James Gard: Welcome to Morningstar. It’s governance week here so we’re focusing on some of the UK’s most well run firms. Waste management company Biffa scores highly in terms of corporate governance, along with credit rating giant Experian and outsourcer Serco.
In the age of the circular economy, waste management is big business, with consumers and companies looking to reduce, reuse and recycle. On a day-to-day level, you may see Biffa lorries picking up your wheelie bins. But recycling for commercial partners forms a big part of the business. “Sustainability solutions” are all the rage for UK companies.
According to Sustainalytics, Biffa is particular strong in terms of ownership and shareholder rights, remuneration and board structure.
What does this mean? Biffa has a separate committee looking at industry-specific risks, and the company ranks highly in nominating and selects directors. It also performs well in terms of board diversity.
The “G” of ESG doesn’t exist in isolation, of course, and the company also has a low carbon risk rating.
Biffa put out its half-year results last month and these show a return to profit in the period and a 23 percent increase in revenue. Biffa shares did well in 2022 and have been on a strong run for the last five years. For Morningstar, I’m James Gard.