NI CITIZENSHIP REPORT

About This Report

GRI Index

National Instruments used the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Guidelines (G3) to prepare its citizenship report. NI self-declares this report at GRI Application Level B.

Refer to the following tables to locate a specific GRI disclosure or indicator in the report.
Profile Disclosures
Performance Indicators

 
Legend
Reported
Partially reported
 

Profile Disclosures

Indicator Description 2009 Report Response or Link
Strategy and Analysis
1.1 Statement from the most senior decision maker of the organization Statement from the CEO
1.2 Description of key impacts, risks, and opportunities Company Profile. For information about financial risk factors, refer to the Risk Factors section in Form 10-K of the Annual Report.
Organizational Profile
2.1 Name of the organization National Instruments Corporation
2.2 Primary brands, products, and/or services Company Profile, Annual Report
2.3 Operational structure of the organization Company Profile, Annual Report
2.4 Location of organization's headquarters Company Profile
2.5 Number and names of countries where the organization operates ni.com/niglobal
2.6 Nature of ownership and legal form Annual Report
2.7 Markets served Annual Report
2.8 Scale of the reporting organization Annual Report
2.9 Significant changes during the reporting period Annual Report
2.10 Awards received in the reporting period Company Profile
Report Parameters
3.1 Reporting period for information provided About This Report
3.2 Date of most recent previous report (if any) About This Report
3.3 Reporting cycle Annual
3.4 Contact point for questions regarding the report or its contents About This Report
3.5 Process for defining report content Company Profile
3.6 Boundary of the report About This Report
3.7 State any specific limitations on the scope or boundary of the report About This Report
3.8 Basis for reporting on joint ventures, subsidiaries, leased facilities, outsourced operations, and other entities This report does not include data on joint ventures, subsidiaries, leased facilities, or outsourced operations, unless otherwise noted.
3.9 Data measurement techniques and the bases of calculations, including assumptions and techniques underlying estimations applied to the compilation of the indicators and other information in the report NI captures data from its relevant organizational units as well as third parties such as energy providers. Where only estimates of data were available, that fact is noted along with the data.
3.10 Explanation of the effect of any restatements of information provided in earlier reports About This Report
3.11 Significant changes from previous reporting periods in the scope, boundary, or measurement methods applied in the report None.
3.12 Table identifying the location of the Standard Disclosures in the report GRI Index
3.13 Policy and current practice with regard to seeking external assurance for the report About This Report
Governance, Commitments, and Engagement
4.1 Governance structure of the organization Company Profile
4.2 Indicate whether the Chair of the highest governance body is also an executive officer Company Profile
4.3 State the number of members of the highest governance body that are independent and/or non-executive members Company Profile
4.4 Mechanisms for shareholders and employees to provide recommendations or direction to the highest governance body Company Profile
4.5 Linkage between compensation for members of the highest governance body, senior managers, and executives, and the organization's performance Company Profile
4.6 Processes in place for the highest governance body to ensure conflicts of interest are avoided Proxy Statement, Certain Relationships and Related Transactions section
4.7 Process for determining the qualifications and expertise of the members of the highest governance body for guiding the organization's strategy on economic, environmental, and social topics Charter for the Nomination and Governance Committee of the NI Board of Directors; Proxy Statement, Corporate Governance section
4.8 Internally developed statements of mission or values, codes of conduct, and principles relevant to economic, environmental, and social performance and the status of their implementation Company Profile
4.9 Procedures of the highest governance body for overseeing the organization's identification and management of economic, environmental, and social performance, including relevant risks and opportunities, and adherence or compliance with internationally agreed standards, codes of conduct, and principles Company Profile
4.10 Processes for evaluating the highest governance body's own performance, particularly with respect to economic, environmental, and social performance Charter for the Audit Committee of the NI Board of Directors
4.11 Explanation of whether and how the precautionary approach or principle is addressed by the organization NI has not explicitly addressed the precautionary approach. However, both of the company's manufacturing facilities are certified to ISO 14001 standards, which NI uses to proactively identify where its activities have an environmental impact.
4.12 Externally developed economic, environmental, and social charters, principles, or other initiatives to which the organization subscribes or endorses
External Initiative Year of Adoption Operations Where Applied Key Stakeholders Voluntary or Required
Clean Air Partners Program 2004 Corporate headquarters Employees Voluntary
Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) Code of Conduct 2008 Worldwide Suppliers Voluntary
ISO 14001 standards 2003 Corporate headquarters and NI Hungary Employees Voluntary
4.13 Memberships in associations (such as industry associations) and/or national/international advocacy organizations Company Profile
4.14 List of stakeholder groups engaged by the organization Company Profile
4.15 Basis for identification and selection of stakeholders with whom to engage Company Profile
4.16 Approaches to stakeholder engagement, including frequency of engagement by type and by stakeholder group Company Profile
4.17 Key topics and concerns that have been raised through stakeholder engagement, and how the organization has responded to those key topics and concerns, including through its reporting Company Profile

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Performance Indicators

Indicator Description 2009 Report Response or Link
Economic
Disclosure on Management Approach A concise disclosure with reference to the following economic aspects:
  • Economic performance
  • Market presence
  • Indirect economic impacts
Management Approach Disclosures
EC1 Economic value generated and distributed Economic Performance
EC3 Coverage of the organization's defined benefit plan obligations Compensation and Benefits
Environmental
Disclosure on Management Approach A concise disclosure with reference to the following environmental aspects:
  • Materials
  • Energy
  • Water
  • Biodiversity
  • Emissions, effluents, and waste
  • Products and services
  • Compliance
  • Transport
  • Overall
Management Approach Disclosures
EN1 Materials used by weight or volume Product Design
EN3 Direct energy consumption by primary energy source Conserving Resources
EN4 Indirect energy consumption by primary source Conserving Resources. For purchased electricity, the corresponding primary energy consumed in production is not available.
EN5 Energy saved due to conservation and efficiency improvements Conserving Resources, Employees Driving Change
EN7 Initiatives to reduce indirect energy consumption and reductions achieved Conserving Resources, Employees Driving Change
EN8 Total water withdrawal by source Reducing Natural Gas Usage, Water Usage, and Emissions
EN10 Percentage and total volume of water recycled and reused NI does not recycle or reuse water at its corporate headquarters or NI Hungary.
EN13 Habitats protected or restored Approximately 63%, or 16.6 hectares, of the NI corporate headquarters campus remains in its original state with a healthy functioning ecosystem and is protected from any harm during operational activities. For more information about this campus, refer to the Reducing Natural Gas Usage, Water Usage, and Emissions section of this report.
EN16 Total direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by weight Reducing Natural Gas Usage, Water Usage, and Emissions
EN22 Total weight of waste by type and disposal method Recycling and Waste Reduction
EN23 Total number and volume of significant spills No hazardous spills occurred at either NI manufacturing facility.
EN26 Initiatives to mitigate environmental impacts of products and services, and extent of impact mitigation Product Life Cycle
EN28 Monetary value of significant fines and total number of nonmonetary sanctions for noncompliance with environmental laws and regulations No fines or sanctions incurred for noncompliance with environmental laws and regulations at either NI manufacturing facility.
Social
Labor Practices and Decent Work
Disclosure on Management Approach A concise disclosure with reference to the following labor aspects:
  • Employment
  • Labor/management relations
  • Occupational health and safety
  • Training and education
  • Diversity and equal opportunity
Management Approach Disclosures
LA1 Total workforce by employment type, employment contract, and region Retaining Employees
LA2 Total number and rate of employee turnover by age group, gender, and region Retaining Employees
LA7 Rates of injury, occupational diseases, lost days, and absenteeism, and number of work-related fatalities by region Health, Wellness, and Safety
LA10 Average hours of training per year per employee by employee category Learning Programs
LA11 Programs for skills management and lifelong learning that support the continued employability of employees and assist them in managing career endings Provide Superior Employee Development. NI does not offer sabbaticals as an employee benefit. NI offers the following transition assistance programs for employees who are retiring or who have been terminated.
Program Offered Details
Retirement planning for intended retirees Yes NI offers resources on retirement planning to all employees.
Retraining for those intending to continue working No  
Severance pay Yes NI offers severance pay in some situations. Typically, severance pay takes into account years of service.
Job placement services Yes NI offers job placement assistance in some situations.
Assistance on transitioning to a non-working life No  
LA12 Percentage of employees receiving regular performance and career development reviews Work Environment
LA13 Composition of governance bodies and breakdown of employees per category according to gender, age group, minority group membership, and other indicators of diversity Diversity and Inclusion
Human Rights
Disclosure on Management Approach A concise disclosure with reference to the following human rights aspects:
  • Investment and procurement practices
  • Nondiscrimination
  • Freedom of association and collective bargaining
  • Abolition of child labor
  • Prevention of forced and compulsory labor
  • Complaints and grievance practices
  • Security practices
  • Indigenous rights
Management Approach Disclosures
HR2 Percentage of significant suppliers and contractors that have undergone screening on human rights and actions taken Supplier Responsibility, Environmental Management, and Manufacturing Operations
HR6 Operations identified as having significant risk for incidents of child labor, and measures taken to contribute to the elimination of child labor NI has not identified any operations with significant risk for incidents of child labor of young workers exposed to hazardous work. NI does not and will not use child labor. The term "child" refers to any employed person under the age of 16, under the age for completing compulsory education, or under the minimum age for employment in the country, whichever is greatest. NI supports the use of legitimate workplace apprenticeship, internship, and similar programs that comply with all laws and regulations applicable to such programs.
HR7 Operations identified as having significant risk for incidents of forced or compulsory labor, and measures to contribute to the elimination of forced or compulsory labor NI has not identified any operations with significant risk for incidents of forced or compulsory labor. NI does not and will not use forced or involuntary labor of any type, including but not limited to forced, bonded, indentured, or involuntary prison labor. Employment is voluntary.
Society
Disclosure on Management Approach A concise disclosure with reference to the following society aspects:
  • Community
  • Corruption
  • Public policy
  • Anticompetitive behavior
  • Compliance
Management Approach Disclosures
SO3 Percentage of employees trained in organization's anticorruption policies and procedures Work Environment
Product Responsibility
Disclosure on Management Approach A concise disclosure with reference to the following product responsibility aspects:
  • Customer health and safety
  • Product and service labeling
  • Marketing communications
  • Customer privacy
  • Compliance
Management Approach Disclosures
PR1 Life cycle stages in which health and safety impacts of products and services are assessed for improvement, and percentage of significant products and services categories subject to such procedures NI assesses the health and safety impacts of products and services for improvement during the following life cycle stages.
Life Cycle Stage Impacts Assessed
Development of product concept No
R&D Yes
Certification Yes
Manufacturing and production Yes
Marketing and promotion No
Storage distribution and supply Yes
Use and service Yes
Disposal, reuse, or recycling Yes
Of the significant NI product or service categories, 100% are covered by and assessed for compliance with such procedures.
PR5 Practices related to customer satisfaction, including results of surveys measuring customer satisfaction Company Profile

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