Key Sustainability Topics

Sustainability > Key Sustainability

The following 18 key sustainability topics have been identified and grouped into areas of focus (Customer, Environment, People and Community) according to Brambles' sustainability strategy. Details on each topic have been reported in the sustainability review of Brambles' Annual Report and on its website. Each year, key sustainability topics will be reviewed on an annual basis and, over time, be more closely integrated into our stakeholder engagement processes.

Click the dots to reveal the key sustainability topics

1. Customer satisfaction

2. Customer solutions

3. Product and service quality and safety

4. Customer privacy

5. Sustainable lumber sourcing

6. Emissions and energy

7. Waste management

8. Water

9. Transport impacts

10. Employee engagement

11. Safety and wellbeing

12. Attracting and retaining talent: leadership

13. Diversity and inclusion

14. Training and development

15. Supplier sustainability

16. Community investment

17. Governance

18. Mergers and acquisition

Influence of topic in achieving Brambles' corporate and sustainability strategies

MATERIAL SUSTAINABILITY TOPIC

DESCRIPTION

Customer

Brambles is focused on delivering efficient, lowest total cost supply solutions to our customers. One of Brambles’ shared values is that all things begin with the customer.

Customer satisfaction	Brambles’ business units are focused on improving levels of customer satisfaction and making sure their products, services and customer relationships are a source of competitive advantage.
Customer solutions	By listening to customers and responding with innovative solutions, Brambles will enable its customers of today to be its customers of tomorrow. Brambles believes it makes a positive contribution to sustainable business practices and aims to integrate sustainability into the way it does business and the value proposition it offers.
Product and service quality and safety	Brambles is committed to achieving Zero Harm and considers the health, safety and environment impacts in all its decisions: from the development of projects to the launch of new products and services. Brambles is committed to continuously improving the quality of its products and services.
Customer privacy	Recall establishes and adheres to stringent measures of physical and operational security to protect customers’ information. It is committed to securely housing, retrieving and delivering customers’ information when it is required.

Environment

Through innovative logistics and operations networks Brambles minimises its environmental footprint in relation to the use of resources, emissions and waste.

Sustainable lumber sourcing	Brambles is committed to achieving Zero Harm and considers environmental impacts in all decisions, including the sourcing of lumber. CHEP has strict lumber sourcing policies and has a target of achieving chain of custody certification for purchased lumber for pallets by 2015, which will provide further assurance of responsible and sustainable practices.
Emissions and energy	Brambles is committed to achieving Zero Harm. It considers the environment in all decisions concerning the development of projects, the selection of commercial partners and suppliers and the launch of new products and services. Brambles is committed to using resources more efficiently and encouraging the sustainable use of its products and services.
Waste management	Brambles is committed to using resources more efficiently and minimising waste. CHEP's pallet pooling system operates on the principles of reduce, reuse and recycle. Brambles is committed to improving its performance continuously to meet customers' and stakeholders' sustainability expectations.
Water	Brambles recognises that water is a precious resource and in many areas of its operations water supply is crucial for the environment and the community. Brambles believes it has a responsibility to use water wisely.
Transport impacts	Brambles works to reduce its environmental footprint by using its logistics knowhow to minimise the footprint of its customers and the supply chain through network optimisation, which reduces transport distances and associated emissions.

People

Brambles believes an engaging, safe, tolerant and diverse work environment brings out the best in its people.

Employee engagement	Brambles recognises that people are its most important asset and is committed to providing a safe, rewarding and challenging environment for its employees. Ensuring its employees are engaged means listening to employee feedback and treating employees with integrity and respect.
Safety and wellbeing	Brambles' Zero Harm Charter states that everyone has the right to be safe at work and to return home to their family and friends as healthy as when they started the day. Each and every person is expected to work safely. Brambles seeks to apply best occupational health, safety and environment practice for employees, contractors, customers and local communities.
Attracting and retaining talent: leadership	Brambles is committed to providing a safe, rewarding and challenging environment to help employees reach their potential.
Diversity and inclusion	Brambles is committed to selecting, recruiting, developing and supporting people solely on the basis of their professional capability and qualifications, irrespective of gender and other diversity factors. Brambles selects, retains and develops the best people for the job on the basis of merit and job related competencies.
Training and development	To meet ongoing and future needs, Brambles is committed to developing the skills of its people. One of the areas of focus for Brambles’ sustainability strategy is its people and the education, training and development opportunities available to them. Brambles is committed to ensuring that its people are fully trained and equipped to do their job.

Community

Brambles supports and enriches communities through responsible procurement, employment practices and collaborative partnerships that connects its people to customers and suppliers.

Supplier sustainability	Brambles expects its suppliers’ practices to be in line with its principles. Brambles is committed to driving efficiency and environmental sustainability in the supply chains it serves.
Community investment	One of Brambles' shared values is to always act with integrity and respect for the community and the environment. Brambles' business units are part of the communities in which they operate. Brambles’ operating businesses recognise their responsibility in making a positive contribution to these communities in the areas of environment sustainability and education.

Governance

Brambles is conscious that it must have the right risk and governance foundations and appropriate structures in place to manage all impacts responsibly. Its sustainability strategy recognises that sustainability must be embedded into its corporate risk management framework. Brambles uses corporate governance practices and processes to oversee its performance, including its sustainability performance.

Mergers and acquisitions

Brambles' mission is to create superior shareholder value through its people and their enterprising spirit. Brambles will work with the businesses it acquires to identify and adopt the better practice. Brambles will see that these practices are shared across the Group and adopted in a considered and consistent manner.