Better Health for All
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Greggs' product portfolio includes active nutritional improvement efforts, with over 30% of its menu qualifying as 'Healthier Choice' in 2024, defined as items with fewer than 400 calories and no reds on the traffic light system.
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The company is introducing new healthier options, such as flatbread sandwiches and plant-based savory bakes, and making small changes to reduce salt, fat, or sugar in existing products.
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However, the majority of its products do not meet these 'Healthier Choice' standards, indicating that unhealthy products remain dominant. The Greggs Foundation runs the 'Agents of Change' program, which educates primary school children on sustainable food choices, physical activity, and healthy diets.
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This initiative reached over 29,000 children in 290 schools in one year
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and aims to reach 50,000 children in 600 schools by 2025.
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The company's operations do not involve pharmaceutical patents, clinical trials, or products with addiction potential.
Fair Money & Economic Opportunity
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Greggs PLC, a bakery chain and food retailer, does not offer consumer lending or deposit services, making several financial services-specific KPIs not applicable. Specifically, there are no APRs or fee structures to evaluate, no high-cost financial products, no customer finance data managed, no lending history, no financial education programs, no debt products, and no financial products requiring disclosure. The company does, however, share 10% of its profits with employees who have at least six months tenure, which amounted to £20.5 million in 2024.
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Fair Pay & Worker Respect
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Greggs was recently named for failing to pay £324,742.87 to 1,541 workers.
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Despite this, 97.50% of the active workforce is covered by collective bargaining agreements.
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In 2024, the median gender pay gap was 3.68%, and the median ethnicity pay gap was 3.70%.
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The company reported a 74% engagement score in its most recent colleague survey, outperforming the UK retail benchmark by 4%.
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Greggs does not offer zero-hour contracts.
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It shares 10% of its profits with eligible colleagues, distributing £20.5 million in 2024.
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Wage increases of over 15% were negotiated over the past two years, with 84.6% of the workforce receiving a pay increase of 6.1% or more in 2024.
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The average hourly wage was £12.41 as of December 2024, with all colleagues paid above the National Minimum Wage.
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The company increased matched pension contributions to 6% in 2024 and offers share ownership schemes.
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Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing
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Greggs sources 100% of its coffee, direct chocolate purchases, and direct soy in its own operations from Fairtrade or certified sustainable sources.
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All materials containing chocolate as an ingredient in 2024 were Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certified.
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Additionally, 100% of palm oil is Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certified sustainable
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, with 99.9% of the volume procured in 2024 being segregated.
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The company also exclusively purchases Fairtrade apple and orange juice, sugar sticks and syrup, hot chocolate, black tea, mint tea, and green tea.
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Greggs requires suppliers to review and agree to its Supplier Code of Conduct
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, which includes policies and standards on labor practices, environmental management, and ethics, making them contractually obliged.
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Farm Animal Welfare Standards are incorporated into contractual obligations for all suppliers of raw materials and products from livestock and seafood.
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These efforts result in a near 0% spend on uncertified versions of these high-risk materials. No specific incidents of forced or child labor have been reported in the last three years
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, and suppliers provide annual self-certification, supported by proactive risk assessments using EcoVadis and the Global Slavery Index.
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However, Greggs conducted only 10 trace and farm animal welfare audits in 2024 for over 1,700 suppliers
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, indicating a very low average audit frequency for its supplier base.
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Honest & Fair Business
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Greggs PLC reported zero regulatory fines or settlements related to marketing and labelling practices in 2024, with no other fines mentioned in reports covering the past three years.
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The company achieved a 91% disclosure score in the 2022 WDI assessment.
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It has a whistleblowing policy allowing employees to raise concerns confidentially and without fear of disciplinary action, with an independent review process and the Chair of the Audit Committee as the first point of contact.
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No financial restatements were mentioned in the 2024 Annual Report, implying zero restatements over the past five years.
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The group audit team achieved 100% coverage of group revenue, total assets, and profit before tax by auditing the parent company, identified as the only significant component.
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Greggs also has an anti-bribery and corruption policy prohibiting bribes, a Supplier Code of Conduct with ethics standards, and regularly refreshes its modern slavery training.
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The company is listed on the Corporate Ethics Register of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) and displays its Corporate Ethics Mark.
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Kind to Animals
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Greggs demonstrates a strong commitment to animal welfare, achieving a Tier 2 ranking in the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) in 2024, placing it in the top 4 of 150 global food companies.
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The company has eight farm animal welfare standards in place
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, ensuring 100% of animals are stunned before slaughter
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, no animals are reared using growth-promoting substances
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, and no animals are genetically modified or cloned
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. Additionally, 0% of broiler chickens, laying hens, beef cattle, and sheep are kept in close confinement
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, and 100% of pigs are sow stall-free as of Q2 2024.
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Environmental enrichment is provided for 100% of pork, beef, mutton, and eggs
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, and for 99.6% of chicken and at least 97.1% of dairy.
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However, 85.2% of pigs are not free from farrowing crates, with a target to end their use by 2035.
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For sourcing, 100% of eggs are from cage-free hens.
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Based on 2024 tonnage, approximately 94.9% of animal products (excluding fish) are sourced from cage-free or better systems.
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In 2024, 2,400 tonnes of animal-sourced materials were replaced by plant-based alternatives, representing approximately 2.9% of total animal-sourced purchases.
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Greggs does not conduct animal testing.
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The company is a signatory of the Compassion in World Farming (CiWF) letter to Defra advocating for the phasing out of cages for laying hens
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and participates in various animal welfare forums.
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No War, No Weapons
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Greggs PLC, a food retailer, has no direct revenue from arms or defense contracts, nor does it engage in dual-use technology, military AI, or surveillance activities. The company's core business does not involve defense or arms-related activities, and it has no assets or operations in conflict-exposed sectors that would require divestment policies or war-risk audits. Greggs adheres to humanitarian procurement standards, being annually listed on the Corporate Ethics Register of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply
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and following Fairtrade standards to mitigate unfair trading practices and abuse of labour in its supply chains. The company's principles are based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights,
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and it requires suppliers to annually resubmit and revalidate Labour & Human Rights data, including those in identified high-risk countries.
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A contract exit process is initiated if a supplier crosses a human rights 'red-line' and does not remediate.
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The Greggs Foundation distributed £5.45 million in 2024 to social programs like Breakfast Clubs,
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and the company generated over £7.6 million in Fairtrade Premium for producers.
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Planet-Friendly Business
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Greggs has near-term science-based emissions reduction targets, approved by the SBTi, to reduce absolute Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions by 46.2% by 2030 from a 2019 base year, aligned with a 1.5°C pathway.
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The company sources 91.4% of its total electric and gas energy from renewable sources.
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For waste management, 24.7% of food waste was redistributed in 2024.
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In terms of packaging, the weight of packaging has dropped by 20.9% since 2019, and half of the plastic in cold drinks and salad pots is from recycled sources.
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Greggs has a deforestation policy, with 100% of declared soy in its own operations certified as sustainable in 2024, and aims for all relevant suppliers to be deforestation-free by the end of 2025.
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No environmental compliance violations were reported. The company completed and published a TCFD report, consistent with recommendations, and includes climate scenario analysis covering 1.5°C and 4.4°C physical risk pathways, as well as three transition risk scenarios.
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27% of its estate features Eco-Shop elements, and a new facility achieved BREEAM Excellent standard.
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The overall net-zero target is 2040, with interim targets of 2030 for Scope 2 and 2035 for Scope 1.
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Greggs operates Outlet shops in areas of higher social deprivation, selling discounted products and donating profits to local charities.
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However, Greggs has not published a category-level breakdown of its Scope 3 emissions, and its ambition is for 30% of its supply chain to disclose emissions by 2027, indicating limited current supply chain climate transparency.
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The company uses wheat from regenerative farmed sources in some products, promoting biodiversity, but this is a minimal program.
Respect for Cultures & Communities
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Greggs PLC has over 150 formal external partners through the Greggs Foundation, supporting community initiatives.
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However, a Newcastle Employment Tribunal ruled that racial harassment occurred and three workers were unfairly dismissed in July 2021, with the company's subsequent investigation deemed not handled fairly.
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The company's operations do not involve indigenous peoples or cultural sites, making FPIC processes, indigenous supplier tracking, and cultural site protection not applicable. Similarly, there is no specific community representation on governance bodies or dedicated cultural preservation funding. The company engages in general charitable giving, distributing £4.5 million in 2023 to schools and charitable organizations, including 896 Breakfast Clubs serving 62,000 children daily, but without a specific cultural heritage focus.
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Safe & Smart Tech
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The company's general data retention policy for active customers typically covers up to a 10-year period, which may be extended depending on digital service usage.
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However, there are no documented incidents of unauthorized data use.
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Greggs provides users with a comprehensive set of data control rights, including access, rectification, erasure, objection, restriction of processing, data portability, and the ability to withdraw consent.
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The company is committed to UK GDPR compliance, is registered with the ICO, and has procedures in place to notify the Information Commissioner's Office of personal information breaches when legally required.
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Zero Waste & Sustainable Products
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Greggs redistributed 45% of all unsold food in 2024.
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As of 2024, 98.3% of its own-brand packaging is easily recyclable, with 118 out of 120 items made from widely recycled materials (excluding hot drink cups).
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Paper and board-based packaging is sourced from FSC or PEFC certified suppliers, and the company reduced packaging weight by 20.9% since 2019.
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Recycled content includes 30% in rPET hot drink lids and stretch wrap, and half (50%) of the plastic in cold drinks and salad pots is from recycled sources.
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Greggs applies circular design principles to several product categories, using rPET plastic, reusable plastic trays, and testing returnable plastic 'pallecons' in the supply chain.
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The company implements numerous waste reduction initiatives, such as reducing manufacturing food waste to 0.18% of sales in 2024, and rolling out Eco-Shop elements to 27% of its estate.
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Hazardous substances are managed by using low-impact refrigeration gas as standard in shops.
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Greggs has set company-wide waste reduction targets, aiming for 25% less food waste by 2025 (compared to 2018), 25% less packaging by weight by 2025 (compared to 2019), and increasing unsold food redistribution to 47% by the end of 2025.
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