The governance structure of the management and implementation of sustainability practices at Westfield remained unchanged in 2012.
The board of Westfield Group has ultimate responsibility for setting the corporate governance policies and practices of the company. The Group’s Executive Committee operates the business according to those policies. The Group Executive Committee comprises three Executive Board members (the Co-Chief Executive Officers and Finance Director); Group Deputy Chief Financial Officer; Group Director Finance; Group General Counsel and US General Counsel; and Westfield country Managing Directors.
Country Managing Directors receive regular reports on various sustainability matters and include relevant information in an operational report provided at each meeting of the Board of Directors.
The Group has nominated senior managers and teams in each of its operating markets to assume responsibility for climate change. The direct responsibility for managing information on climate change rests with these individuals located in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom, and the structures have been established to reflect the requirements of each market.
In Australia, the General Manager Facilities and Sustainability Australia is responsible for sustainability for the Group’s Australian shopping centre operations. The role reports to the Director of Shopping Centre Management, and prepares reports for the Australian Executive Committee addressing key sustainability issues. The role also chairs the Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Network, a cross-divisional committee that meets bi-monthly and includes representatives from development, design & construction, finance, leasing, risk management, human resources, marketing, IT and shopping centre management.
In New Zealand, sustainability practices are managed by the General Manager of Construction and the General Manager for Centre Management and Marketing. The progress and status of climate change is reported through monthly operational meetings and bi-annual sustainability planning meetings with the New Zealand Director.
Progress and status is reported against the New Zealand sustainability plan which is approved by the New Zealand Director. Two dedicated team leaders from construction and shopping centre management are tasked with implementing key objectives of the sustainability plan, reporting regularly to their general managers.
In the United States, a Sustainability Group is headed by the Vice President National Operations, reporting to the Senior Executive Vice President of the Westfield Property Group, who oversees all climate change issues.
In the United Kingdom Westfield’s sustainability agenda is set by the UK Management Committee (UKMC), which is chaired by the Managing Director of UK/Europe. The UKMC meets monthly to discuss and review all UK business goals, including climate change related objectives. The progress and status of climate change is communicated to either the Chief Operating Officer or the Managing Director on a regular basis by the Directors of each of the key business units, who manage climate change as it relates to their activities: the Director of Construction and Design, and the Director of Operations.
