A view on Woolworths' corporate responsibility reportBY JOSH DOWSE | FRIDAY, 21 DEC 2012 10:09AMIf you eat or drink in Australia, you're likely to have been a Woolworths customer once or twice this year. If not, you may have bought something in a big box from BigW or Masters, as Woolworths pushes to match its doppelganger Wesfarmers in every sector. Woollies is a big part of our national furniture, and it matters what they do. Someone asked me to have a look at their 2012 corporate responsibility report. I put it on the list and now, crossing off my last to-do of the year, here is a view. It's too light a treatment on many issues, not least alcohol and farmer relationships, but there is still much to see. Related News |
Editor's Choice
Podcast: From silos to synergy
First Sentier Investors' global head of responsible investment Kate Turner joins The Greener Way to discuss how accounting for the many inter-reactions and flow-on effects of addressing specific sustainability issues can lead to improved outcomes.
Plenti wins WA government mandate
ASX-listed Plenti Group has won a mandate from the Western Australian government to help the state accelerate the adoption of batteries.
Carbon tariffs on some imports urgently needed: Climate Energy Finance
Despite the raging global trade war, Climate Energy Finance (CEF) is calling for carbon tariffs on some imports and for Australia to lead the way for a regional Asian carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM).
Climate investing declines amid Trump's anti-clean energy regime
Although investors are withdrawing from climate investing due to uncertainty from the aggressive approach by the US President Donald Trump in his pro-fossil fuels and anti-energy agenda, it opens up opportunities further afield.
Whitepapers
Mandatory sustainability reporting in Australia
This paper provides an in-depth guide on identifying which entities need to prepare mandatory sustainability reports in their annual reports, and covers ...
Decoding Trump 2.0 and the impact on ESG investing
From an ESG perspective, Trump's social, economic and political agenda will keep issues rich and complicated for companies and investors alike, and that ...
Credit where credit is due. Woolworths is making progress in some areas of concern but still walking both sides of the street.
It would be useful for Woolworths to benchmark themselves against leading supermarkets elsewhere Tesco, Sainsbury's, Royal Ahold to name a few.
Given their immense status I am looking to Woolworths to lead the debate rather than follow community sentiment.
Has Woolworths considering using rooftops to host solar arrays or providing on site waste to energy plants?
We are getting to sustainable production and consumption very slowly and large corporates have the power and the profits to move the goal posts.
Like many people I spend money consciously at both Westfarmers and Woolworths stores. A REAL commitment to sustainability would generate greater loyalty from conscious consumers and gain market share from swinging shoppers.
I watch the space and hope for leadership to emerge.
[...] published in The Sustainability Report, 21 December [...]