Our ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) programme is underpinned by our United Supply Chain approach, shaping how we work with our suppliers and guiding our shared commitment to responsible practices, strong partnerships and continuous improvement across every tier of our supply chain.
United Supply Chain is designed to drive meaningful, measurable improvement across our supply chain. We routinely review our Supplier Code of Conduct to align with our environmental, social and governance commitments. Suppliers who cannot meet our minimum ESG standards are excluded from contracting through clear pass/fail criteria in our tender processes. We also prioritise partners who demonstrate stronger ESG performance, ensuring that responsible practice is rewarded in our selection and contract award decisions.
To embed this approach across our organisation, we provide targeted training for sourcing managers, supplier managers and internal stakeholders so they fully understand their role in delivering and championing United Supply Chain and our Responsible Sourcing Principles.
We support our suppliers in building stronger ESG capability by giving them free access to high quality learning and practical guidance, through our external partnership with Supply Chain Sustainability School, on a wide range of ESG topics most relevant to us. This targeted training helps suppliers deepen their understanding, strengthen their performance, and contribute to continuous improvement across our supply chain.
A clear commitment to ESG is championed by our executive leadership and embedded across all business areas, ensuring responsible practice is driven consistently throughout the organisation. Our ESG Committee, comprising at least three Board-appointed directors (including a majority of independent non executive directors) and supported by the Company Secretary, meets at least twice a year to oversee our ESG strategy, monitor delivery against ESG commitments and targets, review key stakeholder and reputational matters, and report its discussions to the Board, with senior executives and advisers attending by invitation.
Our supplier screening processes allow us to systematically identify the significant risks associated with our supply chain and put targeted measures in place to address and mitigate those risks. A key element of this process is the Supplier Risk Assessment (SRA) which is completed alongside a Supplier Segmentation as part of every tender activity prior to receiving Commercial Approvals Board approval to proceed with a procurement or contract award. The SRA questionnaire is structured around our Responsible Sourcing Principles and enables us to identify the risk areas associated with the provision of goods or services by our suppliers.
In addition to the SRA, we conduct routine supplier screening via the Dun & Bradstreet portal which allows us to continually monitor changes in market and supplier risk factors, which include but are not limited to country-specific, sector-specific and commodity-specific risks. We monitor supplier risks aligned to sanctions, politically-exposed persons (PEP’s) and negative media to give us a comprehensive view of the risks associated with our supply chain, which are managed and mitigated through our Integrated Risk Review (IRR) process.
The responses to the SRA inform targeted actions and interaction with our suppliers and partners based on their higher risk and opportunity areas. For example, where we’ve identified that a significant supplier is of high relevance to our Health & Safety Responsible Sourcing Principle, they will be invited to join our Health & Safety supplier forum and contribute with best practice and case studies related to this area. Their Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) related to Health & Safety will also be closely monitored by our Supplier Relationship Managers and Health & Safety Subject Matter Experts, with close involvement in their supplier performance meetings and business reviews.
Supply Chain Sustainability School