Australia's Leading Retailer Woolworths' Sustainability Strategy

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"The way we see it, sustainability is about doing the right thing. At Woolworths we have always been very proud of our strong values. As one of Australia's largest companies, the changes we make can have an enormous impact - on our Shareholders, our suppliers, our staff, our customers, and our local communities. But more than anything, sustainable behavior just makes good business sense."¹

- Michael Luscombe, Managing Director and CEO of Woolworths, in 2007.

"The reason they use APP [Asia Pulp & Paper] product for their private 'Select Brand' label is because it's cheap and they make higher margins. To them that's what seems to be sustainable. If they put anything into their sustainability plan about APP they would be obliged to do something, so failing to identify the problem avoids the necessity to act in their minds."²

- Tim Woods from the Wake Up Woolworths campaign, in 2008.

Doing the Right Thing? On September 25, 2007, Woolworths Limited (Woolworths), the largest retailer in Australia, opened its first Green Store at Rouse Hill3, Sydney.4 The first of five such stores that Woolworths planned, it used innovative technologies that aimed to minimize the use of energy and water, and reduce waste generation. Through these stores, Woolworths sought to reduce the environmental impact caused by the company's retail operations (Refer to Exhibit I for a brief note on Rouse Hill Store).

Australia's Leading Retailer Woolworths' Sustainability Strategy - Next Page>>

1] "Doing the Right Thing-Sustainability Strategy 2007-2015,"www.library.corporate-ir.net.
2] Jeremy Hance, "Australia's Woolworths Greenwashes Rainforest Destruction in Indonesia,"www.mongabay.com, July 8, 2008.
3] Rouse Hill is a suburb of Sydney
4] "AUS: Woolworths Opens 'Green' Supermarket,"www.just-food.com, September 25, 2007.

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