Persimmon is one of the UK's leading housebuilders. In 2009, we sold 8,976 new homes. We have a number of operating businesses across the UK from Exeter to Edinburgh, building a variety of homes from affordable starter homes to large family properties. The scale and diversity of our operations means that we have to take a pragmatic approach to business and to the way we take account of our responsibilities to our stakeholders.
Our core business is focused on building good quality homes for our customers, at the right price, in surroundings and with facilities that enhance their quality of life. We acknowledge, and have done for some time, that to be successful in what we do requires us to think more broadly about our impact on the environment and communities around us.
We know that the homes we build will last for many years and throughout their lifetime and occupation they will have a considerable environmental impact, particularly through the energy used to heat, light and power them. Subsequently, we have a responsibility to build homes that are inherently energy efficient and encourage their occupants to live in a way that is environmentally sustainable.
Our stakeholders expect us to behave in a responsible manner and we have a duty to demonstrate to them that we are living up to this expectation. This means taking into account the direct impacts of our activities and the future impact of the homes we build during their lifetime. Our risk management takes these impacts into account to protect and enhance our reputation.
We aim to be a responsible housebuilder and embed the concept of sustainability into our core operations. To facilitate this process we have defined six key responsibilities to:
- Build sustainable homes.
- Operate efficiently to minimise our impact on the environment.
- Work with local communities.
- Promote skills within the house building industry.
- Ensure a healthy and safe working environment.
- Care for our customers.
Our Corporate Responsibility Committee is responsible for the strategy and policy on sustainability issues within our business. This is a sub committee of the Risk Committee, ensuring a clear link between risk management and sustainability within the Group.
The CR Committee is chaired by a non-executive Director, Neil Davidson CBE. The Group Company Secretary and Legal Director co-ordinates activity and communication on sustainability issues across the Group.
The CR Committee is made up of representatives from across the Group, including those with operational responsibility and functional responsibility. Membership of the CR Committee is reviewed on an annual basis to ensure the right mix of strategic and operational experience is achieved.
CR Committee Members:
- Neil Davidson CBE– Chairman
- Group Company Secretary and Legal Director
- Group Health and Safety Director
- Central Division Commercial Director
- Managing Director from an operating business
- Group Buying Co-ordinator
In line with our pragmatic approach to business, we believe that the best way to implement sustainability initiatives is through those people within our operating businesses that best understand the way their business operates at a local level and in the local context. This is particularly true when it comes to considering how sustainability will feature within their own local developments and the homes they build, given they are subject to local planning authorities policies and conditions.
As a result, responsibility for implementing our sustainability strategy and policy is cascaded through the Group via the Commercial Directors of each of our three Divisions to the Managing Directors of each operating business. This ensures that sustainability is on the agenda of each operating business and that best practice across the Group can be shared effectively.