Our 10 sustainable development priorities focus us on the material opportunities and risks that arise from our environmental, social and economic footprint. The result of extensive stakeholder consultation, they were launched during 2006.
For each of our 10 sustainable development priorities, we have set four levels of performance, independent of any legal requirements, from Level 1 (minimum standard) to Level 4 (being admired). All companies under our management control have to achieve Level 1 or to have established a plan to reach Level 1 as a matter of priority.
View information about the four levels
Operations complete a six-monthly self-assessment which benchmarks each one against its peers in its region and globally. Progress against the four levels is discussed at the meetings of the local, regional and plc Executive Committees and is reviewed by the regional and plc Corporate Accountability and Risk
Assurance Committees (CARACs).
With so much global debate on the contribution of business to a vast range of social and environmental issues, it is vital that we concentrate our efforts on
where we can make the greatest impact. During 2007/08 we identified the three priorities on which we plan to focus our efforts – discouraging irresponsible drinking, making more beer but using less water and encouraging enterprise development in our value chains. In 2008/09 we will be refining our strategies in these areas to make better use of our scale and ensure a greater positive impact.
Other issues are high on the agenda of certain businesses (energy and carbon in Europe and the USA, for example) but are still rising up the agenda in other markets. At the same time, the challenge of HIV/Aids, a critical human resources and community issue for operations in Africa, is becoming increasingly important in Russia, India and some Latin American markets.
The 10 sustainable development priorities are:
The need to ....
For a summary of our progress on the 10 sustainable priorities please click here.
For an integrated case study of our sustainable development priorities, please click here to read about local action in Peru.