ENTER
OUR MODERN SLAVERY STATEMENT 2023
Energising a greener, fairer future
1 | INTRODUCTION | GOVERNANCE | ASSESSING RISK | TRAINING | LOOKING AHEAD | ||||
& POLICIES | & DUE DILIGENCE | & COLLABORATION |
WHAT'S IN
THIS REPORT?
INTRODUCTION
CHIEF EXECUTIVE INTRODUCTION | 2 |
OUR PURPOSE, STRATEGY AND VALUES | 4 |
OUR BUSINESSES | 6 |
OUR SUPPLY CHAIN OVERVIEW | 8 |
GOVERNANCE & POLICIES | 9 |
ASSESSING RISK & DUE DILIGENCE | 13 |
TRAINING & COLLABORATION | 20 |
LOOKING AHEAD | 23 |
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CHIEF EXECUTIVE
INTRODUCTION
Inherent in our Purpose of energising a greener, fairer future is our commitment to conduct our business responsibly.
At the very core of being a responsible business with obligations to the communities in which we operate, is our determination to uphold the fundamental rights and freedoms of those who work for Centrica, with Centrica, and interact with Centrica. As an international business with a global footprint, we strive to ensure that every person, regardless of their role within our business or supply chain, is treated with dignity and respect. That's why we will not tolerate human rights abuses or any form of modern slavery across our operations or supply chains.
So, in our eighth Modern Slavery Statement published in accordance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015, I'm proud to share the steps
we took during the financial year ending 31 December 2023, to ensure that we maintain a robust approach to identifying and preventing any risks of modern slavery arising across our business operations. Our actions are supported by being signatories of the United Nations (UN) Global Compact, with commitments embedded into our business processes and
practices aligned to international standards like the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights as well as the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Over the last year, much of our focus has been on continuing to advance our responsible sourcing programme by further strengthening core compliance and delivering on the objectives that we described in our Statement last year. In summary, we have sought to address potential or emerging risks in the following ways:
- expanded the scope of our supplier audit programme with on-site audits conducted at solar and battery systems manufacturers;
- carried out a deep dive risk assessment focusing on working hours in manufacturing facilities as a result of some of our initial audit activity;
- tackled emerging concerns about modern slavery risk in the solar supply chain by deepening our existing involvement in and collaboration with the Solar Stewardship Initiative whose purpose is to improve transparency in the operation of the solar supply chain; and
- further enhanced our processes governing how human rights considerations are incorporated into our procurement and business decisions.
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From a global geopolitical perspective, 2023 saw a continuation of many of the same global challenges seen in 2022 with the continued conflict in Ukraine and continued high inflation driving ongoing cost of living pressures. The associated displacement of people and more widespread poverty clearly increase the risk of human rights abuses taking place amongst vulnerable populations. While we have not uncovered any explicit instances of forced or compulsory labour in our business or supply chain, I'm acutely aware of the very real risk posed by modern slavery particularly in a world where supply chains may be more complex and less transparent. Together, we must therefore remain vigilant to the scourge of modern slavery and continue to do our best to ensure a more inclusive and sustainable future for all.
Chris O'Shea,
Group Chief Executive
LEADERS IN TRANSPARENCY
In 2023, we secured a top score of 96% for our transparent voluntary response to the Workforce Disclosure Initiative, which is now led by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The disclosure provides an in-depth update on key issues like pay, diversity and human rights across our business and supply chain. We also received special mention for our disclosure, including for being the 'Most Transparent'.
TRAINING | LOOKING AHEAD | |
& COLLABORATION | ||
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OUR PURPOSE, STRATEGY AND VALUES
Centrica is a uniquely integrated energy company comprising a balanced portfolio of market-leading businesses that complement, de-risk and add value to one another. Together we are greater than the sum of our parts.
At Centrica our Purpose is 'energising a greener, fairer future' because we believe in energy that works for colleagues, customers and communities, today and into the future.
Our strategy is driven by our Purpose and we live by our Values. While we have evolved our strategy to help meet today's challenges and prepare us for a net zero future, our values remain firmly embedded in who we are and guide everything we do. They drive us to collaborate with our suppliers and partners to collectively address modern slavery risks across our supply chain with care and courage.
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Our Values
CARE | C0LLABORATION | C0URAGE | AGILITY | DELIVERY | ||||
We care deeply about | Together we win, | We step up and | We are nimble, curious | We do things right | ||||
our impact on the | we build winning | take responsibility. | and innovative; we | and deliver for all of | ||||
planet, our customers | relationships | We recognise the | adapt to our markets | our stakeholders. | ||||
and our colleagues. | throughout our own | importance of | rapidly and seek | |||||
We want to make a | organisation and with | challenging the | out opportunities to | |||||
difference to society | others to deliver on | industry to make | support the system | |||||
and the safety and | the scale challenges | difficult decisions for | and succeed. | |||||
wellbeing of our | the industry faces. | our future and we | ||||||
team and customers | stand by our beliefs. | |||||||
is paramount. |
Our People & Planet Plan
Central to achieving our purpose and strategy is ourPeople & Planet Plan- from being a net zero business by 2045 and helping our customers be net zero by 2050, to creating the diverse and inclusive team we need to get there and contributing to the communities we're all part of.
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OUR BUSINESSES
We operate across the energy sector with distinct but complementary businesses.
Retail
We provide energy, services and solutions to our customers to heat, power, run and maintain their homes and businesses through trusted brands such as British Gas in the UK and Bord Gáis Energy in Ireland.
17,343 | 2,512 | 60% |
colleagues | suppliers | supply chain |
spend |
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Infrastructure
The energy that is needed to supply our residential and business customers comes from our established infrastructure. We produce gas through our majority controlled upstream production subsidiary, Spirit Energy Limited ('Spirit Energy'), and generate electricity through our minority stake in the UK's portfolio of existing nuclear power stations, as well as through Whitegate Power Station in Ireland and our Centrica Business Solutions assets, which include renewable power generation and the storage of electricity using grid scale batteries. In addition, we store gas through Centrica Energy Storage+'s Rough gas storage facility.
2,848 2,546 25%
colleagues | suppliers | supply chain |
spend |
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Optimisation
Connecting our infrastructure with the retail market is Centrica Energy, which helps move energy from source to use, optimises energy, and manages energy procurement and risk for the Group.
811 | 820 | 2% |
colleagues | suppliers | supply chain |
spend |
Our colleagues within our Group Functions provide shared services across our businesses.
1,873 705 13%
colleagues | suppliers | supply chain |
spend |
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OUR SUPPLY
CHAIN OVERVIEW
Our suppliers are key stakeholders and partners, enabling us to deliver on our strategic objectives by targeting high standards of business conduct whilst securing a stable supply of services
and solutions for customers.
We interact with our suppliers in many ways such as tendering, surveys, site inspections and remote worker surveys. Through engagement, we ensure we pay suppliers fairly and enforce our Responsible Sourcing Policy which sets out ways of working to benefit communities and the environment, including obligations under anti-modern slavery laws. Our teams aim to develop and strengthen relationships with our portfolio of suppliers who are required to share our commitment to doing business responsibly.
During 2023, we continued to manage our portfolio of suppliers providing goods and services to our global operations with a spend of around £3bn.
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GOVERNANCE
We've established responsibilities for the effective management of our modern slavery risks at Board and Group level.
The Centrica Board has overall responsibility and accountability for our approach to managing the risk of modern slavery.
The Board delegates management of sustainability-related matters to a sub-committee, the Safety, Environment and Sustainability Committee, attended by Centrica's Group Chief Executive, non-executive directors and senior executives, who meet three times a year, review and recommend for approval the annual Modern Slavery Statement to the Board, assess emerging risks, and monitor progress and plans relating to our responsible sourcing strategy including our supplier ethical audit programme.
The Human Rights and Modern Slavery Steering Group meets on a quarterly basis, chaired by the Group General Counsel & Company Secretary, and comprises of members representing key functions: Group Procurement, Responsible Business, People and Colleague Experience, alongside Legal, Compliance and Business Ethics and where necessary managing directors of our business units. Together, they provide oversight of and challenge to Centrica's efforts to manage the risk of adverse human rights and modern slavery arising within our operations.
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The Modern Slavery Working Group is responsible for the production of the annual Modern Slavery Statement, and coordinating efforts to prevent, detect and respond to modern slavery within Centrica's Group operations. Chaired by the Head of Business Ethics, they comprise of representatives from across the business including commercial and functional leads who monitor the effectiveness of actions taken to reduce the risk
of modern slavery including emerging risks, tracking progress against commitments, and ensuring policies and procedures align with relevant laws, regulations and industry best practice.
BOARD
SAFETY, ENVIRONMENT AND
SUSTAINABILITY COMMITEE (SESC)
HUMAN RIGHTS AND MODERN
SLAVERY STEERING GROUP
MODERN SLAVERY WORKING GROUP
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Centrica plc published this content on 01 May 2024 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 02 May 2024 10:07:24 UTC.