Safeway Named to Dow Jones Sustainability Index for Second Consecutive Year

Safeway Inc. has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) North America for the second year in a row for its environmental, economic, and social achievements.

Companies selected for the index are evaluated on factors such as corporate governance, risk management, branding, climate change mitigation, supply chain standards and labor practices. "Safeway adheres to a broad and ambitious corporate social responsibility strategy that allows us to achieve business success while having a positive impact on our communities and preserving the environment," said Larree Renda, Safeway EVP and president of Safeway Health.

Safeway is making corporate social responsibility part of the fabric of the company and a strategy to deliver a competitive advantage. Some areas where Safeway has made significant progress include:

• Instituted a reuse and recycling program that allows the company to divert nearly 520,000 tons of material from landfills annually.
• Launched a companywide volunteer effort to donate one million volunteer hours annually to the communities in which Safeway operates.
• Raised and donated more than $144 million for breast cancer and prostate cancer research and treatment.
• Raised and donated nearly $95 million for charities that assist people with disabilities, including Easter Seals, Muscular Dystrophy Association and Special Olympics.
• Partnered with Fishwise -- a non-profit organization focused on improving the sustainability and financial performance of seafood retailers, distributors and producers -- to implement a comprehensive sustainable seafood sourcing policy.
• Assembled an Animal Welfare Committee to ensure the humane treatment of animals.
• Won the Catalyst Award for the development and promotion of women in the workplace.

Pleasanton, Calif.-based Safeway's corporate social responsibility strategy focuses on making positive impacts in the following four areas: people, products, community, and planet.

Safeway operates 1,712 stores in the United States and western Canada and had annual sales of $40.8 billion in 2009.