RA Sonae 59.indd

3.Our approach towards Sustainable Management
“We are in favour of competition and believe that a key feature of successful organisations
should be their concern for the personal development of their employees as well as the
strength of their leadership.
From the point of view of Corporate Social Responsibility, a company cannot be simply
a money making machine. In addition to giving the maximum return on investment to
shareholders, businesses have to earn the respect of the societies in which they operate,
preserving social cohesion, protecting the environment, and ensuring the long term
sustainability of the planet on which we live”.
Belmiro de Azevedo, Leadership Forum, London Business School, November 2006
The management of sustainability at the Sonae Group
has always been part of the strategic development of the
company. Sustainable Development and its application
to business has become one of the main concerns of
the Group, while it has also been perceived as a way of
developing new businesses and reducing costs.
Human capital has also always had a key place in the
growth strategy of the Group. In addition to training
which is specific to the improvement needs of each
employee, employees are encouraged to develop their
creativity and constantly search for excellence. “A thirst
for excellence, and a habit of constantly challenging the
businesses, demands a culture of permanent innovation
and entrepreneurship” 1 : a situation that can only be
achieved with a responsible and professional team.
In the same way, environmental issues have always
been an important part of the Group’s management.
For example, various training sessions have taken place
on eco efficiency so that an internal Group culture
exists which allows the continuous identification of new
methods of putting this concept into action, with the
goal of minimizing energy and water consumption, and
maximizing waste recovery.
This approach has been progressively integrated into
our management model, and implemented by each of
the sub-holdings by actions specific to their businesses.
We have made progress in the way that we practise the
principles of sustainable development, but recognise that
we will have to develop a more structured approach to
sustainability in particular in relation to international best
practice guidelines and the growing importance of nonfinancial
information.
Sonae Approach to Sustainable Management
Environment
Social
Governance
Maximization of future Economic
Value of the Company
. Eco Efficiency
. Responsible Environmental
Management
. Implementation of Environmental
Management Systems
Shareholder Value
Shareholder Value
Sustainable management means managing our company
in order to maximise its profitability, while internalising
environmental, social and governance issues into our
business strategy, since these will have an influence on our
financial performance. Such a complex subject that is of
concern to all Group businesses led our Chairman in 1994 to
challenge all sub-holdings to develop an environmentally
responsible attitude towards business, and to consider the
environment as a competitive advantage.
. Knowledge
. Empowerment
. Matching skills with job
functions
. Creativity
. Questioning status-quo
. Community involvement
(social, educational support)
. Values
. Business Principles
. Risk Management
. Transparancy
. Group Knowledge sharing
and coordination
In the same way, environmental issues have always been
an important part of the Group’s management.
1
Belmiro de Azevedo, Leadership Fórum, London Business School, November 2006
Sustainability Report 06
Sonae SGPS, S.A.
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