Since we opened our first store in 1869 it’s just been the way we do business. Today the agenda has moved on and so have people’s views, so we have looked at how we keep our own house in order as well as how we can help customers and colleagues to make real and lasting changes for the environment in which we all live.
We are proud of the difference we have already made through a variety of initiatives such as our Active Kids scheme, which has donated £34 million of sports and activity equipment to schools, our commitment to selling 100% Fairtrade bananas, which has improved the lives of hundreds of farmers and the sales of 4.7 million Bags for Life every year, saving 50 million disposable plastic bags from being sent to landfill.
That’s why we have launched a series of ‘Make the Difference’ days to champion specific social and environmental issues. Each day highlights an issue, says what we are doing to address it and offers simple ways that customers and colleagues can also get involved. If we all act together we can really make the difference.
Engaging with stakeholders
The relationships we have with our customers, colleagues, suppliers and investors are at the heart of Sainsbury’s and shape the way we do things. We reinforce these relationships by engaging with organisations that inform our thinking on the way we do business. These include the Government, non-government organisations (NGOs), charities, trade unions and associations.
By engaging with such a wide range of interested parties we are able to understand current issues, develop our business and manage risks. This measured approach means that we will always listen to views expressed enabling us to make informed decisions.
The breadth of organisations we meet and work with keeps us abreast of an ever-changing and developing agenda. These include Marine Stewardship Council, Carbon Trust, Soil Association, Fair Trade Foundation, Woodland Trust, British Nutrition Foundation, British Dietetic Association and the Forest Stewardship Council.
We are committed to working towards a sustainable future. To help us achieve this, Sainsbury’s is proud to be entering its fourth year as the only retailer that is a Foundation Corporate Partner of Forum for the Future, the UK’s leading sustainable development charity (www.forumforthefuture.org). Forum for the Future plays an important role in helping us to make sure that sustainability remains at the heart of our business. We also meet regularly with organisations such as the National Farmers Union, Greenpeace and others to share views and expertise and we have found those discussions helpful in alerting us to issues of concern to our customers. To ensure a fully rounded view of the industry and customer issues, we work with a number of cross-industry and multi-stakeholder organisations. For example, we are members of Ethical Trading Initiative, Business in the Community, the London Benchmarking Group and the Green Alliance.
