Corporate Responsibility - achievements in the year
We believe that respecting the environment and striving to make a positive contribution to society is essential and that it's important to our colleagues, customers and shareholders too. In 2010 we continued to demonstrate our commitment to business, society and the environment.
As a food focused business we recognise the importance of supporting farmers. Through the Morrisons Farming Programme based at Dumfries House, our farm, we are generating research to help our farmers to farm more profitably and more sustainably. The work is already showing results and two papers were published this year on renewable energy use in dairy farms and on welfare issues for free range hens. We also demonstrated our commitment to raising supplier standards and committed to the use of certified sustainable palm oil in our own brand products by 2015.
Our society programme also had a successful year. Our sector-leading Academy training programme helped over 48,000 colleagues on their route to nationally recognised qualifications and our successful 'Let's Grow' Campaign entered its third year reaching more schools than ever before. We exceeded our target to raise £1,000,000 for Help the Hospices, our charity of the year, by over £300,000.
Our environmental programme is ahead of schedule having already achieved a 12% emissions reduction with 30% targeted by 2020. In 2010 we hit our targets of reducing store waste direct to landfill by 50% and are on track to drive this down to zero by 2013.
