Our supply chain
Towards a more sustainable supply chain
We recognise that our social and environmental responsibilities extend beyond our own operations. How our suppliers behave reflects on us, and we can exert a positive influence on their performance. One of the ways we do this is to invite our suppliers to join us in committing to the UN Global Compact.
We've already embedded sustainability principles into our general contracts, and set out clear expectations in the areas of safety, health, social dialogue, and environment. We also require our suppliers to comply with all the relevant laws and regulations.
We're pressing for further progress, but we have a large and complex supply chain to deal with. It ranges from mining and raw materials to highly sophisticated technological products and activities. In fact, at any one time our purchasing department is managing relationships with over 60,000 suppliers and contractors. Enforcing high and consistent standards of corporate responsibility in these circumstances is a tough challenge, but we've made that commitment, and we're working to achieve it.