Case study: How Nammo respects and promotes human rights
With more than 2,700 employees, 28 production sites and a presence in 12 countries, Nammo is one of the world’s leading providers of specialty ammunition and rocket motors for both military and civilian customers. Every entity at Nammo is responsible for ensuring that the Group does not violate human rights in any of its business operations Tweet This!, as well as being aware of its corporate social responsibility in the local community.
This case study is based on the 2019 Sustainability Report by Nammo published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database 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
Nammo believes that ensuring business integrity within the company and in its value chain is key to succeeding and is, accordingly, committed to respecting and protecting human rights in all its operations. In order to respect and promote human rights Nammo took action to:
- support freedom of association
- consider human rights risks in exports
- combat human trafficking
Subscribe for free and read the rest of this case study
Please subscribe to the SustainCase Newsletter to keep up to date with the latest sustainability news and gain access to over 2000 case studies. These case studies demonstrate how companies are dealing responsibly with their most important impacts, building trust with their stakeholders (Identify > Measure > Manage > Change).
With this case study you will see:
- Which are the most important impacts (material issues) Nammo has identified;
- How Nammo proceeded with stakeholder engagement, and
- What actions were taken by Nammo to respect and promote human rights
Already Subscribed? Type your email below and click submit
What are the material issues the company has identified?
In its 2019 Sustainability Report Nammo identified a range of material issues, such as waste and hazardous material management, product safety, business partner due diligence, occupational health and safety. Among these, respecting and promoting human rights stands out as a key material issue for Nammo.
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 Nammo engages with:
To identify and prioritise material topics Nammo engaged with its stakeholders through the following channels:
| Stakeholder Group | Method of engagement |
| Owners
| · Reports · Meetings |
| Authorities
| · Meetings · Seminars · Conferences · Political hearings |
| Civil Society NGO Media Network & Associations
| · E-mail · Meetings · Public events · Social media · Interviews on tv/radio/newspapers · Own content · Membership · Committees · Events |
| Customers & partners
| · Customer meetings · Product demonstrations · Seminars · Trade shows · Championships |
| Suppliers
| · Meetings · Site visits · Supplier forums · Request for tenders |
| Employees
| · Internal communication channels · Team and departmental meetings · All-hands meetings · Surveys · Collaboration with unions · European work council |
What actions were taken by Nammo to respect and promote human rights?
In its 2019 Sustainability Report Nammo reports that it took the following actions for respecting and promoting human rights:
- Supporting freedom of association
- Nammo strongly supports freedom of association and collective bargaining as per the ILO (International Labour Organization) standard. Seventy percent of Nammo’s workforce is covered by collective bargaining agreements. All employees are covered by such agreements where they exist, regardless of whether or not an employee is a union member (with the exception of the executive management team).
- Considering human rights risks in exports
- Human rights considerations are also part of the export controls for many of the countries Nammo operates in. Nammo sees national and international regulations for export of defense material as an integral part of its work on human rights. Human rights risks are to be identified as part of the risk management process before sales are made to countries evaluated as medium to high risk outside the EU and NATO. Key risks regarding certain countries include geopolitical changes taking place after contract signature.
- Combating human trafficking
- Nammo will not tolerate any form of harassment based on race, colour, religious affiliation, national origin, citizenship, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other such discriminating factors. Even in countries without a legal prohibition, Nammo does not permit the purchase of sexual services in connection with work or assignments for the company. In this way, Nammo contributes to combating human trafficking. As risks may be higher in the supply chain, Nammo expects all suppliers to comply with its Supplier Conduct Principles which are supported by its Modern Slavery Act Statement. The statement is also intended to combat forced or compulsory labour, even if there is a low risk of such incidents in Nammo’s own operations.
Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?
The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:
Disclosure 407-1 Operations and suppliers in which the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining may be at risk corresponds to:
- Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- Targets: 8.8
Disclosure 409-1 Operations and suppliers at significant risk for incidents of forced or compulsory labor corresponds to:
- Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- Targets: 8.7
78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards
SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.
Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.
7 GRI sustainability disclosures get you started
Any size business can start taking sustainability action
GRI, ISEP, CPD Certified Sustainability courses (2-5 days): Live Online or Classroom (venue: London School of Economics)
- Exclusive FBRH template to begin reporting from day one
- Identify your most important impacts on the Environment, Economy and People
- Formulate in group exercises your plan for action. Begin taking solid, focused, all-round sustainability action ASAP.
- Benchmarking methodology to set you on a path of continuous improvement
See upcoming training dates.
References:
1) This case study is based on published information by Nammo, 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 original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:
http://database.globalreporting.org/
2) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/
Note to Nammo: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.