The PLC Board has overall responsibility for ESG matters whilst the ESG Committee has been formed to enable more regular and detailed attention to ESG Strategy and specific issues.
For more on the ESG Committee please see here.
The Board is committed to ensuring there is a strong and effective system of governance in place to support the execution of the company’s strategy. This is achieved through the governance framework.
Business Ethics
To guide ethical behaviour we have our purpose, clear values, public and business principles, our code of conduct as well as Group policies. We encourage our people to speak up and raise concerns. We offer a confidential reporting line, managed by a third party, accessible by telephone or online, 25 hours a day, 365 days a year, (as allowed under applicable law, employees may submit reports to the confidential line anonymously in over 100 languages).
There are a number of Group Policies and Statements which are particularly relevant in relation to ESG, which include:
- Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy
- Business and Public Policy Principles
- Code of Conduct and Ethics Policy
- Group Environmental Policy
- Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy
- Human Rights Statement
- Modern Slavery Statement
- Prevention of Criminal Facilitation and Tax Evasion Policy
- Whilstleblowing Policy
We expect and request our suppliers to also aim for high ethical standards, through our Supplier Code of Conduct. For more information please see here.
Our Approach to Tax
Taxation is essential to fund vital public services and when paid fairly ensures a level playing field for business, regardless of size. We manage our tax affairs to ensure that the correct amount of tax is paid in the appropriate jurisdiction at the right time. You can find more about our Tax Strategy here.