Our policy – The role of being a good corporate citizen has now become a lot broader. One of the main influences is the impact of human activities on the environment and the serious effects this is having on future sustainability.
It will be the efforts of many that will make a difference, and we recognise the importance of the part that we need to play. We also recognise that sustainability is more than just addressing environmental concerns; it is also about the relationship to associated economic and social matters.
Principles
Good for Business
We want our activities and products to reflect well on our customers and ourselves. This means conducting our business in an ethical way at all times and selling products that have environmental integrity. It is also a way to strengthen and protect the reputation of our brands.
Viability
In our view, sustainability is about taking a long-term view of the contribution we make to society's well being, along with ensuring the financial viability of the business. There need not be a trade-off between the two, but we recognise that if the financial fundamentals of the business are compromised it will not be possible to comprehensively address the environmental issues.
Collaboration
We have significant business relationships with our suppliers and distributors. In the interests of achieving outstanding performance, we need to understand their environmental policies and work to achieve alignment between the intentions and implementation of our respective environmental programmes.
Objectives
To minimise or neutralise the impact of our activities on the environment in the most cost-effective way.
To source our products and position our brands so that we have the most environmentally innovative offerings in the market place.
To assume a leadership position based on our brand values of trust, integrity and responsibility.
Activities
- Develop an internal culture where sustainable practices become 'second nature'
- Implement a programme of education and training to reinforce obligations and maintain best practice
- Establish roles and responsibilities for planning and implementing programmes
- Conduct regular audits to assess risk, benchmark performance and assess progress toward meeting goals
- Engage with business partners to develop a 'common' approach to sustainability
- Ensure the efficient use of energy, reduction of waste and recycling of materials
- Comply with environmental laws and look to exceed any regulatory requirements
- Communicate and report regularly on environmental performance to staff, business partners and other relevant stakeholders