BUGEN 5930. 0. Business, Society and the Planet Student

Business, Society and
the Planet
Running Head: BUGEN 5930 0
Student’s Name

BUGEN 5930 1
Contents
Question 1: Overview......................................................................................................................2
Question 2: Nature of Sustainability Report....................................................................................3
Question 3: Sustainability Development Goals...............................................................................4
Question 4: Sustainability phase......................................................................................................5
Question 5: Reflection of the stated values.....................................................................................7
Question 6: Reflection of group discussion...................................................................................11
References......................................................................................................................................12

BUGEN 5930 2
Question 1: Overview
Corporate social responsibility is becoming an important aspect of business these days.
Every organization is required to be responsible for many elements such as society, government,
employees, and the environment. The environment is being an important stakeholder and
therefore businesses, on their practice need to take care of this element. Sustainable development
plays an important role here. Many entities are developing their focus on sustainability and also
producing separate reports on this topic. Two of such companies selected for this report are BHP
Billiton and Wesfarmers. Both of these are Australian companies but belongs to different
industries. In order to provide the basic information related to these companies, this is to state
that Wesfarmers is a conglomerate company which has its headquarter in Perth, Australia
(Craft.co, 2019). This company has its diverse business operations in many areas that include
industrial and safety products, office supplies, general and apparel merchandise, outdoor living
and home improvement. The company is one of Australian’s largest employers and gives
employment to approximately 490000 people (Wesfarmers.com.au, 2019). BHP Billiton on the
other side is an Anglo Australian multinational petroleum, mining, and metals company which
has its headquarters in Victoria, Australia (Bhp.com, 2019).
As mentioned both of these companies are multinational companies, this is to say that
Wesfarmers has its operations in the UK, New Zealand, and Ireland. Whereas on a different side,
BHP Billiton has its operations in Brazil, North America, Chile, South America and more. In the
presented report, the focus will be made on the sustainability report of each of the company
including the sustainable business goals, the scope of their reports and values contained in the
same.

BUGEN 5930 3
Question 2: Nature of Sustainability Report
Both of the selected companies are engaged in the practice of corporate social,
responsibility in their related industries and this reflect through their code of conduct and
corporate social responsibility/sustainability report. If to talk about an area of focus developed by
these companies, this is to mention that in the year 2018, Wesfarmers focused on people
development, community contribution, climate change resilience, waste and water use, and
Robust governance. Whereas on a different side, BHP developed its focus on various
stakeholders such as suppliers, employee, social investment, shareholders, investors, and lenders.
The sustainability efforts of this company can be seen in different areas such as environmental
resilience, educational equity, and natural resourced governance. Both of the companies taken
initiates and developed the programs in order to achieve the results in favor of sustainability
goals decided by them. Further Wesfarmers, as well as BHP, is taking steps in the direction of
safety, security, and wellbeing of the employees with the help of various policies and programs.
Wesfarmers reports its sustainability practices on various topics which are majorly
divided into two parts that are principles and businesses. Principles further consist of many
factors such as people, sourcing, environment, community, and governance. On the different side
business consists of bunnings, Coles, department stores and many others. The company states its
good practices in each country which make the internal comparison possible among them.
Sustainability report of BHP seems to be different here as the same report its sustainability and
governance practices under various issues such as climate change, society, and environment.
This company does not report its practices focusing on business in different nations and therefore
one may not make the internal comparison. It means where Wesfarmers’s report is based on
national practices, report of BHP makes its focus on issues.

BUGEN 5930 4
Sustainability report of BHP does not include its business activities such as mining,
coaling and therefore one may not check its area wise suitability practices, whereas the same is
possible in case of Wesfarmers. In a conclusive way, this would not be wrongful to state that
Wesfarmers reports its sustainability in more detail in comparison to BHP.
Question 3: Sustainability Development Goals
Wesfarmers have identified the eight most relevant sustainability goals on that the same
has the most impact and where the same can contribute the most. As the company is engaged in
the conglomerate industry, it affects society. Further the same plays an important part in the
economy of the company, therefore, the same is required to adopt decent work practices. At last,
the environment is another area which is affected by the practices of Wesfarmers. Wesfarmers
has its huge responsibility towards the environment. Company is working on a large scale and in
this manner affect climate change and water uses. The most relevant sustainability goals of the
company and its industries are similar that are mentioned below:-
 SDG 1:- No Poverty (Sustainabledevelopment.un.org, 2019)
 SDG 2:- Zero Hunger
 SDG 5:- Gender Equality (Undp.org, 2019)
 SDG 6:- Clean water and Sanitation
 SDG 8:- Decent work and economic growth
 SDG 10:- Required Inequalities
 SDG 13:- Climate Action (Globalgoals.org, 2019)
 SDG 15:- Life on Land (Sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au, 2019)

BUGEN 5930 5
In the sustainability report 2018, Wesfarmers addressed all these goals in an effective and
detailed manner. However, the efforts made in direction of these goals are not mentioned by a
separate heading but by reviewing this report one may check that company addressed these goals
For instance goal 1 is reflected under community contribution heading mentioned in the report.
Further goal 6 is reflected under the section of the environment. Other goals are also addressed in
the reports under relevant headings.
Moving towards BHP, this is to state that belonging to mining industry SDG 13 is the
most related goal, which addresses the issue of climate action. Further, as the company
significantly contributes to the Australian economy hence goals 1 and 2 i.e. no poverty and zero
hunger are also relevant for the same. At last, BHP has 62000 employee and contractors
associated with the company hence the same is required to focus on goal 5, which is based on
gender equality. In order to discuss consideration of these goals in the sustainability report, this
is to state that the latest sustainability report of BHP addressed Gender balanced issue. In
comparison to last year, this year the company had 915 more woman employees. The subjective
report specifically addresses goal 13, which is the most relatable one. The company made a huge
contribution to the restoration, conservation, and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystem and
marine in all region of operation and in this manner taken steps towards goals 14 and 15. The
report does not make any explicit or implicit focus on goals 1 and 2 and no particular efforts
towards eradication of poverty can be seen in this report.
Question 4: Sustainability phase

BUGEN 5930 6
According to Dunphy, Griffiths, and Benn, there are six phases of organizational
sustainability namely Rejection, non-response, compliance, efficiency, proactivity and sustaining
the organization. Reviewing the sustainability report of both of these companies, this is to state
that Wesfarmers sit on proactivity phase. As per the above-mentioned authors, a company falls in
proactivity phase when the same is proactive and strategic, engaged in stakeholder management,
has high-level interpersonal skills and has structural redesign for flexibility. It means the same
has an innovative capacity. The company considers the interest of all the stakeholder such as
employees, suppliers, and customers. Company has started training and development programme
for its employees. Further, the same is making continuous efforts to maintain and manage
workplace relations. Company is reducing its dependency on international suppliers and
contributing to the Australian economy in each way possible. This can be understood by the fact
that in the financial year 2018, the company purchased 100% of pork, chicken, fresh lamb, and
beef from Australian suppliers. The company adopted innovative technologies that automate
inspection at CSBP in 2005 and now is investigating the way in which the same can used this
technology for statutory inspection. In this manner, it is clear that the company is innovative and
the same has high-level interpersonal skills in relation to its employees.
BHP on the other side seems to be on efficiency phase. An organization is considered
efficient when the same has systematic HRM, risk avoidance mechanism and that emphasis on
reporting (Dunphy, Griffiths & Benn, 2007). Although BHP also supports biodiversity through
innovation but efforts of the same are recent. Company has systematic HRM as it believes
investing in the workforce so that employees have a healthy culture and right skills. In the
financial year 2018, company provided flexible working to 2,183 people. The company invests
its funds and resources to avoid risk. The reporting structure of this company is good as it reports

BUGEN 5930 7
every possible aspect where the same is engaged in addition to its plans. The company seems to
jump on the next phase of sustainability very soon where the same would have a great level of
innovation and stakeholder management.
Question 5: Reflection of the stated values
Wesfarmers, as well as BHP, has their certain values, which also reflect in their
sustainability report, starting from the Wesfarmers this is to state that lead motive of this
organization is to provide satisfactory returns to investors (shareholders) considering human and
community factors. BHP on the other side believes in creating long-term shareholder value via
acquisition and marketing of natural resources. BHP adopts values such as performance,
integrity, sustainability, accountability, and respect in its business practice. Both of these
companies took initiatives to co-operate with their stated values. 87% of Wesfarmers employees
are covered by collective agreements. Company has ethical sourcing and respect human rights.
Wesfarmers spent $ 147.5 million as community contributions. Following is a statistic related to
the same:

BUGEN 5930 8
(Sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au, 2018a, 26)
Greenhouse emission is another value of Wesfarmers that again reflect in its report. 3,945
thousand tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in the financial year 2018. Following is the data
related to Greenhouse gas emission.

BUGEN 5930 9
(Sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au
, 2018b, 31)
Sustainability is one of the core values of BHP. A mentioned above respect and dignity
are an important factor for business, this is to state that the company is very active in providing a
healthy and safe environment to its employees in addition to transparency and accountability on
the part of business managers. As per the Engagement and Perception Survey conducted in the
financial year 2018, an employee of BHP stated that they feel proud to be a part of this
organization.

BUGEN 5930 10
(Bhp.com, 2018)
In addition to employees, BHP also made significant efforts for the wellbeing of society.
Early childhood development, physical health, and mental wellbeing are some areas where the
company made its efforts.

BUGEN 5930 11
Question 6: Reflection of group discussion
In order to summarize findings on the activities performed by two of the chosen
companies, we made a group discussion. First of all the activities related to Wesfarmers were
discussed and two members of groups raise the concern of ethical issue in agriculture product
procurement. In order to address this issue, we referred corporate social responsibility report of
the company and found that even being engaged in many industrial activities, the company
performed many social activities including supporting the art in Australia, which is not even
related to, is business operations. Another group member asked whether the company takes
responsibility for data privacy or not and it was founded that in addition to data safety, the
company is also taking product safety initiative. We found that this company is being ethical in
its operations. Then we diverted our discussion to another company that we have chosen for this
report, i.e. BHP. As the company is engaged in the extraction of natural resources, the main
concern regarding this company was employee safety. It was found at the page number 29 of the
sustainability report of this company that safety is the primary concern for this organization and
a total number of recordable injury is decreasing year by year.
In order to reach up to a conclusion, we continued the discussion and it was concluded
that being from different industries both these companies are behaving ethically on their own
places and are required to continue their sustainability efforts in order to be more responsible in
future.

BUGEN 5930 12
References
Bhp.com. (2018) BHP Sustainability Report 2018. Retrieved From:
https://www.bhp.com/-/media/documents/investors/annual-reports/2018/
bhpsustainabilityreport2018.pdf
Bhp.com. (2019). Contact us. Retrieved From: https://www.bhp.com/contact-us
Craft.co. (2019). Wesfarmers. Retrieved From: https://craft.co/wesfarmers
Dunphy, D., Griffiths, A & Benn, S. (2007). Organisational Change for Corporate
Sustainability. Oxon: Routledge.
Globalgoals.org. (2019). The 17 goals. Retrieved From: https://www.globalgoals.org/
Sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au. (2019. Sustainable Development Goals. Retrieved From:
https://sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au/our-data/sustainable-development-goals/
Sustainabledevelopment.un.org. (2019). Sustainable Development Goals. Retrieved From:
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300
Undp.org. (2019). Sustainable Development Goals. Retrieved From:
https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-goals.html
Wesfarmers.com.au. (2019). Our Businesses. Retrieved From:
https://www.wesfarmers.com.au/our-businesses/our-businesses