Multinational communication technology provider Ericsson has published its 21st sustainability and corporate responsibility report summarizing its performance during 2013 that include improvements in the company's activities and products with regard to energy, environment and climate change.

Ericsson began a long term commitment to demonstrate that connectivity would play a decisive role in fighting poverty in Africa. Since 2007 when it joined the initiative, mobile connectivity has been brought to more than 500,000 people in 12 countries across sub-saharan Africa, improving access to health education and boosting livelihoods among other benefits.

Hans Vestberg, president and CEO, Ericsson says "Sustainability is increasingly integrated into our business strategy. I firmly believe that our commitment to sustainability and CR enhances our competitiveness and actions we take today will enable positive business outcomes in the future."

As a lead telecom partner in the Millennium villages' project, Ericsson is the first in the industry to conduct a full human rights impact assessment in line with the new united Nations Guiding principles on Business and Human Rights. The emphasis on conducting business responsibly takes full value chain perspective. It begins with supply chain and extends through Ericsson's own operations including the sales process, where the sales compliance board examined more than 200 cases during 2013.

The anti-corruption program is in focus and some 85,000 employees have taken a training course outlining the company's policies and standards. The area has over the past gained importance to all stakeholders and has focused on building a strong foundation for corporate responsibility within the company, as well as stronger operational processes to handle problems.

Examples from the portfolio include the Ericsson Psi coverage solution that uses a single radio unit to provide the same 3G coverage as an ordinary base station equipped with three units, introduced last year and Ericsson Radio Dot system which revolutionizes indoor coverage, reduces power requirements by more than 50% compared to traditional Distributed Antenna systems, and prolongs battery life of end-user devices used in enterprise environments.

Technology for good programs aim to increase access and affordability to communications which reported significant progress in 2013.