Supplier engagement for climate action
We need to work together to achieve net-zero emissions across the value chain! Rapidly reducing our own emissions as Proximus is critical, but it is simply not enough. To achieve our net-zero ambitions, working together with our suppliers is an absolute necessity.
Our ambitions to reduce emissions by 90% before 2040 do not only cover the emissions within our own operations, but they also cover the emissions within our value chain. These value chain emissions include all emissions “outside the company walls” and in 2022 they represented the largest share of Proximus’ total CO2 footprint by more than 94%. That’s 17 times more than the emissions from our own operations.
Even if they occur beyond Proximus’ own operations, we have a responsibility to reduce them as they are the result of upstream and downstream activities associated with our operations. Our suppliers wouldn’t produce these goods and services if we weren’t ordering them, nor would our customers use our solutions if we weren’t providing them.
Proximus and its procurement department have already taken actions and today we take the next structural steps by:
- Adjusting our Supplier Code of Conduct criteria
- Engaging and collaborating with our suppliers to reduce emissions
Our renewed Supplier Code of Conduct
Proximus views its suppliers as partners and cares about the way they do business. To reflect Proximus’ principles (Human rights and fair labour practices, environmental considerations, business integrity, data security, privacy, and confidentiality) in an increasingly complex environment, we have adapted our Supplier Code of conduct. These principles allow us to forge ahead with our long-term vision, helping us to be a company committed to the development of society and the care of the planet. These principles allow us to forge ahead with our long-term vision, helping us to be a company committed to the development of society and the care of the planet.
Proximus’ supplier engagement program
Through our Supplier Engagement Program, we cooperate with our main suppliers to be just as ambitious as us. Proximus has set a supplier engagement target initially for 150 tier one and strategic suppliers to reduce their own emissions aligned with 1,5°C reduction targets. This means that suppliers should halve absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
As transparency throughout the value chain is key to increase our joint impact, the commitment should be made public alongside an annual disclosure of their companywide CO2e emissions. Both should cover the whole supplier company, not only the Proximus part of business. Proximus has chosen intentionally for a supplier climate target that can be used collaboratively and makes it possible for the same target to serve as a reply to several customers.
This program is not a one-off engagement. Reducing emissions, annual disclosure of CO2, and sourcing renewable energy will be addressed continuously throughout business review meetings and within procurement decisions.
To offer support and guidance we have set up a dedicated supplier portal for sustainability. It dives deeper into Proximus’ environmental expectations that will be taken along in future supplier performance reviews, as well as offering supporting tools and documentation on how to set a 1,5°C aligned emission reduction target. . It dives deeper into Proximus’ environmental expectations that will be taken along in future supplier performance reviews, as well as offering supporting tools and documentation on how to set a 1,5°C aligned emission reduction target.
As a next step beyond signing circular manifestos, Proximus commits to a new sustainability endeavour by launching a Supplier Engagement Program. With this program we will partner with our key suppliers to significantly reduce our Scope 3 emissions and to obtain a transparent and objective reporting. We want to be a real frontrunner in the race towards a truly sustainable supply chain.
