expertise to provide temporary satellite communication links following severe weather events or natural disasters when all other conventional systems have failed (e.g. Hurricane Katrina, Haiti Earthquake). 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).
In addition, Cobham provides COFDM capabilities to unmanned ground vehicles used in bomb disarmament and recently aquired Telerob, an advanced bomb disposal robot and threat response vehicle manufacturer.