The telecommunications industry must meet the growing global need for connectivity through product design, taking into account energy conservation, ergonomics and safety, responsible supply-chain management, extended producer responsibility and bridging of the digital divide.
Issues
- Brand/relationship management
- Digital divide
- Health impact of electromagnetic fields
- Product stewardship/extended producer responsibility
- Responsible supply chain and end-of-life for terminals
- Use of hazardous substances
Client examples
Global e-Sustainability initiative
We worked with the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) on its CSR supply-chain analysis project. GeSI consists of major international telecommunications companies such as BT, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and Bell Canada. We identified key supply-chain-related CSR impacts and developed an industry-specific best-practice framework for managing these risks. We assessed the member companies against this framework and developed an industry- and company-level roadmap for progressing CSR supply-chain management.
Provider of global telecommunications solutions
We assessed 15 operating locations on four continents for a global telecommunications, networks and IT solutions provider, in order to verify that the company was in compliance with the legal obligations and duties imposed by occupational HSE requirements in its principal territories of operation outside the UK; to ensure that company HSE policies, standards and procedures were consistently applied and understood throughout the organisation; and to ensure that the principal risks were accurately perceived throughout the organisation, and that appropriate and effective risk-control measures were in place.
Provider of global telecommunications solutions
We carried out a high-level review of occupational health and well being (OHW) for this client. The main objectives were to develop an understanding of OHW management practices; to identify corporate OHW leaders; to explore how such companies are measuring their OHW performance; and to help the client to determine how it can start to measure and manage its own OHW performance.
South American telecommunications subsidiary
We supported this Chilean client in its stakeholder-engagement process, following the AA1000 guidelines. The work included development of the consultation process and of a set of key performance indicators in order to monitor the process and the company’s planned activities.
