Social responsibility

The Board recognises that its responsibilities extend beyond financial results and related matters. Effective management of health and safety, environmental, ethical and other social risks (described together here as ‘social risk’) is fundamental to the Board’s duty of care to our stakeholders, as well as being important to our corporate reputation and profitability.

The Board’s role is to: provide effective leadership; establish overall policy for the Group; and monitor the performance of the operating companies in relation to social risk, whilst the Chief Executive is ultimately accountable for the Group’s social responsibility. Within each of our businesses, line managers are charged with: delivering performance safely and with integrity; supporting Group policy; and providing leadership within their business. All employees are responsible for following Group policy with the support, direction and commitment of line management.

Our Code of Business Conduct, which can be found on our website, comprises the guiding principles which govern our attitude to social risk and which promote honesty, fairness and integrity in our relationships with (i) employees; (ii) customers, suppliers and competitors; and (iii) the community/environment.

During the course of 2011, we will roll out a Business Conduct Compliance Programme, which will integrate our Code of Business Conduct with existing policies and procedures, including those on competition, equal opportunities and whistle-blowing and will include anti-bribery and corruption guidelines.

The rest of this report is organised under four headings, representing the main areas where our business impacts on others and where we recognise our responsibilities to society:

• Our workplace and people
• Our environment
• Our marketplace
• Our communities