Collaboration with suppliers
The E-TASC online information system helps support sustainable procurement in the ICT industry.
With the involvement of its suppliers, Deutsche Telekom is committed to compliance with minimum social standards and the careful treatment of our natural resources.
As an international telecommunications enterprise, Deutsche Telekom works together with service providers in more than 50 countries. To meet our corporate responsibility worldwide, we regularly review the work of our suppliers directly at their production sites. With these social audits, Deutsche Telekom ensures and promotes compliance with social and climate standards. A total of 200 such supplier audits are to be carried out by 2012.
Together for more sustainability
Deutsche Telekom also supports the sustainable shaping of supplier relationships in industry initiatives. We began a joint audit cooperation together with France Telecom and Telecom Italia in early 2010. Since then we have conducted audits of selected suppliers around the world together. These audits are carried out according to standardized criteria and help to promote and ensure compliance with minimum social and environmental standards among our shared suppliers.
Careful supplier selection
Deutsche Telekom uses various supplier development schemes, such as the E-TASC (Electronic Tool for Accountable Supply Chains) information system, to select suppliers that work sustainably wherever possible. In addition to information about working conditions, the system also incorporates human rights aspects. Based on this data, the Telekom experts can identify who works sustainably and responsibly and who doesn't. If suppliers violate the Telekom guidelines, compliance must be ensured as quickly as possible. If the supplier fails to be cooperative and listen to reason, it could result in an end of the business relationship - sustainability takes priority.
Supplier workshops
In addition to placing high demands on our suppliers, we at Deutsche Telekom also support their evolution. We organize workshops on energy efficiency and sustainable product development to help our service providers make progress. Our Switch China project, for example, is helping to sensitize 500 small and medium-sized companies in China to the subject of sustainability.
