Cadbury is committed to growing responsibly. We believe responsible business comes from listening and learning, and having in place a clear CSR vision and strategy. It also comes from having the processes and systems to follow through and an embedded commitment to living our values.
Our business vision: working together to create brands people love
'Working together to create brands people love' is at the heart of our Purpose and Values statement. For us, it captures the positive, collaborative aspects of doing business and recognises the emotion, attachment and values associated with our brands.
In the past few years, like many other companies, we have been thinking again about what it means to act responsibly in a changing world. We have introduced new policies and new systems to meet the changing expectations that society has of business. New thinking and innovation have strengthened our approach and this has proved an enduring point of difference for Cadbury.
We see CSR as a positive contributor to our competitive strategy. Increasingly we think of it as more about doing responsible things profitably than just doing the profitable things responsibly.
Our CSR strategy
It is acting responsibly that has allowed us to grow and create enduring value for shareowners. It is the desire to continue acting responsibly that has led us to drive new energy and thinking into our CSR strategy and what we call our Five Pillars of CSR: marketing, food and consumer trends; ethical sourcing and procurement; environment, health and safety; human rights and employment standards; and community investment.
We have renewed our goals and commitments for responsible business growth. They set the scene for the next stage of our CSR journey, and we call them our 'Goals and Commitments on Sustainability.' There are specific goals and commitments for each Pillar and you can find them described on page 13 and also in our chapter on 'Where Next?' on pages 56-57 of our CSR report 2006
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All the pillars are firmly underpinned by our commitment to good governance and Our Business Principles.
The responsibility pyramid
As we continue to embed CSR practice within the organisation,we have recognised some important strategic levels, as illustrated in the 'Responsibility Pyramid' below. Straightforward risk avoidance is the first step of most companies' journey in CSR, and we are progressing beyond simple reputation enhancement and issue management. We believe that acting responsibly will fuel sustainable growth and advantage for our brands and see CSR as a positive contributor to our competitive strategy.