Sustainability reporting

Co-operate Report 2020

Co-operate 2020 - Front Cover

Co-operative values and principles are as relevant today as they were when we were founded in 1844 and they’re at the heart of our approach to addressing the challenges that our Co-op and society as a whole face today.

Our vision is "Co-operating for a Fairer World".

Our purpose is championing a better way of doing business for you and your community.

Our long-term commitment to our co-operative values and principles, as well as our insights into the needs of our people, communities and members, have helped us to shape the commitments that will deliver our vision.

  • we're going to make things fairer for our colleagues - making sure they get a fair deal and ensuring they can fulfil their potential
  • we're going to make life fairer for our members and communities – focused on providing fair access to food, to mental wellbeing support and to education and employment for young people
  • and we’re going to be fairer for our world – focused on addressing the challenges & opportunities in tackling carbon reduction and sustainable sourcing

All underpinned by our commitment to delivering a diverse and inclusive culture throughout everything that we do.

This is the 15th year we’ve provided members with an open and honest report on our responsible business performance to help them understand how we’re doing on the issues that matter to them.

View an infographic of our 2020 highlights

Show transcript

Since 1844, we’ve helped address the needs of our members and communities.

From tackling inequalities to supporting community wellbeing, our vision is to co-operate for a fairer world.

Fairer for our colleagues,

Fairer for our members and communities,

And fairer for our planet.

All of this is supported by our commitment to delivering a diverse and inclusive culture throughout everything that we do.

Our Co-operate Report shows the progress we’ve made, along with our priorities and targets for the coming years that will help make our vision a reality.

It’s an open, honest account of our commitment to ethical and responsible business. But above all, it shows the progress of our co-operative business.

In 2020, we launched our new commitments, targets and ways of working to tackle racial inequalities.

We realigned our community plan to further support those in need.

And, we introduced our new membership offer, now giving 2p for every pound spent on own brand products to local communities.

We continued to address climate change, bringing forward our net zero Greenhouse Gas emissions target by 10 years, to 2040. This means, we’re ahead of international agreements, which shows what’s possible when we all pull together.

We couldn’t have achieved all of this without our members, colleagues and customers.

So, thank you.

The greatest opportunity that lies ahead, is for us to cooperate, for a fairer world.

Let’s make things happen.

You can read the full story in our Co-operate Report.

Our Report

For more detail you can download our full Report:

"This report outlines the progressive actions we are taking to deliver against our vision. It is a critical and transparent account of our commitment to ethical, responsible and, above all else, co-operative business."

Steve Murrells — Co-op Group CEO

The issues that matter most

We’re a diverse group of businesses which means that our impacts are extensive and varied, and we know that we can’t lead on every aspect of sustainable development.

So we focus on our most significant social, environmental and economic impacts and the issues that matter most to our stakeholders. You can read more on these issues below.

Fairer for our members and communities

Fairer for our planet

Fairer for our people