Our approach to corporate social responsibility is built on our desire to make a difference and to be proud of the contribution we make to the wellbeing of the communities we serve. It reflects our purpose to deliver products and services that help people look and feel their best and our approach is instrumental in fulfilling our mission to become the world’s leading pharmacy-led health and beauty group.
In terms of our corporate social responsibility activities, our businesses operate within the same framework which is in accordance with Group priorities. When making business decisions we aim to take account of our impact on the planet, the people involved and our profitability. This way we can build a world-leading sustainable group.
As a pharmacy-led heath and beauty group, our corporate social responsibility principles are naturally embedded in the working practices of our people. Corporate social responsibility is not seen as an additional activity, it is integrated into daily routines. Many of our activities in this area deliver value through, for example, either reducing costs or generating new commercial opportunities.
We aim to foster our people’s energy and commitment to the Group’s wider sustainability agenda. In this way corporate social responsibility continues to be integrated into daily business life at every level of the organisation. This is achieved within an overall framework that is consistent across our Group, yet adaptable locally, allowing different businesses within the Group to set and measure performance against overall targets, develop their own tailored initiatives and take local responsibility. All of this is supported by collaborative internal networks that positively encourage the sharing of best practice and innovative ideas.
To support good governance of our behaviour and approach to corporate social responsibility, the Group has produced a number of key policy statements. These cover environment, health and safety, charity, product testing, customer safety and diversity.
Alliance Boots recognises that some of the most pressing issues affecting sustainability concern the scarcity of natural resources and the protection of biodiversity. We have addressed these issues over many years by introducing procurement policies for the use of independently certified sources wherever possible, and instigating projects within our sourcing and product development teams to manage and reduce our potential impact.
Examples include Boots UK working with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, on the authentication of plant extracts, as well as working with the WWF Global Forest and Trade Network in the UK on sustainable wood, paper and pulp products, and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.
In addition, Boots UK has extended its sustainability process to capture traceability data for wood-based materials back to primary sources and has set a target to include data for all the natural materials and ingredients used in Boots product brands within the next two years. The business has also developed strong research links with institutions such as the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence at the University of York to investigate the development of materials derived from plant-based feedstock in order to reduce dependence on finite mineral resources.