Collaboratively Advancing Sustainability in the Upstream

Sustainable Sourcing Policy

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Early last year, we launched our Sustainable Sourcing Policy (SSP) with the purpose of extending our in-house sustainability standards to our business partners in the supply chain. The Policy was collaboratively developed with international NGO, Rainforest Alliance, based on the results of a previously undertaken Supplier Risk Assessment.

We have now entered Phase 2 of this process by releasing the Policy’s Implementation Manual and Strategic Actions Guide. Also developed with Rainforest Alliance, the purpose of the newly launched Manual is to ensure that our suppliers understand the values expressed within the Policy and can demonstrate alignment with them through the implementation of pragmatic and appropriate actions. The Manual therefore provides a roadmap of 150 Strategic Actions distributed across a 5-year implementation period. These Strategic Actions span five criteria: Human Rights, Land Use Rights, Environmental Responsibility, Business Ethics and Transparency, and Supply Chain Traceability.

We have distributed the Manual to our top 20 suppliers as an initial rollout for 2021. Collectively, these suppliers account for 60% of our supply, and originate from all the major global production regions of Southeast Asia, Africa and South America.

Industry dialogue and collaboration is the cornerstone of sustainable business practices and as such, we strive for the Policy and its accompanying Implementation Manual to be adopted as a collaborative working programme where communication and support is prioritised. As the implementation of the Policy’s standards is a continuous and iterative process, the five-year tiering structure we have provided ensures that suppliers can make steady progress across a reasonable timescale.  Additionally, suppliers are supported through the provision of the Implementation Manual‘s technical instructions and reporting information to ensure greater clarity of our shared objectives. 

Having partnered with Rainforest Alliance to unearth upstream supply issues, we have since harnessed our findings to comprehensively develop this Policy. The accompanying Implementation Manual has since been shared with our business partners, and we look forward to tackling these supply issues together,‘ shared Ryan Wiener, Global Head, Sustainable Development & Strategic Marketing.

We look forward to seeing the continuous progress stemming from the implementation of this Policy at a global level.

‘We are very excited to see our partner Corrie Maccoll putting its sustainability ambitions into practice and taking a leadership role in the sector. It is crucial that the market sends strong signals to producers – shifting away from business as usual – and to step out and create value for people and nature as well as for businesses.’

Christopher Schwarz – Senior Associate, Rainforest Alliance 

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