Our Good Business Journey Vision 2025+ sets out Woolworths’ bold new strategy to achieve our sustainability goals and aspirations, working together with all our partners to create a better future for everyone. 

Since its inception in 2007, our groundbreaking Good Business Journey programme has been the driving force behind our vision of Woolworths becoming one of the world’s most responsible retailers. 

Last year, we took stock of where we stand on our sustainability journey and announced the company’s next set of ambitious Good Business Journey sustainability goals – Vision 2025+. We also launched our Inclusive Justice Initiative as a bold aspiration and vision of inspiring inclusive growth for all our people. These goals don’t only stretch our business to do more, but also encourage others to join us on our journey. 

We cannot do this on our own – profound, sustainable impact and progress requires deliberate collaboration amongst all our stakeholders, including industry leaders, our suppliers, customers, employees, government, business and NGO partners. 

Vision 2025+ commitments

Our new goals are broad-reaching and focus on three key areas, including a commitment to the environment, a commitment to a fully transparent, traceable and ethical supply chain, and caring for people, employees, customers and communities. 

The Woolworths Group’s environmental and supply chain goals include, amongst others, targets to achieve net zero carbon impact by 2040; for all energy to be obtained from renewable sources by 2030; to have a fully traceable and transparent supply chain by 2025; for all of our packaging to be reusable or recyclable; and for all our private label fashion and home products to be designed to be reused, repaired, resold or recycled by 2025. 

Alongside these environmental targets, Vision 2025+ also spotlights the need to bring about societal change, made even more urgent by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Through the Inclusive Justice Initiative, Woolworths is underscoring its commitment to being a diverse and inclusive business focused on enhancing a sense of belonging for our employees, customers and communities. 

Achieving these goals is imperative to future-proof our business, making Woolworths more resilient and enabling agility as we adapt to inevitable change, and will have a positive impact on the environment and society in general. The meaningful impact on our business has already been significant: our Good Business Journey has had a cumulative financial impact of almost R2 billion in savings since its inception, and we have received global and national recognition for our sustainability achievements. 

While these ambitious Vision 2025+ goals elevate Woolworths into challenging, yet exciting sustainability territory, we are confident they will inspire collaboration, creativity and problem-solving amongst all our stakeholders to ensure the greater good of the planet and its people. 

Woolworths Sustainability Performance Highlights

  • Woolworths became the first major South African retailer to sign the UN Women Empowerment Principles. 
  • We have committed to ensuring our people receive a Just Wage and are investing R120 million over the next 3 years to increase the hourly base rate. 
  • 174% improvement in Woolworths Group energy productivity from a 2005 baseline. 
  • Over the past 19 years, Woolworths has contributed R7.2 billion to alleviate hunger in South Africa through sustainable and impactful initiatives aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 2. 
  • 6 renewable energy installations across Woolworths Group to date. 
  • Just over 300 Woolworths stores are single-use plastic shopping bag-free. 
  • 100% of cotton and cocoa used in Woolworths private label products are responsibly sourced. 
  • One of the first retailers to partner with Eskom on a renewable energy sourcing trial. 
  • 1 st South African retailer retailer to publish its first tier Fashion, Beauty and Home supplier list. 
  • Almost 60% of Woolworths debt is now ESG-linked after recently completing numerous sustainability linked refinancing agreements with various South African banks.