Managing our responsibilities

Corporate responsibility is an integral part of our overall business strategy. The core aims of our business strategy and our corporate responsibility strategy are the same – to ensure a sound and sustainable Universal Service for the benefit of everyone in the UK.

Our business strategy

Our foremost responsibility - to all of our stakeholders - is to return Royal Mail Group to financial viability on a sustained basis. Our business strategy is focused on modernising the business and enabling sustainable commercial success. It is focused on being brilliant at the basics, taking costs out of the business and driving excellent customer service. 

  • Be brilliant at the basics

One of the key ways we are going to improve our financial performance is to build and improve on our existing core capabilities. We are working on building Royal Mail into one of the most customer responsive and efficient postal services. 

  • Build a commercial future

We are working with Ofcom to build a more flexible regulatory framework to secure the future of the Universal Service. We have a key responsibility as part of the fabric of the UK; we take this seriously and will continue to invest in the high quality services we deliver. 

  • Drive profitable growth

We must look for ways both to grow and continue to be relevant to our customers. Whilst the delivery of letters is in decline, we are now delivering more parcels than ever before. We are therefore investing in our parcels businesses. We are also providing new media propositions to support companies using products like direct mail. 

Our CR strategy

Our CR strategy, which is regularly reviewed, focuses on:

  • Securing the sustainability of the Universal Service to deliver economic and social benefit to the UK
  • Making commerce happen: linking customers, companies and communities for the same price across the UK
  • Delivering our modernisation programme in a way which brings our people with us and drives environmental efficiencies
  • Communicating openly and transparently with stakeholders about our performance, our contribution to the UK and our future plans 

Integrated governance

Our management of CR issues is integrated within Royal Mail’s overall governance structures. This ensures that our responsibilities to our customer, colleagues and communities are high on the senior management agenda. 

The performance of the Group’s entire management community is assessed against a Corporate Scorecard which contains both commercial and corporate responsibility indicators.

It is focused on delivering sustainable and responsible business performance.   For example, 50% of the measures are customer and people related.

The Group’s board reviews the corporate responsibility and community investment strategies on a regular basis. Major corporate responsibility initiatives now come under the scrutiny of our Chief Executive’s Committee.