• Overview of The Midcounties Co-operative

• Environmental Sustainability focus areas

• Our partnership work with Sustainability West Midlands

• Further developing our Sustainability strategy

A co-operative approach

Working together to create a better fairer world

• 1.4 million co-operatives worldwide

• Over 1 billion people are members of co-operatives worldwide

• Over 6000 Co-ops in the UK

• Midcounties largest independent Society in the UK

Midcounties and the wider co-op movement

• 500,000 members who enjoy a share of our profits

• Over 8,000 colleagues across 500 sites

• Our trading groups: Food, Energy, Healthcare, Funeralcare, Childcare, Flexible benefits & Post offices

The Midcounties Co-operative

How do we measure success?

• Saving Energy and Recycling

• Society Steering Wheel

• Resulting in eco efficiency gains of over £1 million per annum

Focus areas

• Reduced energy usage by 10% since

2010

• This has saved over 5,000 tonnes of CO2

• Colleague awareness has increased in energy saving from a score of 78 in 2008 to 85

Saving Energy

• Increased recycling rates to 91% (from 21% in 2009)

• Food waste recycling producing enough renewable energy to power 40 homes a year

• Collaboration with other co-operatives to backhaul waste

Recycling

Partnership with SWM

• Independent consultation on our Sustainability Reporting

• Helping us shape our strategy as a critical friend

Partnership with SWM

• Involvement on our Society’s Environmental Steering Group

• Enabling us to further develop our strategy to maximise impacts

• Developing our Environmental Sustainability blueprint

Environmental Sustainability Blueprint

Membership Colleagues Communities External

partners

Engaging

members to

reduce their

environmental

impact

Embedding

the culture of

Environmental

Sustainability

amongst

colleagues

Building

environmental

sustainable

communities

Showcasing

our

environmental

sustainability

achievements

with relevant

external

partners, and

engaging

critical friends

Regional Communities

• Engaged with 10,000 members across our trading area

• Identifying local opportunities that matter to members in our communities

Supporting

People with

Dementia

Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour

Tackling loneliness

Health and fitness

Supporting young carers

Tackling alcoholism and drug

abuse

Increasing recycling

Families on the poverty line

Environmental Impact

Supporting Autism Keeping the villages clean

Community defibrillation

Examples of local community opportunities

Community examples

• 412 colleague volunteering hours on environmental projects

• Over 100 young people engaged in our Green Pioneers programme

• Created over 2,000 new jobs

• Increased Colleague engagement levels to 80 and achieved 10th place in Sunday Times Best big companies to work for

• Increased our membership by over 300,000 members

• Distributed over £44 million in dividends to members

• Given £11.9 million back to the community

• Raised over £1.4 million for local charities and good causes

• Provided 234,000 volunteering hours in the community

In the last decade we have….

The Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development

• Awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development 2015

• The UK’s most prestigious business award given only to companies or individuals outstanding in their field

Celebrating success

“A Sustainable Development Award is made to The Midcounties Co-operative for placing sustainability at the heart of its operations. The Society created significant environmental improvements whilst delivering tangible social and economic benefits.”