Environmental management

Our Environmental Code of Conduct, which is issued to each Maison, is the main framework through which we manage our impacts. This Code sets out our commitment to carry out our business activities in a manner which is consistent with the protection of the environment. We ensure that we adhere to environment legislation, norms and regulation.

Responsibility for the implementation of the Code lies with the general manager of each facility. Each business is expected to implement its own environmental management system which is tailored to suit its size and type of activity. When possible, we work to facilitate sharing of practices between businesses.

At the corporate level, the CSR Committee reviews environmental performance as a permanent item on the agenda, decides on new initiatives and reports to management and the Board on progress.

Our Internal Audit function includes environment within its risk analysis and monitors compliance with the Code. Procedures are in place to ensure that non-compliance with the Code is followed up with a programme of remedial action.

Developing environmental management systems within our Maisons has been a key area of focus for 2007/08. We already have in place a number of elements to promote responsible environmental management and we have enlisted the help of an external specialist consultancy to further develop this area. We conducted site-level reviews during the year and these identified the following key impact areas for us;

Climate change/greenhouse gases
Energy
Waste
Water

Performance and measurement

We consolidate environmental data annually. These include energy we use in our buildings, fuel consumed as we travel and other elements necessary to calculate our carbon footprint. Each consolidation exercise gives us indications on how to improve the quality and scope of our data. The results also help us drive our improvement plan and focus our efforts where it matters.

The results are presented to the Board, reported externally in our Annual Report and communicated internally to employees.

This year we have extended the scope of our performance measurement to capture data on water consumption.

Site level environmental reviews

During 2007, we undertook third-party reviews of the main Montblanc Simplo site in Hamburg and the Chloé retail store in London to analyse environmental management practices and make recommendations for improvements.

The reviews highlighted a number of examples of existing good environmental practice. For example, Montblanc Simplo showed particular strengths in documenting waste management and minimisation and investing in technology to improve energy efficiency.

The reviews also found that both sites have in place a combination of formal and informal processes relating to environmental management and suggested possible frameworks to strengthen their approach.

Using these findings we intend to continue to develop our environmental management systems across our business through 2008/09.