A CULTURE EMBODIED BY ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES

A dedicated department, a large network of operational players: the organisation responsible for the deployment of the sustainable development policy promotes the exchange of expertise and the mobilisation of countries and banner brands. Carrefour's engagement benefits all the Group's businesses.

A dedicated organisation involving all the businesses of the Carrefour Group

Aware of the strategic challenge of the deployment of its approach and of the importance of involving all businesses, in 2001 Carrefour established a dedicated organisation that has evolved and was reinforced in 2011.

The Sustainable Development Department of the Group manages the approach. Its role is to drive policy forward, to initiate and bring issues before the Executive Committee, to ensure the implementation of set strategies while spreading best practices both internally and externally.

To manage this initiative, the Sustainable Development Department relies on resources such as scientific committees and internal specialists while working in close cooperation with the Group’s operational and cross-functional departments: European Public Affairs, Quality/Merchandise, Marketing, Human Resources, Assets and Logistics.

Replicate the organisation at the country and brand levels

To promote the Group’s strategy in all countries where it operates, the Sustainable Development Department has local sustainable development (SD) relays. In cooperation with the Business Units’ operational and cross-functional departments (Quality, Assets, Logistics, Human Resources), they are tasked with the operational rollout of the sustainable development policy, which is adapted to the local context, and with reporting on the initiatives implemented.

The Sustainable Development Department coordinates this network by organising regular meetings with representatives in European countries and videoconferences with relays in all countries. These meetings allow discussions and exchange on the policies set by the Group, the major challenges faced and best practices, as well as indicators which are generally reported on a quarterly basis.

 

Comments on the organisational chart: To better understand the challenges and take the most appropriate decisions, the Group and some countries rely on scientific expertise. At the Group level, the Sustainable Development Department's role is to drive and manage the Group’s sustainable development policy. It works in close cooperation with the cross-functional departments (HR, Merchandise, Logistics, Assets, etc.). In each country, the Group Sustainable Development Department has sustainable development relays (SD) through which it can communicate Group’s strategic directions. The cooperation between the sustainable development relays and the cross-functional departments is also at the country and business unit level. The SD relays and the operational departments and cross-functional departments of the business units collaborate to implement the sustainable development policy of the Group down to the store level. The Company Brands and Countries SD relays also ensure reporting (Key Performance Indicator “KPI”) on initiatives implemented.

FOCUS: The Eco-attitude programme is an example of internal best practices

To involve employees in its sustainable development approach and share best practices in its stores, warehouses and headquarters, Carrefour implements programmes to raise awareness of eco-friendly practices and training programmes adapted to its different businesses.

In France, the Group implemented, in June 2008, the "Eco-attitude” programme at its administrative sites. Encouraging employees to adopt daily reflexes at the workplace, this programme is broken down into five themes: saving paper, water and energy, recycling, environmentally-friendly transport to work and awareness of environmentally-friendly practices at home.

Internationally, Carrefour Italy has implemented a similar programme to Eco-attitude and Carrefour Argentina has mobilised and educated its employees and clients on recycling. Paper, plastic and aluminium recycling receptacles have been placed in the offices and stores in Buenos Aries to separate organic waste from recyclable waste. A system for monitoring the DLUO (optimal use by date) of products as also been implemented to reduce the volume of organic waste by 4%.