Sustainability is an integral aspect of Action’s strategy. It is committed to making sustainability accessible for everyone by continually investing to improve the quality and sustainability of its products and stores.

Action’s Sustainability Programme is structured around the four pillars of people, planet, product and partnership, each with clear and measurable KPIs and targets. We highlight below the progress Action has made on some of its priorities.

Progress on material topics

GHG emissions reduction

Action is committed to reducing the absolute emissions from its own operations and to decreasing the impact the company has on the environment. In support of this, it has set an ambitious reduction target with several initiatives underway, including disconnecting its store base from the gas grid, installing solar panels on some distribution centres and stores, procuring electricity from renewable sources, as well as various other energy efficiency measures, such as the installation of LED lights in stores.

Action is also working to reduce the emissions associated with its logistics and delivered a 13% reduction in transportation emissions from its own trucks in 2022, driven primarily by piloting the use of biofuels. In 2023, Action will take this further by piloting the use of electric trucks. The company has entered into a collaboration with key logistics partner Maersk to lower the emissions of its sea freight operations through Maersk’s ECO Delivery programme, which involves the replacement of fossil fuels with ISCC certified green fuels. This will result in the reduction of Action’s Scope 3 emissions by an estimated 29,000 tonnes of CO2 in the current calendar year.

Importantly, Action is in the process of calculating its Scope 3 emissions to determine future targets and reduction strategies throughout the value chain.

Responsible sourcing

Action has a global supply chain and is committed to sourcing its products responsibly with consideration for the environment, human and labour rights. The company uses a number of tools to achieve this ambition, including:

• an ethical sourcing policy, accepted by suppliers and which is built upon recognised international frameworks;
• responsible sourcing policies for timber products, cotton, cocoa, chemicals, plastics and packaging, implemented through third-party certification with partners such as FSC, Better Cotton and Fairtrade; and
• robust due diligence procedures on suppliers and factories, including a programme of social audits and spot checks applied to direct import suppliers, which can result in remediation actions or in the termination of supplier relationships.

Product circularity and sustainable packaging

Action strives to improve product circularity, which is managed per product category. It has completed circular baseline assessments for each of its 14 product categories and set targets to improve
the circularity scoring of each of these.

Its Buying and Quality teams have been supported by Circle Economy, a circularity specialist, to improve their awareness and implementation of circularity through product sourcing. Action has also implemented policies for unsold and damaged goods which are separated into resaleable products or waste, which is separated and re-used where possible.

The company also aims to mitigate the negative impact caused by pollution from packaging by increasing the use of renewable materials, reducing the weight and improving the recyclability
of packaging. Action’s commitments on these topics are set out in the table above.