ESG
We can play a positive role in making a difference to our people, our communities, our industry and the wider environment to create a more accessible, equitable and sustainable future.
We recognise that being a sustainable
business in the long term is about ensuring
we have the foundations needed for success
as well as having the ability to evolve
and meet future challenges.
Understanding what matters most
An issue is material to us if it
significantly impacts our business
and our strategic priorities but also
if it is viewed as being important to
our stakeholders.
Our materiality assessment helps to guide the focus
areas of our ESG strategy, together with the aim of
understanding which issues are most important to
our internal and external stakeholders.
The size of the bubbles on our materiality assessment
highlight where our activities are currently focused and
where they will be, moving forward.
Our material issues
Our environment
Our people & communities
Our governance & compliance
Want to know how we define each material issue?
Working responsibly
Working responsibly is central to
our purpose and strategy. Our purpose
is driven by our commitment to doing
the right thing, measuring and reporting
transparently and always acting with integrity.
Through the following focus areas, we believe we can play a positive role in making a difference to our people, our communities, our industry and the wider environment to create a more accessible, equitable and sustainable future.
Our environment
Minimise our impact on the environment, thereby protecting
our business from the impact of climate change.
Drive change across our own operations and supply chain,
and also use our capabilities and voice to influence the
automotive and technology industries and Government to
support urgent action to tackle the climate crisis.
Report comprehensively in line with TCFD recommendations.
ALIGNMENT WITH THE UN SDGS
Our people & communities
Continue to build diverse teams and evolve our inclusive culture.
Maintain high levels of employee engagement,
supporting positive health and wellbeing.
Partner with charities, community groups and industry bodies
to make a difference to the communities where we work and live.
ALIGNMENT WITH THE UN SDGS
Our governance & compliance
Uphold the values of good corporate governance and
risk management and consider the needs of all our
stakeholders in our strategic decision-making.
Comply with our legal and regulatory obligations
and behave ethically and with integrity at all times.
Maintain a trusted marketplace for our customers
and consumers to find, buy and sell vehicles.
ALIGNMENT WITH THE UN SDGS
There are 17 UN SDGs that form a shared global agenda to
achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. Whilst
all of the goals are important, we believe our ambitions and
priorities best align with the above SDGs, which are most
relevant to our strategy and where we believe we can have
the greatest impact.
Aligning with
leading industry
frameworks
We continue to evolve our ESG reporting to meet the requirements of leading
industry frameworks and our stakeholder expectations. Our reporting
focuses on the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (‘TCFD’)
and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (‘SASB’) standards
referencing SASB’s reporting framework for the Internet and Media Services
and Media & Entertainment industries. We also fully disclose our environmental
impact through CDP and are proud to be a FTSE4Good constituent.
As above, we have also identified the UN SDGs which we believe Auto Trader
can make a meaningful contribution to.
How we govern ESG
We recognise that our activities, and the way in which we carry them out, impact well beyond our financial performance. There is increasing evidence that sustainable businesses drive greater long-term profit and value for stakeholders. With this in mind, in 2021 we established our Corporate Responsibility Committee to sit alongside our Audit, Remuneration and Nomination Committees.
Whilst ESG related topics are covered in all Committees, this is a formal Committee of the Board with the overarching goal of monitoring our corporate responsibility initiatives and sustainability targets. The Committee, chaired by Jeni Mundy, plays a crucial role in overseeing the progress towards fulfilling our ESG strategy and ensuring that our targets and goals are ambitious and realistic.
Responsibility for putting our ESG strategy into action spans across the business through specific functions as well as through our individual guilds and networks, which are empowered to drive change within the organisation.
Find out more on our corporate governance page:
Policies and reports
Download all of our current and historical documents,
including pay gap reporting, modern slavery statements
and group tax strategies.
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