2568.11 kb - Compass Group

18 Compass Group PLC Annual Report 2007Acting responsiblyOver the past year, we have further reviewedand continued to build on our CorporateSocial Responsibility (‘CSR’) strategy againstthe increasingly complex environment inwhich we operate. As a result, we haverenewed and strengthened our determinationthat Compass should continue to improve itsCSR journey.We regard CSR as a sustainable approachto business that seeks benefits for all ourstakeholders, be they customers, employees,communities, the environment or theCompany and its shareholders. We supportsound CSR policies and practices for goodbusiness reasons. Our commitment toCSR is not simply a response to increasedmarket attention to this area, but acts as areinforcement of the way that our businessoperates on a daily basis. The Board believesthat the progressive integration of CSR acrossthe Group and the inclusion of broader socialand environmental issues into our decisionmaking will help us achieve our business goalsand act as an essential building block forgrowth in shareholder value.Corporate cultureOur valuesOur vision is detailed on the inside front coverof the Annual Report. Our strong set ofvalues is key to achieving this; defining what,collectively, we believe in and the basis ofeverything we do:Openness, trust and integrityWe have a commitment to open dialogue andtransparency with all of our stakeholders.We set the highest ethical and professionalstandards at all times. We want all ourrelationships to be based on honesty, respectand fairness.Speak UpOur ‘whistle-blowing’ programme is now available to99% of our employees globally.Passion for qualityWe are passionate about delivering superiorfood and service to our customers and takepride in achieving this. We look to replicatesuccess, learn from mistakes and developideas, innovation and practices that will helpus improve and be leaders in our marketplace.Win through teamworkWe encourage individual ownership butwork as a team. We value the expertise,individuality and contribution of all ouremployees, working in support of each otherand sharing good practice, in pursuit ofshared goals.Can-doWe take a positive and commerciallyaware ‘can-do’ approach to the day-to-dayopportunities and challenges we face.ResponsibilityWe take responsibility for our actions,individually and as a Group. Everyday,everywhere we look to make a positivecontribution to the health and wellbeingof our customers, the communities we workin and the world we live in.Code of EthicsThe Compass Code of Ethics sets out oursocial, ethical and environmental commitmenttowards each of our stakeholders and thecommunities in which we operate. The Codeunderpins our CSR programme and supportsour business integrity. During 2007, welaunched a specific ethical business trainingprogramme for our European buying teamwhich supports an ethical approach tobusiness practice, the protection of humanrights and clearly sets out the behaviourwe expect from buyers when dealing withour supply partners across Europe.This successful programme will be furtherextended to include our buying colleaguesin North America early in 2008.We operate a ‘Speak Up’ programme so thatour employees can raise, on a confidentialbasis, any concerns about how we conduct ourbusiness. Our ‘whistle-blowing’ programmeis available to 99% of our employees and wewill complete the roll-out to the balance of ouremployees in the remaining countries duringthe course of 2008. Ongoing work continuesto be undertaken throughout the business toraise employee awareness and regular reportsare also provided to the Audit Committeeof the Board.Corporate Responsibility CommitteeWe have established a CorporateResponsibility Committee of the Board, toprovide direction and guidance on all aspectsof business practice and responsibility ensuringconsistent application everywhere we operate.The committee’s primary responsibilitiesinclude: overseeing health, safety andenvironmental practices, business conduct, thepositive promotion of employee engagementas well as diversity and communityinvestment. The committee comprisesSir Roy Gardner (Chairman), RichardCousins, Andrew Martin, Steve Lucas,Jane Kingston (Group Human ResourcesDirector), and Mark White.A commitment to developperformance indicatorsWe want to track our progress along our CSRjourney and to update our stakeholders on theprogress we are making. We are developing andrefining a common set of key performanceindicators (‘KPIs’) and targets to measure ourCSR success. These will provide us with ameans to monitor and manage performanceat a Group level, complementing existingmeasures at a business level. For example,we are working to assess our environmentalperformance using the model recommendedby the UK Government Agency DEFRA, andare selecting future KPIs that are relevant toour sector. We have identified greenhousegases, particularly CO 2 emissions and waste,as our key environmental impacts. FromOctober 2007, we implemented a web-basedtracking tool across our ‘Top Ten’ countries(representing more than 80% of total Grouprevenue), to collect the necessary environmentalperformance data that we require, the resultsof which will form the basis of our reportingfor our 2007/08 CSR review.