Sodexo first for corporate responsibility activity
10/6/2009
Sodexo, a leading food and facilities management services provider, has again been named as one of the best performing companies in its sector to be included in Business in the Community's (BITC) Corporate Responsibility Index - the UK's leading benchmark for responsible business practice.
The Index, in its seventh year, includes organisations who achieved the 100 highest scores in BITC's CR Index following an assessment of management practices in four key areas of corporate responsibility: environment, community, marketplace and workplace.
In achieving silver status for the third year running, Sodexo has demonstrated that it continues to integrate corporate responsibility throughout its operations by providing a systematic approach to managing, measuring and reporting on the economic, social and environmental impacts of its business. The BITC will publish the results as a supplement in the Financial Times on 10 June.
Phil Hooper, corporate affairs director, Sodexo, said: "We are delighted to have achieved the silver award once again. Given the new challenges many companies are facing in these difficult times, it is of paramount importance that they do not lose the momentum they have gained over the last few years."
Thomas Jelley, corporate citizenship manager at Sodexo, added: "During difficult financial times, it is important to remember that responsibly managed businesses are ultimately more sustainable. This is why Sodexo strives to continue engage with its stakeholders across many corporate responsibility issues as it is part of ensuring that our values and ethical principles are upheld."
Stephen Howard, chief executive, Business in the Community said: "I congratulate Sodexo on achieving silver status in the 2008 Business in the Community Corporate Responsibility Index. At a time when trust and confidence in businesses is at an all time low, it is examples like this that will help to demonstrate that some businesses are taking the responsibility they have towards their people and the planet seriously and that it makes business sense.
"It is reassuring to see that climate change, skills development, supply chain management, board level reporting and workplace issues are top of the agenda for businesses. However, the results also show us that we still have a long way to go. If UK plc is to exit the recession fighting fit, then urgent actions need to be taken."
Sodexo recently published its fourth annual Corporate Citizenship report highlighting its commitment and activity across its business.
A full copy can be found at www.uk.sodexo.com/uken/corporate-citizenship/reports/reports.asp.
