It’s Your Business

John Lewis Partnership has launched an online Corporate Responsibility report and Human Rights and Modern Slavery report to complement its 2017 Annual Report and Accounts.

Report Highlights for 2016/17
Collectively the reports explain how the business is positioning itself for the far-reaching changes happening in society, the workplace and in the retail market through its strategy – ‘It’s Your Business 2028’. This will see the business strengthening its brands and driving new growth, continuing its commitment to ‘better jobs, for better performing Partners on better pay’ and strengthening its financial stability.  

At www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/csr the Partnership reports on how its approach to Corporate Responsibility underpins the strategy and provides an update on its targets, priorities and achievements in 2016/17.  Core to its way of to doing business is its Constitution – a set of Rules and Principles first published in 1928 by its Founder, John Spedan Lewis, who took over the business from his father and transferred ownership of the Company into a trust for the benefit of his staff.  The Constitution covers responsibilities to customers, suppliers, the environment and communities and includes ‘Principle 1’ at its centre – ‘the happiness’ of its employees or ‘Partners’.

• Achieved target of a 65% reduction in carbon intensity (tonnes per £m of revenue) against a 2010 baseline, as a result of increased procurement of renewable electricity in 2016
• Became the first UK retailer to use ‘dedicated gas’ trucks that run purely on biomethane.  
• In 2016, Waitrose announced their 100 day grazing pledge.  This requires that cattle supplying them with milk and cream has grazed outdoors for a minimum of 100 days. From 2017 they are increasing this pledge to 120 days.
• John Lewis completed a significant supply chain mapping exercise on over 500 different timber sources and their supply chains. 38% of these sources are responsible and sustainable.
• Continued work on salient issues in its supply chain as part of its Human Rights strategy and produced a progress update report – available at http://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/csr/sourcing-responsibly/human-rights.html
• Achieved 15 % reduction in sugar content of 22 out of 27 of own-brand cereals.
• Signed the ‘Time to Change’ pledge as part of its commitment to supporting mental health.
• Investment of £11.5m in community organisations.
• Over 30 Partners have been trained as Dementia Friends Champions.  To date, over 1,000 people have registered as Dementia Friends from the sessions our Partners run for colleagues and the local community.

Media Contact:
Anna Slatcher
020 7592 4250

Read the Report