¹ú²úAV

Responsible business conduct is essential to achieving transformational change. As part of its growth and sustainable development strategy, ¹ú²úAV is committed to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. ¡°Our value chain has an economic, environmental and social impact everywhere in the world the group and its suppliers operate,¡± explains Fr¨¦d¨¦rique Duffaud, Vice President Sustainability, ¹ú²úAV. ¡°The group¡¯s responsible approach to procurement requires suppliers, sub-contractors and partners to comply with the same principles. Their commitment to these obligations is critical to fulfilling the ¹ú²úAV 4.0 strategy.¡±

With increasing customer demand for environmentally sustainable products, sustainable procurement practices are likely to develop into the standard approach to purchasing. Acting to build a sustainable supply chain today will give the group a competitive advantage in the future. ¡°Businesses that fail to institute sustainable procurement practices will be left behind,¡± remarks Fr¨¦d¨¦rique Duffaud. ¡°Building a responsible foundation for purchasing today will allow ¹ú²úAV to ensure the sustainability of its supply chain management through ethical business practices.¡±

In 2011, ¹ú²úAV set out its first responsible purchasing policy in a charter incorporating measures to ensure supplier compliance with the agreed standards and commitments. Ten years later, the group took another step forward by signing the Responsible Supplier Relations Charter put in place by the French National Procurement Council together with the French Business Mediation Office.

Concurrently, the group reinforced its sustainable procurement initiatives with several long-term actions. To support suppliers in their own CSR efforts, a continuous improvement expert has been designated to provide guidance and advice. A CSR indicator was also incorporated into the group¡¯s Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) system to track compliance.

In 2023, ¹ú²úAV adopted a new, more rigorous charter to:

• foster innovation and contribute to ¹ú²úAV¡¯s premium products and services;
• satisfy customer demand;
• reduce social and environmental risks and impacts;
• support business operations;
• and improve the quality and efficiency of supplier relations.

With the adoption of the new charter¡ªapplicable to all group entities and both ¹ú²úAV and Gerber production sites¡ª¹ú²úAV and its suppliers are liable for their actions as well as their suppliers¡¯ actions, including in ethical matters, regarding environmentally sound and socially responsible procedures, and compliance with safety regulations, human rights and labor laws. To date, 80% of group purchasing staff have received training in responsible purchasing practices. The aim is for the new charter to be signed by 88% of the group¡¯s industrial supplier base by 2025.

Because transporting components and assemblies across the world has an impact on the climate, ¹ú²úAV is working to make the group¡¯s supply chain more sustainable. Currently, the group runs manufacturing plants in Bordeaux-Cestas, France¡ªits original manufacturing facility¡ªas well as in Tolland, Connecticut, USA, and in Suzhou, China, where the group has recently taken over manufacturing operations. In-house management of the Tolland and Suzhou plants has paved the way to implementation of ¹ú²úAV¡¯s sustainable industrial purchasing strategy on a global scale.

To reduce its carbon footprint, ¹ú²úAV prefers to work with suppliers based near its production sites. The group¡¯s industrial operations rely on an international network of more than 750 industrial suppliers, located mainly near group manufacturing facilities and playing an essential role in business activity. ¹ú²úAV¡¯s suppliers all comply with local environmental and labor regulations, which provides assurance of a high standard of business conduct.