Sustainability
A responsible business culture informs the way we work.
This ambition echoes our commitment to empower our customers to do the right business in the right way. Our sustainability strategy was developed by understanding our material issues, ensuring that our approach to ESG is strongly aligned to our broader strategic objectives and delivers positive outcomes for all our stakeholders.
The four core values that reflect our responsible business culture underpin the four pillars of our sustainability strategy.
Strategic pillars
Cultural positivity
Create equal opportunities and nurture talent in a safe and mindful environment.
Customer empowerment
Deliver products that are accessible, high value, up to date and move with industry trends.
Proactive assurance
Uphold high standards related to digital protection, regulatory requirements, ethics & production.
Environmental responsibility
Reduce environmental impact by minimising carbon footprint and committing to responsible procurement.
Materiality
Our bespoke sustainability framework was developed by taking into account a wide range of factors that helped us to identify the material issues that will impact our long term prosperity.
Why it matters to us
We strive to create long term value for all our stakeholders, and positive engagement is a top priority. Our sustainability initiatives are closely aligned to the interests of our key stakeholders, and are developed with reference to: customer insight; employee engagement survey feedback; consideration of industry and peer group trends; senior leadership goals; and shareholder values.
Find out more about how we engage with our key stakeholders.
The success of our business is underpinned by our dynamic operating model, which focuses on operational excellence in four key areas. The core values defining each pillar of our sustainability strategy support the business processes that help us to achieve operational excellence, and therefore drive progress against our broader strategic objectives.
The sustainability initiatives we implement will play a valuable role in supporting the actions we take to mitigate our principal risks. The risk review in our latest annual report demonstrates how we have mapped each pillar of our sustainability strategy to the risks they help to mitigate.
We recognise that we operate in an increasingly complex socio-economic environment, and that global challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic, and the climate crisis, have the potential to significantly impact our key stakeholders. We therefore recognise that we have a role to play in making a positive contribution towards overcoming global issues and therefore we make sure our work aligns to efforts to advance the sustainable development goals.
Sustainable development goals
The work we are doing in each area of our sustainability strategy supports the following UN sustainable development goals:
3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and wellbeing.
5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.
8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
12.2 and 12.5: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources and substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.
13.0: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.