Go-Ahead achieves highest ever score of 97%, while First improved on its silver status with 93% for its UK and North American operations
Both FirstGroup and Go-Ahead have been recognised in Business in the Community’s annual benchmark of responsible business management, the Corporate Responsibility Index (CR Index).
Go-Ahead achieved its highest ever score of 97%. This moves the company into the index’s Platinum ranking and means Go-Ahead is the top performing bus and rail operator to be featured.
Meanwhile, FirstGroup has achieved Gold status for UK and North America its operations, with an overall score of 93%, improving upon the Silver status which it secured the previous five years.
First scored full marks for its approach to community investment and climate change in the assessment. The company also achieved 90% and above in the environmental management, workplace management and employee development categories.
Companies which achieve Platinum integrate corporate responsibility into its business model and have clear CR responsibilities and incentive structures at board and operational levels. Platinum companies have a structured approach to data collection and social and environmental impact assessment and can demonstrate a number of years of CR performance improvement across key impacts, high level of transparency and stakeholder engagement.
David Brown, Go-Ahead Group CEO said: “This is great news and we are pleased to have achieved a 97% score which has moved us up from Gold to Platinum ranking. Our excellent performance in the index demonstrates we continue to place CR values at the core of our business strategy and that the strategy is implemented and embedded across the organisation. The index also recognises we have management practices in place to address CR issues in the community, the environment, the workplace and in the way we interact with our passengers.”
CEO of FirstGroup Tim O’Toole said: “I’m delighted our approach to corporate responsibility has been recognised by Business in the Community. Across FirstGroup we are committed to setting the highest possible standards and achieving Gold status reflects the fantastic efforts of my colleagues across all our operations to continuously improve.”
Stephen Howard, CEO, Business in the Community, congratulated both Go-Ahead and First on their achievements, adding: “The CR Index tells us, despite the complexities of this agenda and the tough economic challenges they’re facing, our leading companies are continuing to invest in responsible business and integrating it within their operations.”
