2016 Co-op Way Report
Our ethics and sustainability performance
May 10, 2017 9:00 AM ET
The Co-op is one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives, with over 4 million active members. Its purpose is ‘Championing a better way of doing business for you and your communities’.
Today the Co-op announces the launch of its latest sustainability report, available as a summary Overview and also a more detailed Performance Data section. With a focus on how the 'Co- op Way' is a better way of doing business, the Report details progress and performance across nine key priorities.
Highlights include:
- Business ethics and behaviour - Fair Tax Max awarded for openness and honesty on tax
- Community - £9m donated to local community causes in the UK
- Ethical trade and human rights - a unique commitment to source 100% Fairtrade cocoa across all co-op brand products, and a campaign to support victims of modern slavery
- Healthy living - a campaign to tackle loneliness in partnership with the British Red Cross, with over £5.5m raised to date to help do this
- Food and farming - unlike any major supermarket, Co-op brand fresh meat is 100% British
- Environment and resource use - 99% of the Co-op’s electricity is from renewables and they’ve achieved a 46% reduction in direct GHG emissions since 2006
- Colleague wellbeing - colleague engagement score (78%) is higher than a benchmark of other retailers (73%)
- Diversity and inclusion - Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index ranks the Co-op 31st in its index of Britain’s top 100 employers actively encouraging gay-friendly places to work
- Health and safety - setting a clear strategic direction for safety management across the Co-op, with a fall in the number of serious, reportable accidents
The Report is independently assured and is in accordance with GRI G4 (core). For the first time the Co-op also report against the Sustainable Development Goals.
Media Contact:
Chris Sonne
Press and Media Manager
Mobile: 07770 544 721
