Our approach
Telenor strives for high sustainability standards and continuous improvement in our operations throughout the supply chain. We work to ensure that our suppliers take a similar approach. In addition, we believe that partnership and cooperation with suppliers and industry peers are vital to achieving a responsible supply chain.
We believe a sustainable supply chain is key for maintaining a successful business. We have a number of standards and initiatives in place to raise standards across the supply chain and minimise risks associated with our business activities.
Telenor has developed high standards in the areas of working conditions, anti-corruption, labour and human rights and the environment as defined in international conventions and best practices. These standards are continually improved and strengthened and are also applied to our supply chain.
Our fundamental responsibility is to keep those working for us safe from harm, including our own employees, in-house contractors and our suppliers’ employees. This starts with identifying areas of risks and setting high standards in areas such as working conditions, anti-corruption, labour and human rights, as well as the environment. We base our standards on internationally agreed conventions and frameworks and continually look to improve on these.
These standards and ways of working are outlined in our Code of Conduct and Supplier Conduct Principles, which all suppliers are obliged to comply with. This is implemented, maintained and improved with a three-pillar approach:
Risk assessments and mitigation
Capacity building
Monitoring through audits and inspections
Follow the links above to read more on each of these pillars.
Key risks
Telenor’s key risks in the supply chain continue to be health and safety issues such as road accidents, risks related to working at heights, other working condition deficits related to hours and wages, existence of underage labour, risks to business ethics and fire safety in network equipment. The majority of these risks are in Telenor’s operations in Asia.
In Asia, road-related accidents are among the leading causes of on-the-job injuries and deaths. This corresponds with the fact that 50 per cent of all fatalities in Telenor’s supply chain in 2020 were road accidents in Asia. Telenor acknowledges the responsibility it bears in prioritising workers’ safety in this area.
Telenor has launched a number of road safety initiatives, including our educational video ‘Telenor Road Rules’, which is available in various languages and aims to increase road safety knowledge and minimise traffic accidents.
Another of many preventive initiatives we have in place is the ‘People First’ campaign, an e-learning module to raise awareness of the risks and preventive actions available throughout the supply chain.
Use of conflict minerals is an indirect risk area for Telenor, and the company monitors that suppliers have a written policy and procedures in place to avoid knowingly acquiring conflict minerals. Through cooperation with the Joint Audit Cooperation (JAC), a mechanism to highlight issues with major suppliers of smartphones and tablets is in place.
Modern slavery is also a potential risk in Telenor’s supply chain, especially related to payment of wages and working hours. Telenor actively monitors suppliers to ensure they do not employ or use any form of forced, bonded or compulsory labour, and that they strictly prohibit any form of slavery or human trafficking.
International cooperation
Partnerships and cooperation with suppliers are vital to achieving a responsible supply chain. Telenor is an active member of the global mobile organisation GSMA and the Joint Audit Cooperation (JAC). Telenor will continue to work with industry platforms to share, learn and adopt creative ways of managing supply chain risk in times of COVID-19.