Sustainability oversight

Leadership and accountability

The Board of Directors has ultimate responsibility for the Group’s ESG strategy and activities, including oversight of climate-related issues. The Board takes responsibility for the effectiveness of the monitoring of long-term non-financial risks relating to climate and sustainability, which are embedded into the Group’s risk management framework and independently reviewed by the Audit Committee.

The CEO has ultimate responsibility for sustainability and climate change actions, with day-to-day management delegated to the Group Management Boards, comprising business and function heads. The CFO is responsible for the TCFD programme and development of relevant KPIs and the net zero strategy. Executive functions with oversight and responsibility for other ESG matters include the UK and Ireland General Management Board along with Spain’s Management Board, the Head of ESG, the Head of Group Safety and Environment in the UK&I, and the Director of Development and Sustainability in Spain.

Sustainability committee

We formed our first Sustainability Committee in FY23, which is chaired by the CFO and supported by our new Head of ESG. The Committee is made up of senior representatives from across the organisation. The Chair of the Committee acts as a direct link between the Committee and the Board in the delivery of the sustainability programme.
The expectation is that the Committee will:

• Evaluate the material issues that impact our ability to create economic, environmental and social value
• Review the approaches adopted to systematically address material risks and opportunities, and propose alternative programmes of activity, to improve social and environmental performance
• Evaluate the degree of progress being made to achieve stated commitments, targets and positive sustainability outcomes.

To support the Committee, we have established four sub-groups to address material social and environmental sustainability issues. The activities of the sub-groups encompass all territories and business operations. The membership of these groups has been taken from functional teams and operational representatives, all of whom are tasked with proposing to the Committee the most appropriate actions we should be taking to deliver against our targets.