IT-Review

HP, Dell and IBM Release Electronics Industry Code of Conduct

Global supply chain standards promote socially responsible business practices

The Electronic Industry Code of Conduct [PDF file], which was developed in collaboration with electronics manufacturing companies Celestica, Flextronics, Jabil, Sanmina SCI, and Solectron, paves the way for a standards-based approach for monitoring suppliers' performance across several areas of social responsibility, including labor and employment practices, health and safety, ethics, and protection of the environment.

Prior to the release of this Code of Conduct, the companies used their own respective codes of conduct, and suppliers were subject to multiple, independent vendor audits based on different criteria. HP facilitated this collaboration for the adoption of a single, global Electronics Industry Code of Conduct. The code reflects the participating companies' commitment to leadership in the area of corporate social responsibility and will potentially reduce inefficiency and duplication, and make performance easier to audit and verify.

Fundamental to adopting the code is the understanding that a business, in all of its activities, should operate in full compliance with the laws, rules and regulations of the countries in which it operates. The code encourages participants to go beyond legal compliance, drawing upon internationally recognized standards, in order to advance social and environmental responsibility.

The code may be voluntarily adopted by any business in the electronics sector and subsequently applied by that business to its suppliers. The participating companies invite other companies to review and adopt the code, the text of which is available upon request and at each company's website.

Source: press release

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