Sustainability
Committed to growth that is sustainable
‘Sustainable in everything we do’ is one of our foundations and signals to our stakeholders and shareholders the importance we place on building sustainability into all aspects of our business. We are committed to products, services and experiences that are: better for the planet, better for the home and better for people — with communicated governance, policies, measures and shared values to back up what we say and do. In July 2021 we reorganised and reinvigorated the way we manage our sustainability activities with Nick Wilkinson, CEO, chairing our new Pathway to Zero Steering Group.
Nick Wilkinson, CEO and Chair of Pathway to Zero Steering Group
We have made a step-change in or approach and commitments, reflecting increased internal focus.
We are designing products for the longer-term, seeking our materials that have less impact on the environment and reducing waste by offering more recycling options.
- Circular economy
- Plastics and packaging
- Responsible sourcing and manufacturing
- Cotton
- Timber
- Palm oil
- Animal-derived products
We are improving processes and introducing initiatives that benefit our colleagues, customers and communities.
GOVERNANCE, POLICIES and SHARED VALUES
We continue to comply with best practice governance standards and continually improve our Board effectiveness.
SUSTAINABLE IN EVERYTHING WE DO
Our reporting mirrors how we think about sustainability in our business. Core environmental, social and governance (ESG) information is embedded in our Annual Report and Accounts 2021, with additional data in our ESG data sheet and Policies and statements.
SUSTAINABILITY METRICS AND TARGETS
During FY21, as we developed our sustainability objectives, we set ourselves additional targets and metrics, including our long-term greenhouse gas emissions targets, packaging reduction and circular economy targets. We have also reviewed our targets on key materials sourcing and made some of them more ambitious. We included sustainability metrics in our LTIP for the first time, which is why some of the targets go to FY24. As we move towards full disclosure under the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and develop our ambitions, we expect to augment these targets.
PERFORMANCE
Commentary on performance against metrics which were in force throughout FY21 can be found in the sustainability section of our Annual Report and in the Carbon reduction, Circular economy and Community sections on this website. During FY20 and FY21, performance against many targets was impacted (in some cases positively and in others negatively) by store closures, social distancing restrictions and abnormal travel patterns as a result of Covid-19.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (‘SDGs’), created by the United Nations in 2015, are designed to improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. Companies worldwide have a role to play in achieving these objectives. We indicate where our sustainability work supports these recognised goals in each relevant ‘Metrics and targets’ section.