GRI Index

Use the index below to locate material organized by Global Reporting Initiative 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.

Strategy and Analysis
Statement from CEO
Tom Fanning
Organizational Profile
Organization name
Southern Company
Atlanta, Georgia USA
Countries of operation
Investor-owned utility
Scale of organization including number of employees, net sales/revenues, total capitalization
Awards also noted in corresponding sections.
Report Parameters
To be updated as new figures are available
Date of previous report
First: 2006. This online report is always current and updated as changes occur.
Reporting cycle
Annual or more frequent online updates
Basis for reporting on joint ventures, etc.
Refer to Annual Report
Data measurement techniques and bases of calculations including assumptions
Environmental: collection and sampling per regulatory standards. Sources and assumptions noted on performance charts.
Restatements of information
GRI Content Index table
This page
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
Indicate whether chair of highest governance body is also an executive officer
David Ratcliffe: Southern Company Chairman, CEO, and President
Percent of independent directors
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
Linkage between compensation and organization's performance for members of highest governance body/senior executives
Process for the Board to ensure conflicts of interest are avoided
Processes for determining qualifications and expertise for guiding strategy
Procedures of highest governance body for overseeing economic, environmental and social performance including compliance, codes of conduct
Processes for evaluating performance of governance body with respect to economic, environmental and social performance
Explanation of how precautionary approach/principle is addressed by organization
Externally developed, voluntary economic, environmental, and social charters, sets of principles, or other initiatives
Significant memberships in associations and/or advocacy organizations
Basis for identification and selection of stakeholders with whom to engage
For this report; For our business, see 4.16. Also see CEO Viewpoint
Approaches to stakeholder engagement, including frequency and type
Approaches include all categories 4.1 - 4.14. Note: Stakeholder engagement approaches are a standard operating requirement of the utility business and integrated into longstanding processes. For example, as an investor-owned utility, we conduct annual and quarterly financial reporting and business planning, including stockholder proposals as outlined in corporate governance by-laws. As a public utility, we engage in processes regulated by national, state and local authorities and elected officials. State public service commissions within our service territory have established mechanisms for assessing the need for rate changes, which leads to an open dialogue among the states, the company and other stakeholders. See PSC websites: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi. We also comply with environmental and community impact engagements—including local townhall meetings—within plant and transmission licensing and approval processes. For example, note stakeholder engagements for lakes and the hydro licensing process .
See Risk Factors in right sidebar as summarized from our Form-10K Annual Report.
Economic Performance Indicators
Coverage of the defined benefit plan obligations
Fully funded at or above required levels
Not tracked
Employees are primarily long-term residents of the regions they serve, however no data is released on employee-community proportion;
Fleet impacts to be added to emission reporting in 2009
Environmental Performance Indicators
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
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
Direct energy consumption
Energy Used By Southern Company (excluding station use): 271,096 kWh
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
Energy saved due to conservation and efficiency improvements
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.
Percentage and total volume of water recycled and reused
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
Total direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by weight
Other relevant indirect greenhouse gas emissions by weight
Greenhouse gas emissions from our fleet will be tracked starting in 2009
Emissions of ozone-depleting substances by weight
Not tracked
Total number and volume of significant spills
No significant spills in 2007
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.
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
Electricity is not packaged
For material fines, see 10K, Management's Discussion and Analysis (e.g., II-24)
Significant environmental impacts of transporting products and other goods and materials used for the organizationâ€™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.
Total environmental protection expenditures and investments by type
Social Performance Indicators
Programs to assist employees, families, or community members regarding storms and serious diseases
Program for adherence to laws, standards, and voluntary codes related to marketing communications
Our marketing communications follow ethics applicable to all areas of our business
Note - Many performance indicators in these sections are not applicable to our business (e.g., child labor) or have no recorded incidents. In a few categories, items are generally covered in sections noted. For complete discussion of reportable issues, see our 10K, Management's Discussion and Analysis.
See Work Force and Community for some society (SO) performance indicators.
See Diversity and Inclusion for human rights (HR) performance indicators.
See Generating Affordable and Reliable Electricity and Reducing Environmental Impact for product responsibility (PR) performance indicators.