Executive Strategy
Waud Wines Ltd Sustainability Strategy has been produced with an awareness that the world and all areas of society, must act to ensure a sustainable world for future generations. The Wine industry has a pivotal role in helping the UK reach its target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and the wider sustainability agenda.
Waud Wines have a personal goal of reaching carbon net zero by 2035.
Waud Wines already ensure that we comply with all legal requirements placed upon us from the varying governing authorities but going above and beyond those requirements is our goal.
This is Waud Wines first Sustainability Strategy. Within this document, we will:
- highlight the issues that matter to us
- prioritise those issues
- identify action to address the issues
Waud Wines are committed to a more sustainable future, where ethical and responsible working are built into our core beliefs to ensure a positive impact on the world and for the communities we serve.
We provide a service to our customers to not only help them manage the requirements of their business, but also to support our common goals to ensure sustainability is addressed.
Through addressing sustainability, we will provide a positive working environment for our staff, where their wellbeing is considered imperative, and where risk of injury is negligible.
1.0 Introduction
Waud Wines is a dynamic independently owned Wine company that supplies both corporate and private individuals with a variety of wines and customer services in the UK. We also provide touring and educational opportunities abroad visiting wineries and suppliers alike.
In addition to these activities, we also provide the opportunity for our private clients to invest in wine that has the potential to increase in value.
2.0 Background
When the countries of the world met at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, they agreed that all nations should adopt a national sustainable development strategy. The UK was one of the first nations to adopt the principles of the Earth Summit and Agenda 21, publishing its first UK Sustainable Development Strategy in January 1994, updated and republished in 1999 (A better quality of life: A strategy for sustainable development for the United Kingdom).
The UK will be further improving on its Sustainability aims following the UN Climate Change Conference being held in Glasgow, November 2021.
3.0 Sustainability
Companies adopt different vocabulary to describe their approaches to responsible business management. Waud Wines use the term “sustainability” to refer to the social, environmental, economic, and ethical opportunities and activities that affect the company and our stakeholders.
3.1 Vision
To be a leading sustainable Wine provider, that is trusted and respected by our customers and stakeholders for the ethics we adopt and the services we provide.
3.2 Mission
The actions and decisions we make need to help provide a better quality of life for everyone, not only for today but for our future generations.
3.3 Values
Waud Wines has a set of core values; People, Price and Promises – these underpin everything we do. Waud Wines operate within strict legal and ethical guidelines, that include our conduct towards a sustainable future.
4.0 Sustainability on a Global Scale
On 1st January 2016, the UN adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) in an international effort to meet the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Waud Wines acknowledge that we cannot address all of these goals, however we have already completed a number of initiatives to directly address some and through this sustainability strategy we aim to address more. Section 4.1 summarises the SDG’s Waud Wines can influence and address.
4.1 Waud Wines and the Sustainable Development Goals
Waud Wines place Health, Safety, and Wellbeing at the heart of our business. Waud Wines is committed to ensuring a safe and healthy environment for employees, clients, contractors, and others that may be affected by our activities.
Waud Wines believe that providing ongoing training and development empowers our workforce and enables our teams to ensure we operate in the compliant, efficient, and knowledgeable manner.
Waud Wines seek to minimise the impact of our operations on the environment through the pursuit of good business practices and by fulfilling our legal obligations.
Waud Wines have adopted an Equality Policy approach that complies with The Equality Act 2010. This policy has been implemented to protect the rights of individuals and advance equality and opportunity for all.
4.2 Waud Wines specific actions and initiatives to support our sustainability strategy
- Continue and evolve our strategy of sourcing wines from the Old World as our primary supply market of Spain, Italy, France, and Portugal.
- Take delivery of wines from UK importers where it is both practical and economic to do so and where there are tangible sustainability benefits.
- Monitor our supply chain partners to ensure that their activities are where possible in line with our stated beliefs and objectives.
- Focus our procurement around local where practical and in this respect promote English wines where these fit with our sales strategy.
- Select where possible packaging and bottling solutions that minimise unnecessary transportation and carbon generation.
- Encourage the use of electric vehicles amongst our staff and supply partners.
- Continue to operate a flexible home working environment where unnecessary travel is removed entirely.
- Operate meeting practices which utilise and maximise electronic and visual communications without the need for travel and carbon footprint extension.
- Engage a Net Zero consultant to assist us in measuring stage 1, 2 and 3 carbon emissions that we will formulate an action plan to measure and report against.
Waud Wines Ltd – November 2021