Plan for Better

Reporting frameworks, benchmarks and indices

Reporting frameworks, benchmarks and indices

As a business we make multiple disclosures over the course of a year, including external benchmark and indices and disclosures using reporting frameworks. These provide an external perspective which supports our understanding of where we are as a business in relation to the most salient environmental, social and corporate governance issues. They also give us additional insights into our own progress against our ESG agenda to ensure we meet the commitments we’ve made as part of our Plan for Better.

Our Plan for Better

SASB

The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) is an independent nonprofit organization that sets standards to guide the disclosure of financially material sustainability information by companies to their investors. SASB Standards identify the subset of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues most relevant to financial performance in each of 77 industries.

In 2024, we published our fourth SASB disclosure. 

Read our SASB disclosure

CDP

CDP is a not-for-profit charity that runs the global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts.

Sainsbury’s participate in the CDP surveys relating to climate change, water scarcity and forests annually. In 2023 we were awarded an ‘A’ rating for our climate change disclosure, for the tenth consecutive year, the only UK retailer to have done so. In 2023 we also achieved an ‘A-’ rating for our water disclosure, and a 'B' rating for our forests disclosure.

Read our CDP reports

Task Force for Climate -related Financial Disclosure (TCFD)

The TCFD developed a framework to help public companies and other organizations more effectively disclose climate-related risks and opportunities through their existing reporting processes.

Sainsbury’s became a signatory of TCFD in January 2020. We committed to implementing the recommendations of TCFD and have been making progress towards embedding climate considerations into our reporting and decision making, as well as targets in place to measure progress and incentivise performance.

For our TCFD disclosure, please see our Annual Report and Financial Statements 2023.

Read our TCFD disclosure

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

In 2015 the United Nations published the UN SDGs; 17 ambitious goals which aim to end poverty, protect our planet and increase prosperity and peace for all.

We continue to fully support and contribute to these goals. Whether it’s investment into our local communities, reducing emissions to tackle climate.

Read more on the SDGs

Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI)

This Supermarket Spotlight Report aims to encourage the UK’s largest supermarket chains to take concerted action to tackle the country’s diet related health challenges. The report provides a snapshot of 10 UK companies’ disclosure on their approach to addressing the UK’s diet-related health challenges.

In the 2022 ATNI report, we were ranked 2nd of the retailers.

More on healthy diets

Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW)

BBFAW is the most comprehensive global account of corporate commitment and disclosure on farm animal welfare. The initiative’s annual benchmarking report assesses the farm animal welfare performance of 150 of the world’s largest food companies

This year, we successfully maintained our Tier 2 position.

More on animal health and welfare

Workforce Disclosure Initiative (WDI)

Aims to improve corporate transparency and accountability on workforce issues. In 2022, 167 global companies took part in the Initiative, demonstrating their commitment to transparency. Sainsbury’s is leading the sector and industry with our overall Disclosure (completion) score and we are in line with sector and country scores for Public Disclosure.

In 2022 we recieved an overall disclosure score of 97%. Sainsbury’s was proud to receive special mentions for our Supply Chain Data and Workforce Action and were a runner up in the WDI awards.

More on human rights

Fashion Transparency Index (FTI)

From Fashion Revolution, analyses and ranks 250 of the world’s largest fashion brands and retailers based on their public disclosure of human rights and environmental policies, practices, and impacts, in their operations and supply chains.

We scored 51 per cent in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index above the 26 per cent average score. We are now the leading UK retailer in public disclosure.

More on sustainable sourcing

Oxfam

The Supermarket Scorecard is a campaign launched by Oxfam in 2018 (as part of the Behind the Barcodes) to expose the economic exploitation faced by millions of small-scale farmers and workers in food supply chains, and mobilize the power of people around the world to help end it.

The Supermarket Scorecard assesses supermarkets’ policies and practices on human rights in their supply chains, and whether supermarkets are transparent and accountable in the ways they ensure that workers’ rights are respected, small-scale farmers are prosperous and the women who produce our food are treated fairly..

We ranked 4th this year, with a score of 55 per cent.

More on human rights

World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA)

Food and Agriculture Benchmark measures and ranks 350 keystone companies on key issues underpinning the food systems transformation agenda. The benchmark’s aim is to stimulate the most influential food and agriculture companies to apply sustainable business practices throughout their operations as well as use their influence to encourage value chain partners to do the same.

We are currently ranked 17th in the total 350 most influential food companies.

Our Plan for Better

Sustainalytics

ESG Rating measures how well companies proactively manage the environmental, social and governance issues that are the most material to their business, with a focus on a companies’ ability to mitigate risks and capitalize on opportunities.

We scored 17.4 in their ESG risk rating which is a low-risk.

Our Plan for Better

Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI)

ESG Rating is designed to measure a company’s resilience to long-term industry material environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks. MSCI use a rules-based methodology to identify industry leaders and laggards, and their ESG Ratings range from leader (AAA, AA), average (A, BBB, BB) to laggard (B, CCC).

We ranked AAA as an industry leader in 2022 and for the last five years since records began.

Our Plan for Better

Our Stories

21 November 2024

Increasing transparency in our supply chain

24 October 2024

Exploring the success of the Ica dry forests project in Peru delivered by NGO Huarango Nature

28 August 2024

Fish and shellfish welfare