“ I would like to highlight the daily work of our CSR-staff, performed with constant determination and willpower. That leads to the success of our company.”
Rebecka Svensson, Corporate Legal Counsel – Social and Environmental Responsibility
As of this date, New Wave Group already fulfills its commitment for 2015. However, the figures are not fixed and since the commitment is based on buying volume, there will be continuous fluctuations. Still, we are proud of the progress made in short time.
FLA AND C-TPAT New Wave Group is also associated with Fair Labour Association( FLA) through our subsidiary Cutter & Buck. Our FLA-commitment applies to all suppliers producing for the American market. FLA is an independent organization that works with social responsibility, comparable to BSCI but with headquarters in the U. S.
Each year, FLA will handpick suppliers from our supply chain to be audited for social compliance. The audit reports will be published on the FLA website for you to take active part in the progress and findings of various factories.
American suppliers are also obliged to participate in our work for safe transportation and anti-terrorism. The Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism( C-TPAT) is a voluntary initiative of U. S. Customs and Border Protection( CBP) to build relationships that strengthen international supply chains and improve U. S. border security.
CBP organizes regular visits to our suppliers for on-site inspections. Our latest CBP-control took place in July 2013. A supplier in Vietnam passed the full day inspection and could demonstrate effective security within its organization, as well as a dedication to work with business partners to address supply chain security issues.
WORKING FOR PROGRESS To summarize, New Wave Group-methodology involves the participation of several independent actors, together with our internal work with social compliance. We believe the combination of internal and external inspections will provide the best quality assurance for our suppliers, our customers and for us.
However, improving working conditions requires more than monitoring. It also means to assist suppliers with the implementation of corrective action plans, to challenge cultural differences and to find solutions that will lead to long-term sustainability. It is a sincere ambition we have to take responsibility the whole way.
Some challenges require communication on higher level than with individual suppliers. An important mission for our CSR-staff is to participate in local forums and roundtable discussions to address cultural and regional differences. For example, we participate in BSCI National Group meetings with other responsible brands. Another important forum is Buyers Forum in Bangladesh, which is organized by World Bank Group IFC- SEDF. The forum consists of well-known fashion brands and together we could put pressure on both suppliers and politicians. For example, the forum wrote a letter to the government in Bangladesh regarding the question of minimum wage.
OUR GOAL We strive for constant improvements and step-by-step actions. Everything can be improved – always! Through regular visits and communication, we attempt to discover findings in time or to suggest actions that could lead to business improvements.
8 NEW WAVE GROUP / CSR