2009 Corporate Responsibility Review
Addressing our broader responsibility to society
SUPPLY CHAIN
Working to have a positive impact through our purchasing decisions.
Summary of the year
We understand that with size and purchasing power comes responsibility. With over 51,000 suppliers, the procurement decisions we make have a real impact not only on our business, but the environment and communities we work in.
We take this responsibility seriously, and are working to embed CR criteria within our procurement processes across our Group. Excluding our US operations, 50% of new significant supplier contracts we entered into this year involved a CR screening assessment which included human rights criteria.In Australia this year we established our Supplier Sustainability Program to monitor and manage sustainability risks within our supply chain. Supplier Sustainability Principles will be introduced into new contracts with key suppliers from October 2009, specifying minimum CR requirements across corporate governance, environmental management, health and safety, human rights, risk management, supply chain management and community involvement.
Much of our work has been in support of our Group carbon neutral commitment. This included a significant project to identify a panel of international carbon offset providers. We have also refined our reporting processes this year, addressing those areas identified for improvement following our last review. Engaging our people is a key part of our CR framework. This year we conducted expos in our Australian offices to give our people the chance to learn about what we're doing, and to give our suppliers the opportunity to promote their sustainable products.
Our decision in Australia to purchase Fairtrade tea and coffee reinforces our commitment to sustainable procurement every time someone makes themselves a hot drink. When this announcement went up on our Australia intranet over 50 separate comments were lodged, making it one of the articles with the highest response during the year.
In recognition of our progress, NAB was nominated as a finalist in the ECO-Buy 2009 Excellence in Green Purchasing Awards in Australia.
