Promoting a socially and environmentally sound supply chain is one of Sprint’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) priorities. Sprint’s Supply Chain Management (SCM) and other purchasing organizations are responsible for implementing this priority.
Although Sprint does not manufacture telecommunication equipment directly, a significant amount of resources are allocated toward purchasing products and services for use by both employees and customers. Sprint recognizes that the ability to make progress on its CSR priorities is significantly impacted by its relationships with vendors. Sprint’s values and sustainability priorities are more adequately reflected when coupled with vendors that support Sprint’s CSR expectations.
Sprint considers the social and environmental impact of its activities on employees, suppliers, customers, stakeholders and communities, and expects its suppliers to do the same. Sprint will give preference in the evaluation of products and services to those suppliers that demonstrate strong CSR practices. Sprint’s supplier expectations are detailed below:
Environment
- Energy Efficiency: Sprint’s partners should have effective energy-management systems in place ensuring their operations are energy efficient.
- Waste Reduction: Practices should be in place to ensure that waste (including water, energy, and solid waste) is minimized. Waste that must be disposed of should be controlled and treated as required prior to discharge or disposal.
- Air Emissions: Polluting and/or potentially hazardous air emissions generated from operations should be monitored, controlled and treated at levels that comply with or exceed the levels set by all applicable laws and regulations prior to discharge. Transportation-related CO2 emissions will be considered as part of vendor evaluation with preference given to those with lower emissions.
- Hazardous Substance Management: Chemical and other materials posing a hazard if released into the environment should be identified and managed in compliance with or exceeding the levels set by all laws and regulations in order to ensure their safe handling, movement, storage, recycling or reuse and disposal.
- Environmental Permits and Reporting: All required environmental permits, and registrations should be obtained, and their operational and reporting requirements followed in compliance with or exceeding the levels set by all applicable laws and regulations.
Labor
- Fair Labor Standards: Employees should be treated in a fair and inclusive manner in all workplace practices, including those related to hiring, and in compliance with or exceeding the levels set by all applicable laws and regulations.
- Human Rights Standards: Human rights standards such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Labor Organization conventions must be adhered to.
- Health and Safety: A healthy and safe working environment should be provided in accordance with or exceeding the levels set by OSHA, state, federal and international standards and applicable laws.
Reporting and Verification
- Suppliers’ reporting and verification of their CSR practices should be credible and verifiable. Ideally, the supplier will demonstrate a management system that objectively monitors and controls its environmental and human rights performance.
Sprint has established several metrics to track its progress toward achieving a more socially and environmentally sound supply chain. These are, but are not limited to:
- Sprint will achieve 10% of spend with certified diverse suppliers by 2013 (spend will be adjusted based on limiting parameters).
- Sprint will establish environmental standards for suppliers, and by 2017, 90% of Sprint suppliers will comply with them. Sprint will update this Supply Chain Statement with additional information when our vendor-environmental standards have been finalized.
