The Board is committed to sustainable practices throughout its operations and continues to work with key stakeholders and communities. The Board recognises that a sustainable business is one that provides a safe, rewarding and diverse environment for its people whilst operating in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. The Board also accept the increasingly important role the Group’s products and superior water solutions play in enabling customers and consumers to conserve and use water more efficiently.

GWA has a strong pedigree and history in developing innovative solutions in water. Sustainability in the area of water solutions has been its mantra for over 35 years. Caroma was the first brand in the world to introduce dual flush technology for toilets in 1984 which has subsequently been further developed to enable enhanced water conservation.

In September 2019, GWA released its inaugural Sustainability Report for FY19 to provide shareholders and other stakeholders with detailed information on its on-going approach to sustainability. The Sustainability Report is available on the GWA website at www.gwagroup.com.au. This report includes information and data on important sustainability metrics such as workplace health and safety, environment, governance and risk management, community and people (including diversity, education and training).

• Operating in a sustainable manner across the business by managing resources as efficiently as possible and by acting in a socially responsible manner; and
• Providing a range of products and systems that contribute to sustainability by making life better through superior water saving solutions for the built environment.

The Board is committed to reducing energy, carbon emissions, water and waste across the GWA operations. GWA is a low emissions intensity entity as our business activities are less carbon intensive than other sectors. We continue to voluntarily report our carbon emissions and energy use with the reports available on GWA’s website at www.gwagroup.com.au under Carbon Reporting. For FY19 total carbon emissions from GWA’s controlled facilities were approximately 1,451 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), representing a 75 per cent reduction on the prior year. This reduction is due to the divestment of the Door & Access Systems’ business on 3 July 2018 and the implementation of energy efficiency measures across the Group including the installation of solar panels and LED lighting at the Caroma Innovation and Distribution Centre at Prestons, NSW.

The Board is committed to continuous improvement in workplace health and safety performance through comprehensive safety systems and processes, communication with employees and increased diligence in identifying and removing safety risks. The Group aims to provide a safe and healthy workplace with the objective of an injury free work environment. For further information on workplace health and safety, please refer to the Group’s website at www.gwagroup.com.au under Health and Safety.

The Board is committed to providing stakeholders with a comprehensive understanding of the Group’s tax activities, and in FY17 signed up to the Board of Taxation’s Voluntary Tax Transparency Code (‘Code’). The Code is designed to encourage greater transparency within the corporate sector and enhance the community’s understanding of the corporate sector’s compliance with Australian tax laws. The Group follows the recommendations outlined in the Code in preparing the Group’s Tax Transparency Report.

Refer to the Group’s website at www.gwagroup.com.au under Corporate Governance for a copy of the Board Tax Policy and Tax Transparency Reports.