Sustainability
Introducing sustainability at Specsavers
For nearly 40 years we’ve been committed to changing lives through better sight and hearing and we’re proud of what we’ve achieved. But, we are committed to exploring what more we can do. So, we’ve been taking some time to understand the impact we have on the planet we share and the people we support, both in our communities and across our teams.
Our commitment is to make a positive difference and to change the way we operate, so that we are carbon net-zero by 2050. We also have our eyes locked onto making eyecare available to those most in need, and we’re testing ourselves to provide an even more inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves and feel proud to belong.
We have some bold targets and, powered by the energy and inspiration of our 40,000 colleagues worldwide, we’re focused on achieving them.
Our people
We wouldn’t be anything without our people. Our store colleagues are changing lives on a daily basis, along with the support teams across our offices and manufacturing sites. As a family-run business, we have family values deep in our roots which keeps us always striving for better. So our plan is to provide more accessible careers, better care and well-being programmes, plus greater opportunities for volunteering so that everyone feels valued and supported and gets the very best out of their career with us.
We’re proud to have people from all walks of life working with us all across the globe and it’s important to us that we are a place we’re all proud to belong.
Our communities
A huge part of our heritage lies in the communities we serve across the globe. Our unique partnership structure means that every Specsavers store is owned and locally run by people dedicated to serving their local community. This drives everyone to deliver the best possible care for every person we see, often going beyond the day-to-day of their role.
Our store teams have always done an amazing job, but we think there’s always room for us to do more and play a bigger, more responsible role in society. So we’re pushing ourselves even further to make sure no one gets left behind when it comes to better sight and hearing, regardless of their financial or social situation. We want to reach those people that might not be able to access our services in the usual way to help them with any sight or hearing challenges that may be impacting their life.
Our planet
The one thing we all have in common is the home we share, and we all have a responsibility to reduce the impact we have on our planet, which is why it’s up there at the top of our list for change at Specsavers. After all, without our planet, there’s no us.
The first step on our mission to be net-zero carbon by 2050 (at the latest) is to get our operational (scope 1 and 2) emissions to carbon positive by 2035, and to do this we’ll find ways to reduce the emissions we have direct control over. Our net-zero carbon strategy will involve first maximising the reduction of carbon emissions across every part of our value chain, procuring the residual carbon we need from renewable sources and, as last resort, delivering a credible offsetting strategy to compensate for the carbon impacts we are unable to mitigate
“If all that sounds ambitious, well, it is. But we’re ready for the challenge and are committed to changing lives – not just through better sight and hearing, but with everything we do.”
John Perkins
Sustainability Officer
