WoolWorths holdings limited 2013 good BUsiness JoUrneY report

setting out
CEO/Chairman’s Statement
The sustainability agenda of a retail
group in the southern hemisphere
is vastly different from that of a
retailer in the UK or China. Even more so
if the group is South African. Consequently,
the issues that impact the WHL group
have a unique flavour and character. We
are a deeply values-based organisation
and this has driven us to look even more
deeply at our broader impact on the
world around us.
We started on our sustainability journey
in 2007. We did not have a set plan but
called it a journey as we recognised
that real change cannot be achieved
overnight. We also knew that it would be
a journey of learning and that we did not
have all the answers from the outset and
would need to adapt as we progressed.
Our Good Business Journey is now in its
seventh year, but essentially still has the
same two objectives:
– Measuring and managing our direct
and indirect impact on the community
and world around us, right across our
value chain, and
– Educating and influencing our customers
towards responsible consumption.
This supports the WHL group vision:
To be a world leader in retail brands that
appeal to people who care about quality,
innovation and sustainability.
Although we have refined our over 200
individual Good Business Journey targets
since starting the journey (the original
five year plan was updated in 2011 by
launching the “beyond 2012” targets) we
remain committed to six areas of focus:
– transformation
– social development
– energy
– waste
– water and
– sustainable farming
Business’ role in driving sustainability is becoming ever more important:
This applies to both the community around us and to the environment
that serves us all.
Business’ role in driving sustainability
is becoming ever more important: This
applies to both the community around
us and to the environment that serves us
all. Ultimately, protecting the environment
and its ability to support our natural
and human resources is crucial for our
economic growth, and job creation.
The strategy, objectives and performance
of the group are evaluated with reference
not only to its financial results, but to its
overall fully integrated performance. We
believe that focusing on all the elements
of governance, economic growth,
transformation, social development and
the environment will create shared value
for the group and all our stakeholders.
Looking back at the 2013 financial year,
the Good Business Journey brought some
significant achievements, and, as always,
some challenging areas where we can
still improve.
Our highlights for the year again featured
a number of awards from a range of
stakeholders and institutions that rate
and evaluate the group from very
different perspectives.
These include being named joint winner
of the International Responsible Retailer
of the year award (for the third time in
five years), being selected as one of the
Ten Most Innovative Companies in Africa
in 2012 by Forbes Magazine and once
again being included in both the
JSE Socially Responsible Investment
(SRI) index and the Dow Jones World
Sustainability Index for 2012/13. We are
one of only five South African-listed
companies included in this index.
Of course awards are great recognition,
but what is key is that we continue to
deliver and change things on the ground
in meaningful ways.
Contrary to the common belief that
sustainability is a ‘cost that eases
conscience’ we continue to deliver
financial results that show strong growth,
lower costs and real improvements to
communities and the environment in
which we operate.
2013 also saw our best achievement
to date in Broad-Based Black Economic
Empowerment (BBBEE). Following a strong
focus on improvement in skills development
and procurement, we have been rated a
level 3 contributor. Besides employing over
23 500 people directly, our supply chain
supports more than double that amount.
Indeed, as 70% of total product and more
than 96% of our food comes from South
Africa, we are a significant provider of
jobs at home.
WHL 12 / 2013 GOOD BUSINESS JOURNEY