Go-Ahead celebrates Responsible Business Week (18-22 April 2016 #RBWeek), an annual campaign to encourage businesses to increase their positive contribution to society, with an impressive 95% score. The company, which is a top performing passenger transport operator in Business in the Community's (BITC) Sustainability Index, has been praised for developing a methodology calculating the financial value sustainability activities bring to the business. The Group has also been recognised for taking social and environmental issues into account when making strategic business decisions.

The CR Index is a robust benchmarking tool that has helped hundreds of companies measure and manage their progress integrating responsible business practices. It is a rigorous process assessing companies against a diverse range of factors, from how engaged their board and senior managers are with responsible business issues, to the link between remuneration and CR performance.

Commenting on the results of the sustainability index, Sarah Boundy, corporate communications director at Go-Ahead, said: 'Our devolved management structure allows us to developed strong collaborative stakeholder partnerships with local organisations and to make a positive and more relevant contribution to the communities we serve.

She added: 'We're undertaking a materiality review which is a consultation with our key internal and external key stakeholders to ensure we're focusing on the issues that are relevant to our stakeholder in the short and long term'

Stephen Howard, Chief Executive, Business in the Community said: 'Genuine responsible business is about how companies translate their values into behaviour and decision making, create the right culture and drive societal and economic value in the process. The CR Index helps companies take a look at their business from the inside out and it's encouraging to see companies increasingly integrated responsible business into business at all levels. This year's Index also reinforces the opportunity companies have to think much longer term to address pressing issues such as climate change.

'I congratulate Go-Ahead for achieving its ranking and look forward to working together to create a fairer society and a more sustainable future.'

ENDS

For more information contact Sarah Boundy, group corporate communications director, sarah.boundy@go-ahead.com 07808 568 667

For further information about the 2016 CR Index including the full list of participating companies, please visit www.bitc.org.uk/crindex

Go-Ahead
Go-Ahead is a leading UK public transport operator, providing high quality services in the bus and rail sectors. Employing around 26,000 people across the country, over one billion passenger journeys are undertaken on our services each year. We are committed to operating our companies in a safe, socially and environmentally responsible way and are proud to have been accredited with triple Carbon Trust Standard for reductions in carbon, water and waste. In addition to the travelling public, our customers include the Department for Transport, Transport for London (TfL) and local authorities.

Go-Ahead Bus
 Go-Ahead is one of the UK's largest bus operators. With a fleet of around 4,700 buses, we carry nearly two million passengers every day. Our operations are focused on high density commuter markets. We have a strong presence in London, with around 24 per cent market share, where we provide regulated services for TfL. We operate deregulated services in Oxford, East Anglia, the south east, southern and north east England.

Go-Ahead Rail
 The rail operation, Govia, is 65 per cent owned by Go-Ahead and 35 per cent by Keolis. It is the busiest rail operation in the UK, currently responsible for nearly 30 per cent of all UK passenger rail journeys through its four rail franchises: GTR (Govia Thameslink Railway), Southern (which includes the Gatwick Express), Southeastern and London Midland.

About Business in the Community
 Business in the Community is the Prince's Responsible Business Network. Our members work together to tackle a wide range of issues that are essential to building a fairer society and a more sustainable future. We are a business-led, issue focused charity with more than 30 years' experience of mobilising business. We engage thousands of businesses through our programmes driven by our core membership of over 800 organisations from small enterprises to global corporations. www.bitc.org.uk

About the CR Index
 Business in the Community's CR Index is the UK's leading voluntary benchmark of corporate responsibility. It has been run by Business in the Community since 2002, providing businesses with a robust framework to systematically measure, manage and integrate responsible business practice into mainstream business strategy and operations. It also allows businesses to benchmark against competitors and to transparently communicate progress to stakeholders. The CR Index is evidence based where participants are asked to provide relevant evidence as part of their submission which is validated by Business in the Community's expert reviewers. Results and good practices as well as performance of the 43 public participants to the 2016 CR Index will be shared during Responsible Business Week on the 19th April on the 2016 Insights report published on BITC website.

Go-Ahead Group plc issued this content on 22 April 2016 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 22 April 2016 13:34:32 UTC

Original Document: http://www.go-ahead.com/en/media/news/2016/go-ahead-scores-95--in-sustainability-index.html