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Bunnings

OVERALL

Owned
AUS
Rating
Praises, some criticism

Hardware retail

Australia's largest hardware retailer. Bunnings operate 211 Bunnings Warehouse stores and 63 smaller format Bunnings stores across Australia and New Zealand.

Company Ownership

Bunnings Group Ltd    AUS     website   email      
  Wesfarmers Ltd   
   owns 100% of Bunnings Group Ltd   
AUS     website   email      twitter

Retail, energy, insurance, chemicals

Founded in WA in 1914 as a farmers' cooperative, today Wesfarmers operations include department stores; home improvement and office supplies; insurance; chemicals, energy and fertilisers; and industrial and safety products. Acquired Coles Group in 2007 for $20 billion in the biggest takeover in Australian corporate history. Coles was spun-off in November 2018. Wesfarmers kept Officeworks, Kmart and Target, which were part of Coles Group when it was acquired by Wesfarmers.

> About the Ratings

Company Assessment

PRAISE CRITICISM INFORMATION
Bunnings Group Ltd
Environment Australian Packaging Covenant signatory
Signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant, a voluntary agreement to encourage waste minimisation.
Source: Australian Packaging Covenant (2020)
Environment Selling bee-killing pesticides
Bunnings are still selling bee-poisoning neonicotinoids, despite evidence that they are a major contributor to the global bee die-off. The European Union have placed a two year ban on these pesticides.
Source: Sum or Us (2014)
Social Workplace injury
Southport District Court (QLD) awarded a Bunnings employee $269,647.70 after she broke here ankle playing tunnel ball during a team building exercise in 2008.
Source: Courier Mail (2012)
Business Ethics Damages awarded against Bunnings
The NSW Court of Appeal held in Bunnings Group Ltd v CHEP Australia Ltd (2011) that the use by Bunnings of CHEP's wooden pallets for the delivery of goods from its distribution centres to its stores constituted an intentional dealing with CHEP's lawful property and resulted in the loss of potential hire revenue for CHEP. Bunnings were liable for damages of $9,375,798 plus interest of $4,100,002.
Source: Mondaq (2012)
Environment Timber procurement policy
Bunnings has been working with Greenpeace and WWF for over 10 years to maintain a robust timber sourcing policy.
Source: WWF (2010)
Environment FSC Retail Supporter
This company is an FSC Australia Retail Supporter. A Retail Supporter is an organisation that sells FSC Certified products (among others) to consumers. These are companies who not only wish to sell certified products, but promote and support FSC at the same time.
Source: FSC Australia (2017)
Animals Fur free
This company has announced that they don't sell animal fur or are phasing in a fur-free policy.
Source: Humane Society (2019)
Business Ethics Previous GFTN participant
Bunnings is a founding participant of GFTN-Australia since 2008. The Global Forest and Trade Network seeks to mainstream the principles of responsible forest management and sustainable trade throughout the global forest products industry, by providing technical assistance and fostering linkages between committed companies. Independent forest certification is a key tool in this process.
Source: WWF (2019)
Business Ethics Sustainability claims
This company has a number of sustainability claims on its website, including reductions in the use of energy and water, sending less waste to landfill, a responsible sourcing policy (especially in relation to timber), and community programs.
Source: company website (2020)
Wesfarmers Ltd
Environment Australian Packaging Covenant signatory
Signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant, a voluntary agreement to encourage waste minimisation.
Source: Australian Packaging Covenant (2020)
Environment CDP Climate Change Score of B
In 2018, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change risk. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Climate Change Score of B.
Source: CDP (2018)
Social Efforts to pay a living wage
Oxfam Australia's Company Tracker compares the big clothing brands on their efforts to pay a living wage to the women working in their factories. This company has released the names and addresses of at least 70% of their supplier factories, and has taken some action towards paying a living wage within a set timeframe in the supply chain.
Source: Oxfam Australia (2019)
Social Human Rights Benchmark
The 2019 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark assessed 200 of the largest publicly traded companies in the world from the Agricultural Products, Apparel, Extractives and ICT Manufacturing sectors on 100 human rights indicators. This company's score was in the 40-50 band range. The overall average score was a disappointing 24%.
Source: CHRB (2019)
Business Ethics 69/100 S&P Global ESG Score
This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 69/100 in the Retailing category of the 2019 SAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices. The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.
Source: S&P Global (2019)
Social Cotton sourcing (Rank a Brand)
In 2016 Rank a Brand assessed 37 major cotton-using companies on their commitment and performance with regard to sustainable cotton by looking at each company's cotton sourcing policies, use of sustainable cotton, and traceability. This company scored 0.5/19.5, making it one of the weakest performing companies.
Source: Rank a Brand (2016)
Business Ethics 35.3% in Newsweek Green Ranking 2017
This company received a score of 35.3/100 in the Newsweek Green Ranking 2017, which ranks the world's largest publicly traded companies on eight indicators covering energy, greenhouse gases, water, waste, fines and penalties, linking executive pay to sustainability targets, board-level committee oversight of environmental issues and third-party audits. Ranking methodology by Corporate Knights and HIP Investor.
Source: Newsweek (2017)
Social Supply chain sourcing
This 2013 report by The Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI) investigates the labour and human rights risks in supply chain sourcing. This company is identified on page 21 as a company which sources products from countries with known systemic labour and human rights concerns.
Source: ACSI (2013)
Business Ethics Political donations
According to the democracyforsale.net website, this company donated $638,000 to Australia's major political parties between 2012 and 2018, as disclosed to the Australian Electoral Commision (AEC).
Source: Democracy For Sale (2018)
Environment Climate action commitments
As listed on the We Mean Business website, this company has committed to the following climate action initiatives: put a price on carbon; responsible corporate engagement in climate policy; report climate change information in mainstream reports as a fiduciary duty.
Source: We Mean Business (2017)
Business Ethics Tax paying in Australia
Between 2015 and 2018 this company paid $3 billion tax on a total income of $199 billion, earning the number 8 spot on Michael West's Top 40 Tax Payers 2020. West calculated which of Australia's largest companies have paid the most tax using three years of tax transparency data published by the Australian Tax Office.
Source: Michael West (2018)
Business Ethics Sustainability claims
This company has sustainability claims on its website in the areas of sourcing, community, environment and indigenous engagement.
Source: company website (2019)
Social 43/100 in KnowTheChain Benchmark
In 2018 KnowTheChain benchmarked 120 large global companies in the ICT, Food & Beverage, and Apparel & Footwear sectors on their efforts to address forced labour and human trafficking in their supply chains. This company received a score of 43/100.
Source: KnowTheChain (2018)
Social Modern Slavery statement
California, the UK and Australia have all enacted legislation requiring companies operating within their borders to disclose their efforts to eradicate modern slavery from their operations and supply chains. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement.
Source: Modern Slavery Registry (2017)

> About the Icons

Company Details

Type Wholly-owned subsidiary
Revenue $7.3 billion in 2012
Employees 33,000+ in 2012 in Australia & NZ

Contact Details

Address 16 - 18 Cato St, Hawthorn East, VIC, 3123, Australia
Phone 03 8831 9777
Fax 03 8831 9444
Email customer_service@bunnings.com.au
Website www.bunnings.com.au

Products / Brands

Bunnings
Bunnings Hardware Stores
Moretti Heating & Cooling


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