Tesco 2015 Annual Report Download - page 42

Corporate Responsibility Committee
responsibilities
The Corporate Responsibility Committee
was established in 2012 to ensure that the
Board maintains an adequate focus on corporate
responsibility in its widest sense. The Committee’s
terms of reference are available at www.tescoplc.com.
The key responsibilities of the Committee are to:
• Define the Group’s corporate and social obligations
as a responsible citizen and oversee its conduct
in the context of those obligations
• Approve a strategy for discharging the Group’s
corporate and social responsibilities in such
a way as to command respect and confidence
• Identify and monitor those external developments
which are likely to have a significant influence on
the Group’s reputation and/or its ability to conduct
its business appropriately as a good citizen
and review how best to protect that reputation
or that ability
• Oversee the creation of appropriate policies
and supporting measures
• Monitor the Group’s engagement with external
stakeholders and other interested parties
• Ensure that appropriate communications policies
are in place and working effectively to build
and protect the Group’s reputation both
internally and externally
Corporate Responsibility Committee attendance
Members Number
of possible
meetings
attended
Actual
meetings
attended
John Allan (Chairman)
Appointed 1 March 2015
– –
Sir Richard Broadbent
Chairman to
1 March 2014
2 2
Patrick Cescau
Resigned 7 April 2015
2 2
Deanna Oppenheimer 2 2
Jacqueline
Tammenoms Bakker
Chair from 1 March 2014
until 28 February 2015
2 2
Mikael Olsson
Appointed 2December
2014
1 1
Corporate Responsibility Committee report
Corporate responsibility is at the heart of how our business operates. We believe that
doing business responsibly is the only way of doing business.
Much of our focus this year has been on ensuring that we have listened to our customers,
colleagues, suppliers and stakeholders to ensure we understand what issues matters to
them. Although it has been a very challenging year for Tesco, there has been some real
progress on issues that matter to our customers and that are material to our business.
I am particularly pleased to see the determined steps which have been made on key
areas, such as health and food waste, and how this has been balanced with an increased
focus on essential areas to our business – including our relationships with suppliers, our
environmental impact and the enormous commitment of our colleagues in helping to
raise funds for good causes in their communities.
Going forward, the Corporate Responsibility (‘CR’) Committee will continue to support
the development and evolution of our CR strategy.
John Allan
Corporate Responsibility Committee Chairman
John Allan
Corporate Responsibility Committee and
Nominations Committee Chairman
Activities during the year
As our business goes through a process of renewal, our Corporate Responsibility Committee
discussed the importance of putting our customers and their local communities at the heart
of our activities.
The Committee discussed a wide range of reputational insight, and the challenge that
we face in regaining our customers’ trust. They recognised that getting the core of our
business right is key to regaining this trust, in addition to demonstrating that we are a
responsible business through our actions, rather than our communications.
This year we have built closer links between our Corporate Responsibility Committee
and our Expert Advisory Panel. This has been very beneficial in sharing best practice
and through bringing an outside voice in to the Committee meetings.
Despite the challenges faced by the business, great progress has been made this year.
This includes:
• removing confectionery from checkouts in all our stores across the UK;
• through our Neighbourhood Food Collections in the UK, with FareShare and the Trussell
Trust, we have collected an additional 11.3 million meals, bringing the total since 2012
to 21.5 million, to help feed people in need;
• since our Eat Happy Project launched in March 2014, 685,000 children have found
out where their food comes from, as well as how to cook nutritious meals through
participation in Farm to Fork Trails, Online Field Trips and Let’s Cook courses; and
• we have launched a new Code of Business Conduct, followed by a company-wide
training programme.
Given the substantial changes to the Board it was decided that it would not be appropriate
for a formal review of the effectiveness of the Committee to take place this year. However,
the Committee’s effectiveness was considered as part of the internal Board evaluation.
Corporate governance report continued
40 Tesco PLC Annual Report and Financial Statements 2015