supply chain Archives - SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine https://sustaincase.com/category/supply-chain/ Insights on how you can protect the environment, maintain and increase the value of your company, through a structured CSR/Sustainability process with the use of the GRI Standards. Learn how Today's Best-Run Companies are achieving Economic, Social, and Environmental Success - and How You Can Too... Mon, 17 Jun 2024 12:12:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 Case study: How Stryker promotes sustainability among its suppliers https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-stryker-promotes-sustainability-among-its-suppliers/ Mon, 17 Jun 2024 06:03:21 +0000 https://sustaincase.com/?p=19216 Stryker is one of the world’s leading medical technology companies and, together with its customers, driven to make healthcare better. This case study is based on the 2022 Comprehensive Report by Stryker, 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 By the end of 2027, Stryker will engage 85% of its direct suppliers (by spend) on […]

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]]> Stryker is one of the world’s leading medical technology companies and, together with its customers, driven to make healthcare better. Through its focus on supplier management, Stryker drives accountability with its suppliers to deliver high-quality materials, minimise disruption and uphold its values.  Tweet This!

This case study is based on the 2022 Comprehensive Report by Stryker, 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.

Layout 1

Abstract

By the end of 2027, Stryker will engage 85% of its direct suppliers (by spend) on ESG (environmental, social and governance) performance assessments. In order to promote sustainability among its suppliers Stryker took action to:

  • implement a Supplier Code of Conduct
  • assess suppliers’ ESG performance

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2022 Comprehensive Report Stryker identified a range of material issues, such as climate change, employee and patient health and safety, access to quality healthcare, ethics, compliance, anticorruption and antitrust. Among these, promoting sustainability among its suppliers stands out as a key material issue for Stryker.

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:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

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 Stryker engages with:

Stakeholder Group
Employees
Customers
Investors
Suppliers
Community members
Regulators

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Stryker engaged with its stakeholders through interviews and surveys.

What actions were taken by Stryker to promote sustainability among its suppliers?

In its 2022 Comprehensive Report Stryker reports that it took the following actions for promoting sustainability among its suppliers:

  • Implementing a Supplier Code of Conduct
  • Any supplier doing business with Stryker is required to adhere to its Supplier Code of Conduct through Stryker’s supplier contracts and purchase order terms and conditions. The Supplier Code communicates Stryker’s expectations for suppliers in key areas including:
    • General business and ethics
    • Human rights
    • Labour and employment
    • Health, safety and environment
    • Intellectual property and data
  • Stryker’s Direct Procurement Team completes annual training to assist suppliers in meeting their obligations under the Supplier Code. In 2022, 98.6 percent of the team completed this training.
  • Assessing suppliers’ ESG performance
  • Stryker actively engages direct suppliers on their ESG performance and initiatives. Stryker segments its direct suppliers based on their overall importance to its business and performs evaluations against publicly available data to identify suppliers that may inherently be at higher risk for ESG-related issues, based on their industry or region where they operate. Using the results of these activities, Stryker engages the identified in-scope suppliers in ESG performance assessments through recognised third-party audit and ratings platforms that focus on policies, governance, key performance indicators (KPIs) and other evidence of integrated processes addressing human rights and labour, environmental, ethics and sustainable procurement risks. The assessment results are integrated into overall supplier risk scores, enabling easier risk identification and mitigation, procurement decisions and open dialogue about these topics during supplier reviews. Throughout 2022, Procurement Team members who manage in-scope suppliers received training on Stryker’s strategy and guidance on how to engage with suppliers on ESG performance topics. The completed assessments identified opportunities for continued supplier development but did not result in findings that required Stryker’s immediate intervention.

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 414-1 New suppliers that were screened using social criteria

2) Disclosure 414-2 Negative social impacts in the supply chain and actions taken

 Disclosure 414-1 New suppliers that were screened using social criteria corresponds to:

Disclosure 414-2 Negative social impacts in the supply chain and actions taken corresponds to:

 

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:

This case study is based on published information by Stryker, 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.stryker.com/content/dam/stryker/about/annual-review/2022/stryker-2022-comprehensive-report.pdf

Note to Stryker: 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.

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]]> Case study: How Tapestry promotes human rights among its suppliers https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-tapestry-promotes-human-rights-among-its-suppliers/ Mon, 13 May 2024 12:01:38 +0000 https://sustaincase.com/?p=19001 Operating in over 70 countries with more than 18,000 employees, Tapestry is an American multinational luxury fashion holding company seeking to help make the fashion industry more sustainable and to build a company that’s equitable, inclusive and diverse. Accordingly, This case study is based on the FY2022 Corporate Responsibility Report by Tapestry, 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, […]

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]]> Operating in over 70 countries with more than 18,000 employees, Tapestry is an American multinational luxury fashion holding company seeking to help make the fashion industry more sustainable and to build a company that’s equitable, inclusive and diverse. Accordingly, Tapestry recognises its responsibility to respect and uphold human rights throughout its entire supply chain.  Tweet This!

This case study is based on the FY2022 Corporate Responsibility Report by Tapestry, 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.

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Abstract

Tapestry develops and nurtures strong relationships with its supply chain partners through clearly defined standards and expectations, open communication and, most importantly, zero tolerance for human rights violations. In order to promote human rights among its suppliers Tapestry took action to:

  • promote compliance
  • audit suppliers

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its FY2022 Corporate Responsibility Report Tapestry identified a range of material issues, such as climate change, business ethics and compliance, equity, inclusion and diversity, gender pay parity. Among these, promoting human rights among its suppliers stands out as a key material issue for Tapestry.

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:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

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 Tapestry engages with:

Stakeholder Group                Method of engagement
Customers

 

 

 

 ·      In-store interactions with sales associates

·      Company and brand websites

·      Social media and email

·      Brand-distributed surveys sent directly to customers
Employees

 

 

 ·      Internal intranet (The Loop)

·      Internal communications

·      Employee Engagement Survey

·      Meetings (Store Manager conferences, company Town Hall, department Town Hall)
Communities, nonprofits/NGOs

 

 

 ·      Giving time and resources through Tapestry’s brands and company Foundations

·      Team and individual volunteer activities

·      Direct engagement on corporate responsibility objectives, including Tapestry’s matching gift programme, grants and product donations

·      Focused feedback on corporate responsibility activities
Suppliers

 

 

 ·      Supplier summits

·      Adherence to the Supplier Code of Conduct, Global Operating Principles, Animal Welfare Policy and Anti-Corruption Policy

·      Environmental strategy meetings

·      Supplier training for business ethics and anti-corruption

·       Audits
Academics ·      University-led sustainability projects and partnerships
Investors

 

 ·      Regular financial reporting (SEC filings)

·      Press releases

·      Meetings and briefings

·      Quarterly earnings calls

·      Annual stockholder meeting

·      Stakeholder engagement discussions

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Tapestry engaged with its stakeholders through a survey.

What actions were taken by Tapestry to promote human rights among its suppliers?

In its FY2022 Corporate Responsibility Report Tapestry reports that it took the following actions for promoting human rights among its suppliers:

  • Promoting compliance
  • Tapestry holds its suppliers to its own high standards and requires them to sign and comply with its Supplier Code of Conduct. Tapestry’s SCOC prohibits the use of child or forced labour, and Tapestry maintains policies on modern day slavery and human trafficking in compliance with the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act (SB 657) and the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015. When onboarding direct suppliers that it contracts to make its branded products, Tapestry requests a credible social compliance audit report that was conducted within six months of the date of submission. Suppliers that fail to meet Tapestry’s standards are not approved until an acceptable audit report is provided. In 2022, Tapestry worked with third-party consultants to review its SCOC and updated it to reflect industry best practices. Tier 1 finished goods suppliers and a portion of Tapestry’s Tier 2 raw material suppliers undergo semi-announced, annual audits by independent third-party audit firms. When a factory is found in violation, Tapestry works with them to support remediation and develops a corrective action plan based on the audit findings and reserves the right to develop exit plans or terminate the relationship with suppliers based on compliance issues. Tapestry also provides its suppliers with onboarding and biennial topic-specific training. Additionally, Tapestry holds a quarterly meeting to report on supplier social compliance with its Chief Supply Chain Officer. Tapestry is a partner of ILO Better Work, which takes an advisory approach to monitoring and protecting worker rights and wellbeing, helping companies and governments uphold the ILO’s (International Labour Organization) core labour standards and national labour laws. Tapestry’s Social Compliance Program implements the requirements for health and safety, labour and environmental practices in its global supply chain factories. This programme maintains its effectiveness through regular programme review.
  • Auditing suppliers
  • In FY2022, Tapestry conducted approximately 150 audits; 89.4% of the audits were of its Tier 1 suppliers and 10.6% were facilities beyond Tier 1. Of these audits, approximately 94% were semi-announced and 6% were announced. Over 2,200 workers were interviewed throughout this year’s audit process, and around 14% of the audits performed included an interview with a trade union representative. In addition to the audits Tapestry ordered or conducted, its teams reviewed audits through verified Higg Facility Social & Labor Module responses and other parties to make sure they met its standards. As a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), 55 of Tapestry’s direct suppliers completed the Higg Facility Social & Labor Module (FSLM). These suppliers responded to questions related to social and labour impacts, including Recruitment & Hiring, Working Hours, Wages & Benefits, Employee Treatment, Employee Involvement, Health & Safety, Termination & Retrenchment and overall Management. 87% of the suppliers that completed the Higg FSLM had their responses verified, which allowed Tapestry further insight into the social and labour practices within its partner factories.

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 414-1 New suppliers that were screened using social criteria

2) Disclosure 414-2 Negative social impacts in the supply chain and actions taken

 Disclosure 414-1 New suppliers that were screened using social criteria corresponds to:

Disclosure 414-2 Negative social impacts in the supply chain and actions taken corresponds to:

 

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:

This case study is based on published information by Tapestry, 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://tapestry.gcs-web.com/static-files/f40114ac-bc34-41d5-996a-43420da452b6

Note to Tapestry: 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.

The post Case study: How Tapestry promotes human rights among its suppliers appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How Xylem promotes sustainability among its suppliers https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-xylem-promotes-sustainability-among-its-suppliers/ Mon, 22 Apr 2024 06:00:55 +0000 https://sustaincase.com/?p=18873 Xylem is a leading global water technology company committed to solving critical water and infrastructure challenges with innovation, helping communities in more than 150 countries become water-secure. With over 10,000 suppliers supporting its global procurement and production efforts, Xylem understands that partnering with its suppliers to create transparency and accountability in its supply chain is critical to conducting its business responsibly. This case study is based on the 2021 Sustainability Report by Xylem, 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 […]

The post Case study: How Xylem promotes sustainability among its suppliers appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Xylem is a leading global water technology company committed to solving critical water and infrastructure challenges with innovation, helping communities in more than 150 countries become water-secure. With over 10,000 suppliers supporting its global procurement and production efforts, Xylem understands that partnering with its suppliers to create transparency and accountability in its supply chain is critical to conducting its business responsibly.

This case study is based on the 2021 Sustainability Report by Xylem, 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

Layout 1

Abstract

Creating and maintaining a sustainable supply chain, collaborating with its supply chain partners on its sustainability journey, is a top priority for Xylem.  Tweet This! In order to promote sustainability among its suppliers Xylem took action to:

  • implement a Supplier Code of Conduct
  • assess suppliers’ sustainability performance

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2021 Sustainability Report Xylem identified a range of material issues, such as social impact solutions, water use reduction and stewardship, environmental impact solutions, watermark and direct community impact. Among these, promoting sustainability among its suppliers stands out as a key material issue for Xylem.

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:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

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 Xylem engages with:

Stakeholder Group
Employees
Customers
Shareholders
Investors
Suppliers
Partners

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Xylem engaged with its stakeholders through surveys.

What actions were taken by Xylem to promote sustainability among its suppliers?

In its 2021 Sustainability Report Xylem reports that it took the following actions for promoting sustainability among its suppliers:

  • Implementing a Supplier Code of Conduct
  • Xylem’s standard of excellence in ethics applies to all its suppliers, who are required to strictly adhere to Xylem’s Supplier Code of Conduct. Consistent with Xylem’s procurement processes, all suppliers are required to act in accordance with its business standards, product quality, process capabilities and commitment to sustainability. Additionally, Xylem launched its CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) Supply Chain programme in 2021, inviting more than 120 suppliers to calculate and disclose GHG emissions and water usage. Xylem closed the disclosure cycle achieving an 80% response rate, with almost 25% of its supply base by spend disclosing their GHG emissions and/or water usage.
  • Assessing suppliers’ sustainability performance
  • Since 2020, Xylem has partnered with EcoVadis to assess the performance of its supply base on Labour and Human Rights, Environment, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement. With this programme, Xylem seeks to increase its transparency and help suppliers track and improve their performance year over year. In 2021, Xylem started reviewing scorecards with its suppliers and requested Corrective Action Plans from suppliers with scores below expectations. By the end of 2021, 69% of the suppliers who were re-evaluated had improved their score and 15% remained stable. Additionally, Xylem invested in a new tool to map sustainability risk, by industry and country, for 80% of its supply base by spend.

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:

 

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:

This case study is based on published information by Xylem, 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.xylem.com/siteassets/sustainability/2021/xylem-sustainability-report-2021.pdf

Note to Xylem: 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.

The post Case study: How Xylem promotes sustainability among its suppliers appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How Bechtle promotes sustainability across its supply chain https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-bechtle-promotes-sustainability-across-its-supply-chain/ Wed, 30 Aug 2023 06:02:15 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=15290 Bechtle AG is one of Europe’s leading IT providers, with some 80 system houses in Germany, Austria and Switzerland as well as e-commerce subsidiaries in 14 European countries. within its sphere of influence. This case study is based on the 2021 Sustainability Report by Bechtle, 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 Bechtle seeks to […]

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]]> Bechtle AG is one of Europe’s leading IT providers, with some 80 system houses in Germany, Austria and Switzerland as well as e-commerce subsidiaries in 14 European countries. Bechtle engages in close and trusting collaborations with its suppliers to make its contribution to, among others, protecting human rights  Tweet This! within its sphere of influence.

This case study is based on the 2021 Sustainability Report by Bechtle, 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

Bechtle seeks to establish a process to systematically evaluate its direct suppliers and vendors with respect to ecological and social responsibility, through enhanced supplier management and a new auditing procedure. In order to promote sustainability across its supply chain Bechtle took action to:

  • implement a Supplier Code of Conduct
  • promote compliance

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2021 Sustainability Report Bechtle identified a range of material issues, such as information security and data protection, energy consumption and emissions, anti-corruption and anti-bribery, people development. Among these, promoting sustainability across its supply chain stands out as a key material issue for Verizon.

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:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

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 Bechtle engages with:

Stakeholder Group                Method of engagement
Owners/shareholders

 

 

 ·      Annual General Meeting

·      Biannual events

·      Roadshows and investor conferences

·      Announcements, press releases, the Annual Report, half-yearly reports and quarterly statements
Employees

 

 ·      E-mail

·      Intranet

·      Digital employee magazine

·      Weekly employee blog

·      Employee satisfaction surveys
Customers (enterprise and public sectors) ·      Customer fairs and events

·      Social media channels, website and both online and hardcopy editions of the customer magazine
Suppliers/partners ·      Vendor Integrated Product Managers

·      Personal exchanges
General public ·      Communications channels and various publications

·      Bitkom industry association

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Bechtle engaged with its stakeholders through interviews.

What actions were taken by Bechtle to promote sustainability across its supply chain?

In its 2021 Sustainability Report Bechtle reports that it took the following actions for promoting sustainability across its supply chain:

  • Implementing a Supplier Code of Conduct
  • In 2014, Bechtle’s Purchasing and Legal departments designed a Supplier Code of Conduct for suppliers of goods and services as a control mechanism. This code is based on the principles and minimum requirements of the ILO Convention of Core Labour Standards. All newly contracted suppliers are requested by Purchasing to sign this Code of Conduct on an annual basis or to supply their own equivalent documentation. As of 31 December 2021, 189 suppliers and vendors have signed the Bechtle Supplier Code of Conduct. As in the previous year, 39 suppliers and vendors presented their own policies, which overlap with Bechtle’s own code in all essential respects. Combined, these represent 93 per cent of Bechtle’s purchasing volume.
  • Promoting compliance
  • To monitor its suppliers’ compliance with social and labour standards, Bechtle has been focusing on examining supplier-provided documentation on a project-related basis, such as audit and inspection or sustainability reports. Bechtle’s Sustainability Management regularly checks if any of its key suppliers have been flagged by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. Over the course of the reporting year, Supplier Management canvassed a variety of ways for Bechtle to monitor compliance with social and ecological standards along its supply chain in a reliable fashion. In the end, Bechtle chose EcoVadis as the way forward, meaning direct suppliers could be evaluated according to social and ecological criteria through a documents-based supplier audit. EcoVadis was used for this purpose beginning in the second quarter of 2022, with the results directly informing CSR risk management. In order to better perform due diligence with regard to human rights, and for the purpose of ongoing professionalisation of CSR risk analyses, Bechtle also solicited the advice of the German National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAP). Through extensive evaluations, as well as an in-person and a virtual training seminar, Bechtle drew on support provided by the NAP Help Desk to lay the foundation for a realigned CSR risk analysis and, thus, its overall CSR risk management.

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 308-2 Negative environmental impacts in the supply chain and actions taken

3) Disclosure 414-2 Negative social impacts in the supply chain and actions taken

 

Disclosure 308-1 New suppliers that were screened using environmental criteria does not correspond to any SDG.

Disclosure 308-2 Negative environmental impacts in the supply chain and actions taken does not correspond to any SDG.

Disclosure 414-2 Negative social impacts in the supply chain and actions taken corresponds to:

 

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:

This case study is based on published information by Bechtle, 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.bechtle.com/dam/jcr:8b2751e9-aeaa-42fe-889b-fbc6d74aa480/bechtle-sustainability-report-2021-en.pdf

Note to Bechtle: 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.

The post Case study: How Bechtle promotes sustainability across its supply chain appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How Verizon promotes sustainability among its suppliers https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-verizon-promotes-sustainability-among-its-suppliers/ Wed, 23 Aug 2023 06:02:08 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=15270 Headquartered in New York City and with a presence around the world, Verizon is one of the largest communication technology companies globally. Verizon’s management of supplier relationships, includes engagement intended both to mitigate social and environmental risks and to identify opportunities to effect positive change. This case study is based on the 2021 ESG Report by Verizon, 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 […]

The post Case study: How Verizon promotes sustainability among its suppliers appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Headquartered in New York City and with a presence around the world, Verizon is one of the largest communication technology companies globally. Verizon’s management of supplier relationships, includes engagement intended both to mitigate social and environmental risks and to identify opportunities to effect positive change.

This case study is based on the 2021 ESG Report by Verizon, 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

Verizon is committed to working with its suppliers with the shared goal of responsible business conduct throughout its supply chain  Tweet This!, engaging suppliers to promote social and environmental responsibility, including protection for the rights of workers, through a number of channels. In order to promote sustainability among its suppliers Verizon took action to:

  • implement a Supplier Code of Conduct
  • apply a Supplier Risk Management Programme
  • evaluate suppliers’ performance
  • audit suppliers

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2021 ESG Report Verizon identified a range of material issues, such as climate change, data protection and privacy, talent attraction and retention, digital inclusion. Among these, promoting sustainability among its suppliers stands out as a key material issue for Verizon.

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:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

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 Verizon engages with:

Stakeholder Group
Employees
Customers
Shareholders
Society

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Verizon engaged with its stakeholders through interviews.

What actions were taken by Verizon to promote sustainability among its suppliers?

In its 2021 ESG Report Verizon reports that it took the following actions for promoting sustainability among its suppliers:

  • Implementing a Supplier Code of Conduct
  • Verizon expects all its suppliers to comply with its Supplier Code of Conduct or an equivalent set of standards. Verizon’s Supplier Code of Conduct sets forth its expectations for its suppliers and the subcontractors and agents of suppliers. The Supplier Code includes provisions that:
    • Forbid the use of child labour and forced labour.
    • Protect employees’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining, as permitted by local laws.
    • Prohibit discrimination on any basis prohibited by applicable/local law, including, without limitation, race, colour, religion, age, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, national origin, disability, marital status, citizenship status, veteran status or military status.
  • Verizon reserves the right to review or audit its suppliers’ compliance with the Supplier Code and also incorporates ongoing compliance into its business relationships and procurement decisions.
  • Applying a Supplier Risk Management Programme
  • Verizon’s Supplier Risk Management Programme supports the company’s implementation of responsible sourcing. Established in 2018, and managed by a dedicated team in Verizon’s Supplier Risk Office, the programme enables Verizon to identify, assess, monitor and manage a range of supply chain-related risks, including those that may be associated with the social and environmental impacts of supplier activity. The Supplier Risk Office works closely with other teams throughout the company, including the BHRP (Business and Human Rights Programme), Business Risk, Compliance, Sourcing and Sustainability to implement a risk management framework that allows Verizon to continually assess and manage supplier-related risks. This work happens throughout the supplier life cycle, including: planning, due diligence, contracting, ongoing monitoring and termination. The Supplier Risk Office is responsible for programme oversight, coordination and support to stakeholders throughout Verizon.
  • Evaluating suppliers’ performance
  • In 2021, Verizon continued its partnership with EcoVadis. Verizon uses EcoVadis’s assessment tool to evaluate suppliers’ responsible performance. Verizon monitors and assesses supplier performance in four areas:
    • Environment
    • Labour and human rights
    • Ethics
    • Sustainable procurement
  • Since 2013, Verizon has assessed 530 key suppliers through this partnership. EcoVadis validates suppliers’ responses to their detailed questionnaire and researches information from other public sources to benchmark suppliers on their performance. When weaknesses are identified, Verizon works with the supplier to create a corrective action plan to improve their current activities. Both Verizon and its suppliers benefit from this partnership.
  • Auditing suppliers
  • Verizon is a member of the Joint Audit Cooperation (JAC), an association of telecom operators that collaboratively audits common vendors and looks for opportunities to improve supplier responsibility across the industry. This furthers Verizon’s efforts to understand not only what its suppliers are pledging through their policies but also to survey on-site performance. JAC audits are based on a common verification, assessment and development methodology, including the generation of corrective action plans. Topics covered by these audits include: child labour, forced labour, health and safety, freedom of association, non-discrimination, disciplinary practices, working hours, wages and compensation, the environment and business ethics. Through 2021, 812 supplier audits had been completed since JAC’s inception in 2010, with 88 audits completed in 2021.

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:

 

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:

This case study is based on published information by Verizon, 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.verizon.com/about/sites/default/files/Verizon-2021-ESG-Report.pdf

Note to Verizon: 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.

The post Case study: How Verizon promotes sustainability among its suppliers appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How TVO promotes sustainable procurement https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-tvo-promotes-sustainable-procurement/ Fri, 19 May 2023 05:49:11 +0000 https://sustaincase.com/?p=17848 Established in 1985, and registered in the Stock Exchange of Thailand in 1990, TVO (Thai Vegetable Oil) is the manufacturer and distributor of edible oil under the “Angoon” brand and raw material from soybean meal under the “TVO” brand. TVO believes that sustainable success must consider environmental, social, and governance issues (ESGs) by managing opportunities and risks that cover all dimensions of business operations, including its supply chain. This case study is based on the 2021 Sustainability Report by TVO, prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards, that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim […]

The post Case study: How TVO promotes sustainable procurement appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Established in 1985, and registered in the Stock Exchange of Thailand in 1990, TVO (Thai Vegetable Oil) is the manufacturer and distributor of edible oil under the “Angoon” brand and raw material from soybean meal under the “TVO” brand. TVO believes that sustainable success must consider environmental, social, and governance issues (ESGs) by managing opportunities and risks that cover all dimensions of business operations, including its supply chain.

This case study is based on the 2021 Sustainability Report by TVO, 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

Promoting sustainability principles across its supply chain helps TVO ensure long-term value creation with its suppliers  Tweet This! and increase its competitive advantage. In order to promote sustainable procurement TVO took action to:

  • implement a Supplier Code of Conduct
  • carry out economic, social and environmental risk assessments

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2021 Sustainability Report TVO identified a range of material issues, such as risk and crisis management, corporate governance and business ethics, safety and occupational health, business performance and growth capability. Among these, promoting sustainable procurement stands out as a key material issue for TVO.

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:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process s 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 TVO engages with:

Stakeholder Group                Method of engagement
Employees

 

 ·      Internal communication (Intranet and E-mail)

·      Opinion box

·      Meeting of the welfare committee in the workplace

·      Team Building Activities

·      Channels for whistleblowing
Customers and Consumers

 

 

 ·      Meetings and discussions

·      Seminar training

·      Education and relation activities

·      Knowledge communication via social media (www.facebook. com/AngoonHeartClub)

·      Satisfaction survey

·      Channels for recommendations or complaints
Suppliers

 

 ·      Annual Meeting

·      Conference Meeting

·      Channels for recommendations or complaints
Shareholders ·      Annual General Meeting of Shareholders

·      Analyst meeting quarterly (4 times)

·      Opportunity Day, financial performance 2020 organised by The Stock Exchange of Thailand

·      Meetings with institutional analysts and analysts (17 times)

·      Meeting with institutional investors at TISCO Exclusive Talk 2021 organised by TISCO Securities Co., Ltd.

·      Meeting with institutional investors at the Finansia Online investment conference organised by Finansia Securities PCL

·      Meeting with institutional investors at the Thailand Corporate Virtual Conference Event: CLSA Thailand Access Day organised by CLSA Securities (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

·      Conference call (virtual meeting) in Commodities Theme organised by Maybank Kim Eng Securities (Thailand) PCL

·      Providing information and meeting with the media throughout the year (3 times)

·      Channels for recommendations or complaints

·      Channels for whistleblowing
Community & Society ·      The community relations team visits and listens to suggestions and complaints

·      Meetings with community leaders and government agencies

·      Participation in preserving local cultural traditions

·      Channels for recommendations or complaints
Competitors ·      Channels for recommendations or complaints
Government agencies ·      Meeting and seminars supporting

·      Participation in government projects

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics TVO engaged with its stakeholders through meetings, dialogues, trainings, seminars and questionnaires.

What actions were taken by TVO to promote sustainable procurement?

In its 2021 Sustainability Report TVO reports that it took the following actions for promoting sustainable procurement:

  • Implementing a Supplier Code of Conduct
  • TVO communicates with domestic and international suppliers to ensure their acknowledgment of the “Supplier Code of Conduct”, which covers human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption issues. The Code includes respecting, complying with the law and related regulations as a guideline for the business cooperation between both parties. It also helps to make sure that the business processes of TVO and suppliers are in line with sustainable development guidelines. Additionally, in 2021, TVO adjusted a new supplier registration document by adding some issues related to ESG, such as employment and labour practices covering Child Labour, Forced Labour, Safety, Occupational Health and Environmental Management, Good Corporate Governance, Anti-Corruption, and other systems related to, for example, the environment or safety. TVO delivered these document to all new suppliers through a self-declaration process. TVO will gradually review the existing suppliers every 2 years, to ensure that this is part of a comprehensive assessment approach to both ESG and human rights issues related to its suppliers.
  • Carrying out economic, social and environmental risk assessments
  • Predicting the environmental factors that may affect raw material procurement, such as the impact of COVID-19 on cargo transportation, change of seasons, harvest time, quality and price, TVO brings in the process of the supplier’s sustainability risk assessment economically, socially, and environmentally into selecting reliable suppliers. The selection process ensures that suppliers are certified on the traceability of the raw materials obtained in line with good governance principles. For example, do not negatively impact society and the environment, do not infringe on forests, do not use child labour, violate human rights regulations, etc.

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:

 

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:

This case study is based on published information by TVO, 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.tvothai.com/themes/tvothai/downloads/sd-report/20220825-131014-tvo-sd-2564-en-output-low-z.pdf

Note to TVO: 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.

The post Case study: How TVO promotes sustainable procurement appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How First Solar promotes responsible sourcing https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-first-solar-promotes-responsible-sourcing/ Wed, 15 Mar 2023 07:16:54 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=14849 First Solar is a leading American solar technology company and global provider of responsibly-produced eco-efficient solar modules advancing the fight against climate change. First Solar takes a comprehensive approach to responsible sourcing, from its policy, supplier contracts, screening, mapping and auditing, to training and reporting. This case study is based on the 2021 Sustainability Report by First Solar, 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, […]

The post Case study: How First Solar promotes responsible sourcing appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> First Solar is a leading American solar technology company and global provider of responsibly-produced eco-efficient solar modules advancing the fight against climate change. First Solar takes a comprehensive approach to responsible sourcing, from its policy, supplier contracts, screening, mapping and auditing, to training and reporting.

This case study is based on the 2021 Sustainability Report by First Solar, 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

Responsible sourcing with zero tolerance for forced labour is a top priority for First Solar.  Tweet This! In order to promote responsible sourcing First Solar took action to:

  • screen suppliers
  • promote compliance
  • audit suppliers
  • provide training

What are the material issues the company has identified? 

In its 2021 Sustainability Report First Solar identified a range of material issues, such as ethics and compliance, energy and emissions, circular economy, sustainable products and innovation. Among these, promoting responsible sourcing stands out as a key material issue for First Solar.

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:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

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 First Solar engages with:

Stakeholder Group                Method of engagement
Employees ·      Training Sessions

·      Meetings

·      Newsletters

·      Surveys

·      Global Webcasts

·      Sustainability Ambassador programme
Customers/ Technical Advisors

 

 ·      Meetings

·      Seminars & Conferences

·      Technical Workshops

·      Product Presentations
Investors/ Shareholders

 

 ·      Meetings

·      Earnings Calls

·      Analyst Days

·      NSF 457 standard development
Local Communities

 

 ·      Meetings & Town Councils

·      Presentations to Community Organisations

·      School Visits

·      Local Tours

·      Training Programmes
Government/ Regulators

 

 ·      Meetings & Hearings

·      Conference Presentations

·      Seminars & Workshops

·      Committees

·      Tax Audits
NGOs

 

 ·      External Surveys

·      Partnerships

·      Group Meetings

·      Workshops

·      Standards development
Scientific Community

 

 ·      Conferences

·      Workshops

·      Meetings

·      Working Groups

·      Technical Seminars

·      Collaboration

·      Peer Reviews

·      Standards development

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics First Solar engaged with its stakeholders through internal and external interviews with associates, management, customers and investors.

What actions were taken by First Solar to promote responsible sourcing?

In its 2021 Sustainability Report First Solar reports that it took the following actions for promoting responsible sourcing:

  • Screening suppliers
  • All new First Solar suppliers undergo a rigorous qualification process using a balanced scorecard which focuses on Quality, Cost, Flexibility, Service, Technology and Sustainability. First Solar regularly maps its supply base and conducts an assessment to identify potential high-risk suppliers based on industry and geography by using third-party indexes on global slavery, forced labour and other ESG (environmental, social and governance) aspects.
  • Promoting compliance
  • Under the terms of First Solar’s master supplier contracts, suppliers must represent and warrant that they will not use child, slave, prisoner or any other form of forced or involuntary labour, or engage in abusive employment in the supply of goods or provisions of services. Suppliers are also required to comply with all fair labour standard laws, First Solar’s Code of Conduct and Corporate Policies, as well as the RBA (Responsible Business Alliance) Code of Conduct.
  • Auditing suppliers
  • First Solar audits new and high-risk suppliers on environmental management, health and safety, labour, human rights, and ethics by leveraging the RBA Code of Conduct as a framework. In 2021, First Solar became a member of the Responsible Business Alliance, which gives it access to their advanced due diligence tools and programmes, and will enable First Solar to conduct third-party audits of potential high-risk suppliers by leveraging their Validated Assessment Programme (VAP) — a leading standard for onsite compliance verification and effective, shareable audits. First Solar also publicly reports on the environmental and social performance of the suppliers it audits in its sustainability report.
  • Providing training
  • First Solar provides Transparency across Supply Chain training to all associates involved in procurement. The training includes the following objectives: recognising and communicating awareness of human trafficking risks relevant to First Solar’s business; ensuring compliance with the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act (SB 657) and global human rights regulations; and identifying and avoiding trafficked labour in each specific business unit at First Solar.

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 308-2 Negative environmental impacts in the supply chain and actions taken

3) Disclosure 414-1 New suppliers that were screened using social criteria

4) Disclosure 414-2 Negative social impacts in the supply chain and actions taken

 

Disclosure 308-1 New suppliers that were screened using environmental criteria does not correspond to any SDG.

Disclosure 308-2 Negative environmental impacts in the supply chain and actions taken does not correspond to any SDG.

Disclosure 414-1 New suppliers that were screened using social criteria corresponds to:

Disclosure 414-2 Negative social impacts in the supply chain and actions taken corresponds to:

 

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:

This case study is based on published information by First Solar, 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.firstsolar.com/es-CSA/-/media/First-Solar/Sustainability-Documents/FirstSolar_Sustainability-Report_2021.ashx

Note to First Solar: 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.

The post Case study: How First Solar promotes responsible sourcing appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How Randstad promotes responsible procurement https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-randstad-promotes-responsible-procurement/ Wed, 01 Mar 2023 07:11:08 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=14804 Randstad helps people secure rewarding jobs and stay relevant in the ever-changing world of work. Randstad’s suppliers make an important contribution to the quality of its services. Accordingly, Randstad asks them to embrace its standards and comply with its Supplier Code. This case study is based on the 2021 Annual Report by Randstad, 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) […]

The post Case study: How Randstad promotes responsible procurement appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Randstad helps people secure rewarding jobs and stay relevant in the ever-changing world of work. Randstad’s suppliers make an important contribution to the quality of its services. Accordingly, Randstad asks them to embrace its standards and comply with its Supplier Code.

This case study is based on the 2021 Annual Report by Randstad, 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

Randstad requests that its suppliers – and their own suppliers, too – respect its social, ecological and other principles.  Tweet This! In order to promote responsible procurement Randstad took action to:

  • implement a Supplier Code
  • appoint a Chief Procurement Officer

What are the material issues the company has identified? 

In its 2021 Annual Report Randstad identified a range of material issues, such as business ethics, human rights, occupational health & safety, data security and privacy. Among these, promoting responsible procurement stands out as a key material issue for Randstad.

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:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

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 Randstad engages with:

Stakeholder Group
Clients
Employees
Talent
Investors
Public organisations
Suppliers

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Randstad engaged with its stakeholders through interviews and workshops.

What actions were taken by Randstad to promote responsible procurement?

In its 2021 Annual Report Randstad reports that it took the following actions for promoting responsible procurement:

  • Implementing a Supplier Code
  • Randstad’s Supplier Code is an integral part of its international terms and conditions and aims to ensure that the procurement of goods and services takes place in a socially responsible manner and in conformity with its business principles. In this code, Randstad explicitly requests that its suppliers respect its regulatory, social, and ecological principles, and adopt practices consistent with those principles. Suppliers must ensure that their own suppliers and subcontractors also respect the principles set out in the code. This requires them to comply with human rights, the ILO (International Labour Organization) principles regarding labour and anti-bribery and corruption legislation and international treaties, and to ensure safe working conditions in accordance with Randstad’s health & safety policy. Randstad consults with suppliers periodically in order to verify compliance with the code. If deemed necessary, Randstad may have an audit conducted at the supplier’s premises. The Supplier Code was revised in 2021, and is published on Randstad’s website.
  • Appointing a Chief Procurement Officer
  • In 2021, Randstad appointed a Chief Procurement Officer (CPO), with the ambition to build a world-class procurement function to make a positive, organisation-wide impact through innovation, supply risk management, and environmental responsibility, as well as ensuring cost efficiency and contributing to growth. This can only be achieved with a strong, professional, committed and trustful supply chain. The CPO reports directly to the CFO (Chief Financial Officer) and will drive the Executive Board’s agenda related to supplier engagement. In line with its commitment to the SBTi’s net-zero standard, Randstad’s ambition is to engage with its suppliers on reducing emissions as well.

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 308-2 Negative environmental impacts in the supply chain and actions taken

3) Disclosure 414-1 New suppliers that were screened using social criteria

4) Disclosure 414-2 Negative social impacts in the supply chain and actions taken

 

Disclosure 308-1 New suppliers that were screened using environmental criteria does not correspond to any SDG.

Disclosure 308-2 Negative environmental impacts in the supply chain and actions taken does not correspond to any SDG.

Disclosure 414-1 New suppliers that were screened using social criteria corresponds to:

Disclosure 414-2 Negative social impacts in the supply chain and actions taken corresponds to:

 

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:

This case study is based on published information by Randstad, 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.randstad.com/s3fs-media/rscom/public/2022-02/randstad-annual-report-2021.pdf

Note to Randstad: 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.

The post Case study: How Randstad promotes responsible procurement appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How Sadara promotes sustainability among its suppliers https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-sadara-promotes-sustainability-among-its-suppliers/ Wed, 22 Feb 2023 07:00:21 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=14782 Established in 2013, Sadara Chemical Company (Sadara) is a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and The Dow Chemical Company (Dow,) bringing together new technologies and other innovative processes in an integrated manufacturing complex. Sadara consists of 26 manufacturing plants, producing over 3 million metric tons of value-adding chemicals and plastics, and has developed a well-organised sustainability structure, which includes promoting sustainability along its supply chain. This case study is based on the 2020 Sustainability Report by Sadara, prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards, that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ […]

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]]> Established in 2013, Sadara Chemical Company (Sadara) is a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and The Dow Chemical Company (Dow,) bringing together new technologies and other innovative processes in an integrated manufacturing complex. Sadara consists of 26 manufacturing plants, producing over 3 million metric tons of value-adding chemicals and plastics, and has developed a well-organised sustainability structure, which includes promoting sustainability along its supply chain.

This case study is based on the 2020 Sustainability Report by Sadara, 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

Sadara constantly verifies and monitors its suppliers through formal assessment and audit programmes, so as to make sure they share its values.  Tweet This! In order to promote sustainability among its suppliers Sadara took action to:

  • promote environmental sustainability
  • protect suppliers’ workforce rights
  • implement a Suppliers’ Code of Conduct
  • assess suppliers

What are the material issues the company has identified? 

In its 2020 Sustainability Report Sadara identified a range of material issues, such as emergency and crisis planning, business ethics, natural resources management, environmental protection, process safety. Among these, promoting sustainability among its suppliers stands out as a key material issue for Sadara.

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:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

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 Sadara engages with:

To identify and prioritise material topics Sadara engaged with its stakeholders through the following channels:

Stakeholder Group                Method of engagement
Owners ·      Quarterly meeting
Regulators & Governmental Entities ·      Weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly meetings

·      Official communications
Employees & Families

 

 ·      Town hall meetings

·      Engagement surveys

·      Social programmes
Community

 

 ·      Market disclosures

·      Social programmes

·      Events & campaigns
Media

 

 ·      Official contacts

·      Disclosures

·      Media conferences
Lenders & Insurance Auditors ·      Weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly meetings

 
Licensors ·      Official communication channels
Customers

 

 ·      Monthly, quarterly and yearly meetings

·      Marketing campaigns

·      Business analysis and surveys
Suppliers

 

 ·      Weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly meetings

·      Constant support

·      Development frequent meetings
Neighbouring Industry

 

 ·      Periodical meetings

·      Best practice exchange meetings

·      Emergency response support
Associations

 

 ·      Emails

·      Meetings

·      Conferences
3rd Parties Contractors

 

 ·      Memberships

·      Development meetings

·      Annual surveys
Competitors

 

 ·      Professional meetings

·      Forums and conferences

·      Associations meetings

What actions were taken by Sadara to promote sustainability among its suppliers?

In its 2020 Sustainability Report Sadara reports that it took the following actions for promoting sustainability among its suppliers:

  • Promoting environmental sustainability
  • Sadara suppliers agree to use their best efforts to prevent, and take all reasonable precautions to avoid, pollution or contamination of the land, air or water arising from them or their subcontractors’ activities. Also, Sadara’s Procurement Department obligates suppliers to comply with regulations issued under or by international environmental conventions and regulatory bodies that Saudi Arabia adopts.
  • Protecting suppliers’ workforce rights
  • It is a condition in Sadara’s standard contracting template that suppliers must promptly pay their personnel their salaries and benefits and that those suppliers shall submit a letter with each invoice to Sadara’s representative in an acceptable format certifying that all the suppliers’ personnel have been paid their full salaries and benefits under the terms of their agreements with the suppliers for the preceding month.
  • Implementing a Suppliers’ Code of Conduct
  • Sadara has developed its Suppliers’ Code of Conduct (or “Suppliers’ Code”), which specifically addresses areas where the company requires complete and continuous compliance and for which it will exhibit no tolerance of violations. The Sadara Supplier’s Code is intended and designed to provide the company’s suppliers with guidelines on what Sadara requires as appropriate ethical conduct in the marketplace and in dealing with other business entities and government agencies. The Supplier’s Code does not replace the supplier’s contractual agreements with Sadara, or company policies or applicable laws, but rather augments those obligations and provides suppliers with a focus on key areas where Sadara requires full compliance. Compliance with the provisions of the Supplier’s Code is a contractual obligation that suppliers are required to enter when being considered for doing business with Sadara.
  • Assessing suppliers
  • Sadara verifies and monitors its suppliers by means of formal assessment and audit programmes. Assessments administered through the Pre-qualification Committee consist of a cross-functional team that can holistically assess a supplier’s suitability to be approved as pre-qualified for a goods/service grouping. The EHS (environment, health and safety) assessment programme is one of the
main assessment tools for the pre-qualification committee, focusing on: HSE Policy Statement, HSE SMART Objectives, HSE Training Matrix, HSE Audit Procedure, and Copies of ISO 9001, ISO 14001 or OHSAS 18001 relevant to the company.

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:

 

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:

This case study is based on published information by Sadara, 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.sadara.com/en/About/Citizenship

Note to Sadara: 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.

The post Case study: How Sadara promotes sustainability among its suppliers appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How Pandox promotes sustainability among its suppliers https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-pandox-promotes-sustainability-among-its-suppliers/ Fri, 10 Feb 2023 07:05:37 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=14751 Pandox is a leading hotel property company, owning and leasing out hotel properties to leading hotel operators, with a total of 157 hotels with a combined 35,500 rooms in 15 countries. Pandox has a structure for dialogue with its suppliers through its supplier audit process, which allows it to support and develop cooperation and to encourage suppliers to work in a more professional and structured way on sustainability. This case study is based on the 2021 Annual Report by Pandox, prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards, that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to […]

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]]> Pandox is a leading hotel property company, owning and leasing out hotel properties to leading hotel operators, with a total of 157 hotels with a combined 35,500 rooms in 15 countries. Pandox has a structure for dialogue with its suppliers through its supplier audit process, which allows it to support and develop cooperation and to encourage suppliers to work in a more professional and structured way on sustainability.

This case study is based on the 2021 Annual Report by Pandox, 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

Pandox’s Code of Conduct for business partners describes the expectations that Pandox has of its suppliers  Tweet This! regarding human rights, labour rights, the environment and anti-corruption. In order to promote sustainability among its suppliers Pandox took action to:

  • implement a Code of Conduct
  • verify existing suppliers
  • verify new suppliers

What are the material issues the company has identified?   

In its 2021 Annual Report Pandox identified a range of material issues, such as business ethics and anti-corruption, reduced climate impact through reduced GHG emissions, increased use of sustainable materials, reduced waste and increased recycling/ reuse. Among these, promoting sustainability among its suppliers stands out as a key material issue for Pandox.

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:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

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 Pandox engages with:

Stakeholder Group                Method of engagement
Hotel guests ·      Survey
Tenants ·      Survey/interview
The community ·      Survey/interview
Suppliers ·      Survey/interview
Analysts ·      Interview
Investors ·      Survey/interview
Shareholders ·      Survey/interview
Board of Directors ·      Survey/interview
Executive management team ·      Survey
Hotel employees ·      Survey
General managers ·      Survey
Employees: head office and Property Management ·      Survey

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Pandox engaged with its stakeholders through interviews and surveys.

What actions were taken by Pandox to promote sustainability among its suppliers?

In its 2021 Annual Report Pandox reports that it took the following actions for promoting sustainability among its suppliers:

  • Implementing a Code of Conduct
  • Pandox’s Code of Conduct for business partners describes Pandox’s expectations from its suppliers concerning human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption, and is based on the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
  • Verifying existing suppliers
  • Pandox’s existing suppliers fill out a self-assessment form. During 2021, Pandox initiated a dialogue with suppliers whose performance was in the lowest 10 percent of respondents based on the most recent self-assessment form. The purpose is to support them to work more professionally and in a structured way on critical sustainability topics. All suppliers categorised as high-risk in Property Management who participated in a training workshop in 2020 went through the digital self-assessment process again. The result was that 53 percent went from being assessed as high-risk suppliers to low-risk suppliers. They achieved this by strengthening their sustainability policies and processes by, for example, producing a code of conduct or an anti-corruption policy. In autumn 2021 Pandox decided to expand its auditing of existing suppliers to include the 150 largest suppliers at the corporate level as identified in the 2020 spend analysis. A total of 82 suppliers were audited in 2021 based on environmental and social criteria as well as governance. 37 of these were identified as high-risk suppliers. Pandox will take steps to follow up on these and then allow them to repeat the assessment to ensure compliance with Pandox’s Code of Conduct for business partners. The results of the 2021 self-assessment showed that there was a need for several of the suppliers to design and establish formal processes in important areas such as human rights, rights at work and business ethics. None of the suppliers was identified as having a significantly high environmental risk, as no significant real or potentially negative environmental impact was identified as part of the audit.
  • Verifying new suppliers
  • The construction industry is the industry identified as having the highest risk for Pandox. Accordingly, new suppliers in Property Management that supply goods or services above a certain annual minimum limit are to be audited. The aim is to do this before a contract is signed and to conduct random follow-up audits. With respect to food and beverage suppliers, Pandox has been able to use its position to enable all hotels in Operator Activities – regardless of brand – to use an external supplier’s platform. This is a digital purchasing system and it guarantees that the suppliers have been audited and that any discounts will benefit the users. This minimises situations where bribery might occur.

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 308-2 Negative environmental impacts in the supply chain and actions taken

2) Disclosure 414-2 Negative social impacts in the supply chain and actions taken

 

Disclosure 308-2 Negative environmental impacts in the supply chain and actions taken does not correspond to any SDG.

Disclosure 414-2 Negative social impacts in the supply chain and actions taken corresponds to:

 

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:

This case study is based on published information by Pandox, 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.pandox.se/files/sustainability/Pandox_AR21_EN_Sustainability.pdf

Note to Pandox: 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.

The post Case study: How Pandox promotes sustainability among its suppliers appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

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