In 2016, we introduced our Sustainable Supply Chain policy. This set out our expectation for suppliers to run their businesses ethically, always acting with respect, honesty, integrity and fairness.
The Policy states our commitment to work only with suppliers who fully comply with the law and regulations, and who operate in a way that is socially and environmentally responsible.
To communicate our commitment, we shared our Supplier Sustainability Scorecard with nearly 600 suppliers. The scorecard has helped us to better understand their commitment to sustainability. It includes questions about the UNGC Principles, including governance and transparency, anti-corruption practices, and community engagement.
Fifteen percent of the suppliers, partners and service providers, with whom we shared the scorecard, completed it in 2018. This was well below our target of 35%, and as a result, we are amending our process. Actions to be taken for 2020 include:
- The Sustainable Supply Chain policy and Scorecards will be sent to all new suppliers as part of the vendor registration process
- It will be mandatory for new vendors to confirm they have read the policy and submit the survey.
- A minimum of two workshops will be held with our active/regular suppliers to develop actionable plans that move towards achieving a green procurement process by 2025.
Our goal is to have more than 400 suppliers complete the assessment by 2020.
For our own store operations, and as part of the Chalhoub Group commitment to operate in a legal, ethical and sustainable manner, we have developed the STEP certification process (Store Towards Earths Protection). This was put in place to assess the environmental performance of our stores’ interior architecture and products used. An example of the actions taken is our goal for one-third of total receipts issued to be e-receipts by 2020. This represents one facet of our long-term plan for paperless operations.
