The Co-op has been named the UKís most ethical business

The Co-op has been named the UKís most ethical business, according to a study from GfK NOP, which considered how brands are ethically perceived by consumers across five countries.

The study found that UK consumers are the most ethically aware and view the treatment of employees, care for the environment and support for fair trade as core components to being an ethically driven organisation.

The Co-op, which includes food, specialist retail and financial services businesses has pioneered developments in employee welfare, fair-trade and social and environmental management.

Employee Welfare

The Co-operative Group was one of the first organisations to commit to the Exemplar Employer scheme which requires organisations to give a clear commitment to reducing the gender pay gap.

In 2006 Co-operative Financial Services introduced a range of new staff policies to improve work life balance and flexible working patterns.

The Co-operative was the only retailer to make the top 100 in the Stonewall workplace equality index.

The Co-operative Group has also been given the title ìage positive employer championî following its work to improve its HR policies for colleagues of all ages.

Fairtrade

In 1992, the Co-op was the first supermarket to embrace Fairtrade by stocking Cafedirect and followed this in 2000 by introducing the UKís first Fairtrade bananas

In 2002 the Co-op converted all its own-brand block chocolate to Fairtrade and this was followed a year later by the conversion of its own brand coffee

In September 2006, the Co-op launched the UKís first Fairtrade wines from Argentina and continues to supply the largest variety of Fairtrade wine in any UK supermarket

The Co-op campaigns for and develops Fairtrade in communities and has launched guides on how to become a Fairtrade Town and how schools can become ìfairtrade friendlyî

Social and Environmental Policies

The Co-operative Bank and Co-operative Insurance are the only UK financial servicesí businesses to have customer-led ethical policies.

The Co-operative Group led the switch to green electricity back in 1998 and its green credentials were further underlined last year when it became the first major retailer in the UK to switch all its mainland outlets to green electricity.

2006 also saw the official switch-on of the Coldham Wind farm in Cambridgeshire, which is a joint venture between the Co-operative Group and Scottish Power. It has been built on agricultural land, owned and farmed by the Co-operative Group.

Co-operative Financial Services recently completed the work to cover the 400 ft landmark CIS building in Manchester with 7,000 photovoltaic panels. The solar panels will create 180,000 units of renewable electricity each year - enough energy to make nine million cups of tea.

ì It is re-assuring to know that the wide ranging policies and developments we continue to implement are completely aligned with our being a consumer champion in ethics, commented Martin Beaumont, Group Chief Executive, Co-operative Group.

ì The findings of our latest report into ethical spending in the UK, demonstrates that ethical purchasing in 2005 was worth nearly 30 billion. The green pound is now becoming mainstream and we are determined to remain the natural choice for the growing band of ethical consumers. ì

Chris Davis, Managing Director, Brand Strategy for Gfk NOP said ìConsumers are much more sensitive to how companies are behaving these days, and companies business practices are much more transparent than ever before. With ethical claims posted on company websites, an intense media spotlight, and the growth of online discussion forums, companies really have nowhere to hide. The more astute brands, such as the Co-op are being rewarded by customers for taking a proactive stance in adopting rigorous corporate social responsibility policies and promoting their ethical credentials in a clear, concise and straightforward manner.

ì The Co-op is not just well regarded because of its long tradition of ethical business practices, but also because it actively involves customers in the development and expression of ethical brand policies.