Case study: How IPG promotes sustainability across its supply chain
Intertape Polymer Group Inc. (IPG) is a recognised global leader in packaging and protective solutions for industrial markets in North America, Europe, Asia, and other geographies. Embracing sustainability is one of the areas where IPG believes it can impact its stakeholders, including, most importantly, its suppliers. Tweet This!
This case study is based on the 2020 Sustainability Report by IPG, prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards, that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.
Abstract
Collaborating with its suppliers to ensure safer products and promote sustainable development, is a key priority for IPG. In order to promote sustainability across its supply chain IPG took action to:
- promote sustainability through partnerships
- foster compliance
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With this case study you will see:
- Which are the most important impacts (material issues) IPG has identified;
- How IPG proceeded with stakeholder engagement, and
- What actions were taken by IPG to promote sustainability across its supply chain
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What are the material issues the company has identified?
In its 2020 Sustainability Report IPG identified a range of material issues, such as economic performance, energy and climate, circular economy, product design and innovation. Among these, promoting sustainability across its supply chain stands out as a key material issue for IPG.
Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:
Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.
Key stakeholder groups IPG engages with:
To identify and prioritise material topics IPG engaged with its stakeholders through the following channels:
| Stakeholder Group | Method of engagement |
| Charitable organisations
| · Financial support · Employee volunteering · Donation of time and products |
| Communities
| · Open houses · Sponsorship of local events · Participation in local chambers of commerce |
| Consumers
| · Product labelling · Social media · Website contact form |
| Distribution or retail customers | · Sales processes for product · Supply around the bundle and the market · Marketing support · Training support · End user trials/New product trials · Trade show booth presence · Customer appreciation events at trade shows · Social media |
| Employees
| · Newsletters · Quarterly videos · Variety of social media · Employee training · Town halls · Employee engagement activities · Surveys · Union interactions |
| Government and regulators | · Regulatory filings · Public reporting · Product labelling · Proxy Circular |
| Industry organisations and other NGOs | · Trade shows and conferences · Membership and leadership positions · Local, regional and national events |
| Shareholders and the IPG investor community | · Annual Report and Annual Sustainability report · Annual shareholders meeting · Investor meetings · Roadshow events · Press releases |
| Vendors – other | · Contracts · Routine business communication |
| Vendors – raw material suppliers | · Monthly/Quarterly meetings · Annual business reviews · Routine business communication · Senior management meetings · Collaborative R&D training · Joint development · Negotiation |
What actions were taken by IPG to promote sustainability across its supply chain?
In its 2020 Sustainability Report IPG reports that it took the following actions for promoting sustainability across its supply chain:
- Promoting sustainability through partnerships
- Beginning in 2018, IPG partnered with Greensoft to start the process of understanding the materials present in its raw materials from each of its suppliers and ensuring that it is compliant with evolving global environmental regulations. In 2019, IPG partnered with McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) to begin its C2C journey. In 2020, IPG began requiring that its new vendors recognise IPG’s participation in the United Nations Global Compact as part of their contracting process and entered into a relationship with EcoVadis to measure and share its report card and develop its roadmap for the next steps for further improvement.
- Fostering compliance
- IPG expects all suppliers to adhere to its Code of Conduct and the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act (Transparency Act). IPG includes these expectations in all formal supplier contracts and posts such requirement on the IPG website. The Code of Conduct contains policies requiring compliance with all applicable laws. Through IPG’s contracts, vendors and suppliers further certify that products supplied to IPG comply with the laws regarding slavery and human trafficking of the countries where they are doing business.
Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?
The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:
1) Disclosure 308-1 New suppliers that were screened using environmental criteria
2) Disclosure 414-1 New suppliers that were screened using social criteria
Disclosure 308-1 New suppliers that were screened using environmental criteria does not correspond to any SDG.
Disclosure 414-1 New suppliers that were screened using social criteria corresponds to:
- Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5: Gender Equality
- Targets: 5.2
- Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- Targets: 8.8
- Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
- Targets: 16.1
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References:
This case study is based on published information by IPG, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original please revert to the following link:
https://www.itape.com/en/sustainability
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