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Corporate social responsibility report
Wolseley believes that implementing and developing its Corporate Social Responsibility (‘CSR’) policies is integral to its operations. We are committed to CSR as a sustainable approach to business that benefits all stakeholders: customers, employees, shareholders, as well as communities in general.
Wolseley aims to uphold the highest standards of environmental and social responsibility. CSR issues form part of the overall internal control process and the safety and well-being of Wolseley’s employees are paramount. The Company is a constituent member of the FTSE4Good Index of socially responsible companies, designed to measure the performance of companies that meet globally recognised corporate responsibility standards.
This year, in addition to other relevant information, the Group is reporting for the first time on its carbon (CO2) emissions, management of waste and use of water. A common platform has been established in order that such environmental information from the Group’s diverse operations can be measured and reviewed on a regular and consistent basis.
We are continuing to develop systems which will enable and enhance CSR reporting across all of the Group’s businesses including in relation to CO2 emissions, waste management and the use of water.
Health, safety and environment Wolseley operates a largely decentralised structure and one of the key drivers of the Group’s success has been the high degree of autonomy which is afforded to local managements, allowing each to serve their markets in the manner most suited to their business. Within this structure, the Board has set down a number of health, safety and environmental principles with which all the Group’s businesses are required to comply. Environmental principles include the integration of environmental management into business operations, a commitment to prevent pollution and comply with local environmental legislation and ensuring proper communication with employees on environmental matters. Health and safety principles include the prohibition of substance abuse, fleet maintenance in compliance with local legislation, the provision and use of protective clothing and apparatus and full safety training for all employees.
Environment Management Systems Our products impact the environment at every stage of their life cycle, from the sourcing of materials through to their use and disposal.
Wolseley’s aim is to continue to make improvements in environmental performance through the efficient use of energy, water and packaging and it has established systems to enable it to measure and set targets to reduce environmental impacts throughout the Group.
This year, following the continued development of its Environmental Management System, Wolseley UK has attained ISO 14001 accreditation in a further eight branches, bringing the total to 11 accredited branches.
Carbon (CO2)Emissions Emissions of CO2 have been reported according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, which was jointly developed by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the World Resources Institute. The protocol differentiates between emissions for which businesses are directly responsible, indirect emissions caused in the generation of supplied electricity and all other indirect emissions both upstream and downstream. As it is impossible to know or control the negligible downstream emissions generated when products sold by the Group are used, they have been excluded from this report. Similarly, reporting on the upstream emissions of our businesses would currently rely heavily on estimates and, as a result, they have also been excluded from this analysis. However, given the nature of our operations, the Group does believe that it is appropriate to report on the emissions from third-party provided transportation.
CO2 emissions – Direct impact
| Source | Definition | Data source and calculation methods |
Absolute, tonnes FY 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business | Emissions from | Yearly fuel | |
| operations | utility boilers | consumption | |
| collected from | |||
| fuel bills | 120,601 | ||
| Vehicle fuel | Emissions from | Expense claims and | |
| vehicle use | recorded mileage | 228,470 | |
| Total | 349,071 |
CO2 emissions – Indirect impact
| Source | Definition | Data source and calculation methods |
Absolute, tonnes FY 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity | Directly purchased | Yearly consumption | |
| electricity, which | of directly purchased | ||
| generates | electricity in KWh, | ||
| greenhouse gases | converted according | ||
| including CO2 | to country specific | ||
| emissions | guidelines | 147,455 | |
| Business | Third-party | Recorded miles | |
| travel | provided transport | converted according | |
| (air and rail) | to DEFRA emission | ||
| factors | 2,386 | ||
| Total | 149,841 |
The tables above comprise CO2 emissions data captured from businesses representing 63.3 per cent of Group turnover for the year ended 31 July 2007.
In total, the representative Group businesses within this report emitted a total of 498,912 tonnes of CO2 in the year ended 31 July 2007. Approximately 70.0 per cent of the CO2 emissions were as a result of direct emissions from fossil-fuel consumption of which 34.6 per cent were related to business operations and 65.4 per cent were related to vehicle fuel use. Wolseley is committed to taking all practicable steps to reduce its carbon footprint across the Group.