The Random House Group is an active member of Business in the Community, which supports and challenges companies to integrate responsible business through their operations in order to have a positive impact on society and therefore be of 'public benefit'.

We are committed to ensuring that our business practice reflects rigorous ethical, professional and legal standards and we want to lead the publishing industry in these areas. Our CSR activity, supported by dedicated committees, falls into two main areas:

The environment: we are committed to a programme of continuous improvement in order to minimize the negative impacts of our operations on the environment. Following a large-scale audit carried out by the Carbon Trust, we now have a 3-year rolling Environment plan covering everything from paper procurement and recycling to lighting and catering.

The community: we strive to be a good corporate citizen by actively supporting the local communities within which we work. We also have a strong commitment to charities and initiatives which promote literacy and the love of reading.

There are many ways for staff to get involved in these areas, by volunteering, sitting on one of the committees or helping to organise particular fundraising events. The stories in this section give some idea of the range of our CSR activities.

Gail Rebuck, CEO, presents Medecins Sans Frontieres with a cheque for £20,000