Social and Environmental Affairs Team
The Social and Environmental Affairs (SEA) Team is tasked with ensuring compliance with our Workplace Standards within the supply chain and manages the Group’s environmental and community affairs programme.
Managing social and environmental affairs [Click image to enlarge - opens new window]
The SEA team consists of a diverse group of 62 individuals – engineers, lawyers, HR managers and former members of non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The group is organised into three regional teams covering Asia, the Americas and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
How the SEA team works
SEA collaborates closely with other global Group functions such as Sourcing, Legal, Facility Management and Human Resources but also with Brand Marketing and Product Development. It is directly involved in developing and updating corporate policies and operating procedures related to social accountability, product safety and compliance with environmental laws and regulations.
The collaboration with Sourcing has been particularly important for improving workplace conditions in the adidas Group supply chain. Over the years, SEA has established collaborative systems and processes to ensure Sourcing fully considers compliance with workplace standards. All potential new suppliers have to undergo an initial assessment performed by the SEA team and orders can only be placed with SEA approval. And monitoring information gathered by the SEA team is regularly shared with Sourcing so it is aware of the latest compliance status of each supplier.
By engaging directly with suppliers, government and other external stakeholders, SEA is informed about social and environmental issues at an early stage. It addresses any potential risks, and health, safety and environmental liabilities, in its monthly report to the Executive Board and Sourcing management.
From strategy to action
The SEA team follows a rolling three-year strategy that focuses on how our sustainability principles and missions can be integrated into our day-to-day operations and work with business partners.
This strategy, together with our business principles and the results of regular interaction with stakeholders, forms the basis of our road map to sustainability.
This is outlined below:
- Supporting business partners in developing effective human resources and health, safety and environmental management practices in their manufacturing operations.
- Building capacity within the workforce and the management of our supply chain so they understand how to manage and improve workplace conditions themselves.
- Expanding our network of local workers’ organisations, NGOs and other representative groups so that we better understand working conditions in the places in which our products are made.
- Raising environmental awareness and promoting environmental best practice within the Group and its supply chain.
- Supporting business partners in their local community activities.
Every year we determine how we will follow this road map by translating our strategic objectives into specific initiatives in the SEA team’s annual action plan. Progress is measured at fixed review dates and results are reported to the Executive Board.
- All potential new suppliers have to undergo an initial assessment performed by the SEA team and orders can only be placed with SEA approval.