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Annual Activity Report 01 TOGETHER FOR SUSTAINABILITY (TfS) ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT 2016 TOGETHER FOR SUSTAINABILITY

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Page 1: TOGETHER FOR SUSTAINABILITY (TfS) · 2020-01-24 · 04 Annual Activity Report 1 TFS OVERVIEW 1.1 Purpose and Vision Together for Sustainability (TfS) was founded in 2011 by the Chief

Annual Activity Report 01

TOGETHER FOR

SUSTAINABILITY (TfS)

ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT 2016

TOGETHER FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Page 2: TOGETHER FOR SUSTAINABILITY (TfS) · 2020-01-24 · 04 Annual Activity Report 1 TFS OVERVIEW 1.1 Purpose and Vision Together for Sustainability (TfS) was founded in 2011 by the Chief

Foreword by the TfS President

1 TFS OVERVIEW 1.1 Purpose and Vision

1.2 Organizational Structure

2 TFS MEMBERS AND GROWTH

2.1 Membership Criteria

2.2 Membership Commitments

2.3 Membership Benefits

3 CORE ACTIVITIES

3.1 TfS Supplier Assessments

3.2 TfS Supplier Audits

3.3 Supplier Academy

4 TFS ACHIEVEMENTS

4.1 Assessment and Audits

4.2 TfS Communication and Events

4.3 External Recognition

5 TFS EXTERNAL RELATIONS

6 OUTLOOK 2017

CONTENT

Page 3: TOGETHER FOR SUSTAINABILITY (TfS) · 2020-01-24 · 04 Annual Activity Report 1 TFS OVERVIEW 1.1 Purpose and Vision Together for Sustainability (TfS) was founded in 2011 by the Chief

FOREWORD The year 2016 has brought more growth and proud

accomplishments to TfS. Most notably, a landmark agree-

ment was signed between TfS and the China Petroleum

and Chemical Industry Federation (CPCIF) aimed at jointly

promoting and improving sustainability practices within

supply chains in China.

This reflects the global nature of TfS and also the intention

of developing partnerships with important stakeholders

across the industry. It is in line with TfS objectives to improve

sustainability practices and building resilience in the global

supply chain of the chemical industry, and it also shows

a changing landscape that brings increasing attention to

cooperation on supply chain sustainability.

We have seen TfS flourish regionally by further extending the

activities of the team in Asia and establishing regional teams

in Brazil and the US. This enables enhanced collaboration

across global and regional teams within the TfS organization

to implement and communicate our program more efficiently.

TfS success is founded on collaboration in the pursuit of

a common objective: improving sustainability in the global

supply chains of the chemical industry. Any chemical

company that shares the TfS vision and wishes to contribute

to driving sustainability improvements across the supply

chain of the chemical industry, is welcome to join TfS.

We hope you enjoy reading about the TfS approach and

share with us here our achievements to date.

Rüdiger Eberhard

CPO of Evonik Industries and TfS President

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04 Annual Activity Report

1 TFS OVERVIEW 1.1 Purpose and Vision Together for Sustainability (TfS) was founded in 2011 by the Chief Procurement Officers of six multinational

chemical companies. TfS was created to develop and implement a global supplier engagement program

to assess, audit and improve sustainability practices within the supply chains of the chemical industry.

As part of the members’ goals to achieve sustainable development and support compliance with regulations

and societal expectations within their supply chains, they formed and joined this initiative.

All current members subscribe to the fact that through the TfS approach, they can extend better management

practices with regards to environmental and social conditions beyond their own direct operations to also encompass

their suppliers.

Businesses are becoming increasingly aware that they cannot simply focus on short-term economic gain. Addressing

global challenges such as climate change, population growth, or water shortages and managing risk and uncertainty

across global operations has become an increasingly complex endeavor. Sustainability criteria are becoming essen-

tial for the selection of business partners. TfS aims to support chemical companies in identifying and mitigating such

sustainability risks along their supply chains through an efficient process. The TfS approach creates a path of continuous

improvement for both suppliers and their customers by initiating a dialogue and engaging them on crucial issues

that simultaneously create opportunities as well.

Following TfS’ principle of “An audit/assessment for one, is an audit/assessment for all” is to share sustainability

assessments and audit findings between all members. This translates into a reduction of customer requests, lessening

the bureaucratic burden and allowing a more efficient allocation of resources, with more time left to focus on actual

improvements. This benefits both the members, who are carrying out the requests through TfS, and the suppliers,

who only have to be assessed and/or audited once for multiple customers simultaneously. Another objective of TfS

is to raise awareness regarding sustainability standards, thereby initiating continuous improvements across sourcing

markets and geographical areas. TfS also aims to share and promote best practices, and being part of the TfS initia-

tive also means being part of a community of industry leaders active in the field of sustainability. In time, TfS aims

to grow into a standard for sustainable supply chains in the chemical industry.

The approach was developed by building on established principles such as the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC)

and the Responsible Care Global Charter, as well as standards devised by the International Labor Organization (ILO),

the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the Social Accountability International (SAI), among others.

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Annual Activity Report 05

1.2 TfS Organizational Structure: TThe Association is an international non-profit association under Belgian law (“internationale vereniging zonder

winstoogmerk - IVZW” / “association internationale sans but lucratif – AISBL”). In 2015 the TfS office opened in

the CEFIC premises in Brussels. In 2016, TfS hired its first staff to replace the support that was previously carried

out by PwC. The consultancy worked closely with TfS since its inception and after years of successful collaboration

it supported the initiative to reach a stage of independence.

TfS President: Rüdiger Eberhard, Chief Procurement Officer, Evonik Industries

TfS General Manager: Dr. Gabriele Unger

Legal Adviser: Dr. Arne Ott, Evonik Industries

General Assembly and Steering Committee:

The TfS General Assembly is the highest decision making body of the organization. It is composed of one CPO

representative from each of the member companies, who hold the voting rights in the Association.

The Steering Committee is the executive body of the Association and is composed of seven different members, including

the TfS President. The current Steering Committee was elected by the General Assembly in 2014 and is composed of:

President: Rüdiger Eberhard (Evonik)

Michael Britt (BASF), handed over to Fried-Walter Münstermann, effective as of January 1, 2017

Bertrand Conquéret (Henkel)

Holger Hüppeler (Lanxess)

Norbert Merklein (Clariant), handed over to Markus Mirgeler effective as of December 1, 2016

Kristian Saksida (Solvay)

Thomas Udesen (Bayer)

TfS Work Streams:

Each Work Stream is responsible for developing and managing different aspects of the TfS program, and is composed

of staff from various member companies, making this a truly member-led initiative. Active participation from our

members is crucial for the success of the initiative.

Work Stream 1: Governance and Partnerships

Chair: Gabriele Willenbrinck (Lanxess)

This Work Stream is responsible for defining the governance structure of the initiative, as well as coordinating TfS

external partnerships.

Work Stream 2: TfS Assessments

Chair: Wolfgang Hierse (Merck)

Work Stream 2 focuses on the development of assessments and the management of the relationship with the service

provider (EcoVadis).

Work Stream 3: TfS Audits

Chair: Petra Lehman (AkzoNobel)

This Work Stream concentrates on the development of the TfS audit program and process as well as management

of audit companies (SGS, Intertek, DQS, ERM) together with the TfS Office.

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06 Annual Activity Report

Work Stream 4: Supplier Engagement and Communications

Chair: Mareike Klein (Henkel)

Work Stream 4 is responsible for external communication and also activities related to engaging suppliers,

such as the development of a supplier academy and the organization of TfS events.

Work Streams in Asia: (Regional Operating Committee)

To enhance local coordination of activities and implement TfS globally, a Regional Operating Committee, interlinked

with the global Work Streams, was established in 2015. It has by now developed into a strong team with Work

Streams focusing on the most relevant regional topics. This ensures a global reach and allows for the development

of specific regional topics, e.g. local supplier trainings.

TfS-EcoVadis Executive Council

Coordinator: Gerben van Kranenburg (DSM)

The partnership with EcoVadis is coordinated through the TfS-EcoVadis Executive Council, which holds regular meetings

and is responsible for developing and implementing projects in the framework of a joint Operational Roadmap as well

as to work on topics of mutual interest.

A TfS-EcoVadis governance document was implemented in 2016 to fully outline the cooperation on TfS assessments,

enabling both parties to further define collaboration according to a set of agreed principles, and to work on continuous

improvements. The principles underline that EcoVadis supplier assessments are in line with TfS purpose and requirements,

that the transparency of the rating process and the involvement of TfS is ensured, and that the scientific and risk based

approach is used in the assessment process. Furthermore, important topics such as data security and confidentiality

are defined as well as Audits and Quality assurance rights of TfS.

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Annual Activity Report 07

2 TFS MEMBERS AND GROWTH TfS’ member base has steadily grown since the start of the initiative. From the six founding members in 2011,

TfS was counting 19 full members in Europe and North America by the end of 2016. Collectively, TfS Members

represent EUR 186 billion in spend (based on published financial reports) and an estimated € 286 billion in turnover.

In 2016 TfS welcomed to the initiative Sanofi, as well as DuPont and Brenntag, who became full TfS members.

TfS Members:

TfS is expanding and wants to invite members from all over the world. All members of TfS are chemical companies

with a significant share of business operations engaged in chemical production; trading/distributing of chemicals

or performing chemical synthesis, active in the area of sustainability and willing to join forces to enhance sustainability

performance in their supply chains. TfS aims to grow into a standard for the chemical industry over time. Any

chemical company sharing the TfS vision can embark on that journey as well and become an active member of TfS.

The current members as of 2016:

Arkema, AkzoNobel, BASF, Bayer, Brenntag, Clariant, Covestro, DSM, DuPont, Eastman, Evonik Industries, Henkel,

IFF, Lanxess, Merck, Sanofi, Solvay, Syngenta and Wacker

2.1 Membership Criteria In order to become a member of TfS there are certain criteria that have to be fulfilled and principles adhered to: • UN Global Compact: Member or public supporter of the UN Global Compact

• Responsible Care: Commitment of the applicant to the chemical industry's Responsible Care program or a

commitment to its guiding principles

• Transparency: Sustainability report published regularly (GRI or integrated report)

• Compliance: commitment to act in compliance with the applicable laws, anti-trust regulations and industry codes

of practices as well as fair business practices

• Sustainability ratings: EcoVadis score above 60

• Supplier assessments: Minimum number of shared supplier assessments via EcoVadis per year

• Supplier audits: Minimum number of shared TfS audits per year

2.2 Membership Commitments• Contribution by each member to the development, growth and success of TfS, for example by engaging in active

participation in the Work Streams

• Commitment to implement the TfS program in the member company and launch a certain number of assessment

campaigns and audits per year, depending on company size

2.3 Membership Benefits• An efficient approach and avoidance of duplicative work by buyers through sharing of audit and assessment results

• Creation of faster supply chain transparency on sustainability risks and opportunities

• A common standard that allows benchmarking of supplier performance, globally and across commodity/categories

• Improved quality of assessment and audit execution as well as follow up on the results

• Building up long-term business relationships with suppliers, and initiating a journey of improvement with them

• Best practice and knowledge sharing within a network of leading companies in supply chain sustainability

• Being part of the General Assembly, members can contribute to the direction of the Association

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08 Annual Activity Report

3 TFS CORE ACTIVITIES The TfS approach consists of two core activities: TfS assessments conducted by EcoVadis and the TfS audits

conducted by independent audit companies approved by TfS. These can be combined to evaluate a supplier, or

applied separately, depending on individual member priorities and analyses. The advantage for suppliers to undergo

a TfS assessment or audit is that they will not have to complete other sustainability assessments or audits from

the members of TfS since both results are shared among them. Hence the TfS principle “An audit/assessment for

one, is an audit/assessment for all”.

With the TfS assessments performed by EcoVadis, an external service provider for CSR assessments, and on-site

TfS audits, suppliers' sustainability performance is verified against pre-defined criteria that are tailored to requirements

of the chemical industry.

The TfS program is not meant to be understood as a simple certification scheme or a pass or fail exercise for suppliers;

it is instead geared towards being a starting point for a constructive dialogue between the supplier and the purchas-

ing organization of the TfS member. It offers instruments for both the supplier and the buyer to identify areas and

opportunities for improvement and to initiate a journey of improvement. To reflect this idea, a Corrective Action Plan

(CAP) is established to guide the supplier through the improvements and document their progress. The findings are

outlined and follow up actions are devised for the supplier to work on, and for the member to engage with.

TfS has recognized the importance of engaging directly with suppliers. Therefore, annual events are also organized

to promote a dialogue and mutual understanding between TfS members and their suppliers regarding sustainability

challenges and the requirements of the chemical supply chain.

TfS fully adheres to applicable laws and regulations, in particular anti-trust and competition laws. In order to ensure it

operates in continued compliance to such laws, TfS undergoes regular anti-trust assessments conducted by independent

firms. In 2016, an analysis of compatibility with US and European laws was carried out by Cleary Gottlieb Steen &

Hamilton LLP. Recommendations out of this, as well as previous legal assessments, have been carefully considered

and implemented by TfS.

TOGETHER FOR SUSTAINABILITY

TfS member TfS member

Follow-up and manage business

relationship

Spend & Risk Analysis

TfS Assessment by EcoVadis

TfS Supplier Audit

TfS Assessment by EcoVadis or

Follow up-Audit

TfS Assessment Corrective Action Plan

TfS Audit Corrective Action Plan

Sharing of sustainability assessment and audit reports with all TfS members

Supplier Code of Conduct

Together for Sustainability

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Annual Activity Report 09

3.1 TfS Supplier Assessments A sustainability assessment is an evaluation of a supplier’s management approach and performance. A typical industry

specific assessment is conducted by using an online web-based questionnaire; documents are requested as proof of

implementation and reviewed, and data and information is analyzed. TfS decided to implement a simple process based

on international Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) standards and providing CSR experts’ feedback for both the mem-

bers and the suppliers to use. To ensure a consistent and reliable supplier assessment approach, TfS selected EcoVadis,

a global leader for CSR assessments, as its partner and service provider. The sustainability experts of EcoVadis analyze

the answers and supporting documents and other evidence of the supplier's sustainability policies. The results are

combined on a dedicated scorecard that is accessible for both suppliers and TfS members on a shared, web-based,

collaborative platform.

Assessments are valid for three years but TfS members may ask suppliers to go through a more regular assessment

to show continuous improvement. The frequency may also depend on the result of the assessment itself.

3.2 TfS Supplier Audits A TfS Audit is an on-site examination of a company's sustainability practices by an independent third party auditor.

The scope of a TfS audit typically covers a single or combined business location such as a production site, a warehouse,

or an office building. Within the TfS audit process the supplier's sustainability performance is verified against a pre-

defined set of audit criteria on management, environment, health & safety, labor & human rights, and governance issues.

These topics have been defined by TfS and are tailored to the requirements of the Chemical Industry. The TfS audit

is performed by sustainability auditors from a TfS pre-approved auditor pool from independent audit companies.

TfS members have agreed on a set of sustainability audit criteria and a process to ensure consistent quality. Sharing

audit results allows to reduce duplicative efforts and free resources for driving sustainability improvements within

the supply chain. The audits mark the starting point for a collaborative engagement with the suppliers in assessing

and improving sustainability standards in the supply chain.

Suppliers are requested to show their performance and continuously improve in those areas:

• Management: Management in charge, policies, continuous improvement, management systems, risk assessment training

• Environment: Environmental compliance, waste, air emissions, climate change, water and groundwater, wastewater,

energy, nuisance (noise & odor), land use & biodiversity, soil, hazardous chemicals

• Health & Safety: health & safety compliance, product safety, transport safety, process safety & storage, occupational

health & safety, emergency preparedness, medical care, security, hygienic facilities

• Labor & Human Rights: labor & human rights compliance, child labor, forced & compulsory labor, working hours,

minimum wages, freedom of association, discrimination, special work contracts

• Ethics and Governance: supplier standards, memberships, business integrity, privacy & intellectual property,

fair completion, disciplinary & compliant procedures

Only pre-approved audit firms are allowed to perform a TfS audit. Audit firms have to meet specific criteria such

as quality management, adequate auditor trainings and availability of auditors in key markets. Only auditors with an

appropriate level of industry knowledge, audit experience as well as technical and language skills are pre-approved

to perform TfS audits. Currently there are 394 TfS approved auditors worldwide from the four pre-selected audit com-

panies. There are several quality assurance mechanisms that enable TfS to work towards consistent and high quality

audits. For example, witness auditors evaluate the audit process against predefined criteria. This means that experts

from a TfS member company can accompany auditors on a sample basis to evaluate the auditor’s competence as well

as the audit process.

Following a decision of the Steering Committee in 2016, to increase transparency, the audit protocol was made

publicly available and will be provided to interested parties via request to the TfS Office.

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10 Annual Activity Report

3.3 Supplier Academy To further increase the opportunities for supplier engagement and improvement, TfS worked on the development

of the Supplier Academy in 2016. This included devising further interactive tools for suppliers to better engage in

sustainability efforts and to facilitate the understanding and use of TfS processes. Coupled with these tools, the new

TfS website was launched.

The Asia Regional Operating Committee also focused on supplier engagement and trainings. The TfS WeChat concept

was rolled out and the platform went live in China in June 2016. Material is regularly uploaded and TfS members

use WeChat as a way to engage with their suppliers locally by, for example, sharing articles and best practices

on sustainability management and TfS tools.

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Annual Activity Report 11

4 TFS ACHIEVEMENTS 4.1 Assessments and Audits Since the start of the TfS initiative, the sustainability performance of 6,383 suppliers has been rated within the TfS

initiative based on EcoVadis assessments and 724 TfS audits have been conducted by means of the TfS Audit Program.

In 2016, 241 new TfS audits were conducted through the TfS Audit Program, and 1773 new supplier Assessments

done via EcoVadis.

4.2 TfS Communication and Events India Event

As part of TfS supplier engagement efforts, TfS held its annual conference in Mumbai, India, on September 20, 2016.

A wide-ranging audience of around 500 participants from suppliers and TfS member companies as well as local and

international associations, audit companies and experts attended.

The event featured presentations from key executives of participating companies as well as industry bodies like

the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Indian Chemical Council (ICC). Senior leaders also came together

for a media panel discussion on the theme of “Charting a sustainable ecosystem in the Indian chemical industry”.

The lively and interactive one-day conference received a lot of positive feedback from participants and stakeholders

and provided multiple follow up contacts.

Supplier Training Event

Through an official invitation from China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation (CPCIF), TfS held a supplier

training event in Shanghai on September 12, 2016. The training was held prior to the CPCIF annual conference,

and was geared towards strengthening awareness on sustainability along the supply chain in the region, and to

provide training and guidance on the two core parts of the TfS initiative.

With about 300 participants from suppliers and TfS member company representatives, the training aimed to achieve

a higher level of understanding amongst suppliers about the TfS initiative, the sustainability challenges and requirements

of the chemical supply chain, as well as practical guidance on how to use the EcoVadis platform, how to fill out the

assessment questionnaire and what to expect during a TfS audit.

New TfS website and Supplier Academy

In order to update latest developments and to better reach a global audience, TfS relaunched its website in 2016.

It contains an updated Supplier Academy feature, consisting of videos for suppliers to better engage in sustainability

efforts and to facilitate the understanding and use of TfS processes. The website now also contains a membership

section utilized for exchange among TfS members.

4.3 External recognition The Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) announced that TfS and EcoVadis won the 2016 SPLC Market

Transformation Leadership Award.

The SPLC Market Transformation Leadership Award recognizes a purchaser or collaboration whose work led to the

creation of a more sustainable ‘new normal’ in a specific market segment. Awards were selected by a jury of nine leaders

in procurement and sustainability from public and private organizations.

“The judges were very impressed by the case study submitted by EcoVadis and TfS;” commented Jason Pearson,

Executive Director of SPLC. “We believe that collaborative initiatives like TfS can play an important role in accelerating

market innovation, and we are pleased to recognize their success in evaluating and improving sustainability across

the chemical industry supply chain. Their work serves as a great example for other industries to follow.”

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12 Annual Activity Report

5 TFS EXTERNAL RELATIONS TfS is open to dialogue and cooperation with representatives from a range of organizations, in order to work jointly

on improving sustainability in the chemical supply chain. As the focus of TfS is on the supply chains of the chemical

industry, the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) and the regional Chemical Associations – ACC

for North America, CEFIC for Europe, CPCIF for China – as well as other regional and local Chemical Associations are

important stakeholders.

The China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation (CPCIF) and TfS signed a framework agreement to jointly pro-

mote and improve sustainability practices within supply chains in China. The agreement was officially signed at the

German Headquarters of Evonik Industries in Essen by Pang Guanglian, Vice Secretary-General and Head of International

Affairs of CPCIF, and Rüdiger Eberhard, CPO of Evonik Industries and President of TfS, on October 10, 2016.

This Agreement comes after regular, successful exchanges between the CPCIF and TfS geared towards the promo-

tion of supply chain sustainability in the chemical industry. In 2015, for example, TfS hosted a full day session

for representatives from chemical companies in China on TfS and topics of Supply Chain Sustainability at the annual

CPCIF Conference in Shanghai and Mr. Li Shousheng, Chairman of CPCIF, gave a key note speech at this event.

This was followed by joint supplier trainings in 2016 and will be further extended.

TfS’ cooperation with CEFIC is a strategic as well as a practical one: TfS supports Responsible Care by raising suppliers’

awareness concerning the international requirements and principles of the initiative in the area of its influence. Whilst

one of the membership criteria of TfS is a commitment to Responsible Care, the focus of TfS as an association is to

enable the upstream supply chain to also fulfil these principles, from sourcing of raw materials until delivery of products

at customers’ premises, including transport safety and waste disposal. Both programs – Responsible Care and TfS –

build on each other and complement each other.

In order to avoid duplication of audits, increase acceptance by suppliers and save resources, TfS and SQAS have

agreed to cooperate particularly on audits. (To avoid misunderstanding: in SQAS the word “assessment” has

the same meaning as the word “audit” in TfS – both describe an on-site evaluation of a supplier according to a

pre-defined questionnaire). The cooperation between SQAS and TfS is focused on the modules Transport Service

(covering Logistics Service Providers offering transportation) and Warehouse (warehousing to chemical companies).

Following the revision of the SQAS audit core questionnaire (update 1/04/2016), SQAS assessment reports can

be submitted by suppliers to TfS.

VCI (Verband der Chemischen Industry – German Chemical Industry Association) developed “Chemie3 – The

Sustainability Initiative of the German Chemical Industry”. Collaboration between the two initiatives was enhanced

through the start of a Pilot project on supplier sustainability. It was decided by the TfS Steering Committee in

September 2016 to move forward with this cooperation which would enable interested members of Chemie3

to use TfS tools for the sustainability evaluation of their suppliers. The Pilot Project will be rolled out in 2017.

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Annual Activity Report 13

6 OUTLOOK 2017 Vision 2020

From the initiation of TfS and the subsequent developmental phases it has gone through, TfS has matured significantly

as an initiative. To direct the growth and development envisaged, 2016 was also focused on the conceptualization

and planning of a mid-term business plan: TfS Vision 2020.

The project Vision 2020 of TfS shall align activities across work streams, define future focus, create action plans and

define resource needs. The overall purpose and vision of TfS remain unchanged.

The first part of TfS Vision 2020 will give priority to consolidation and stabilization in the running of the initiative,

as well as qualitative growth. During the second part, the focus will shift on maximizing influence and impact for TfS.

The detailed work packages and final approval of the Vision 2020 will be carried out in 2017.

Elections

The year 2017 will see the elections of the TfS Steering Committee and the TfS President, according to the TfS Articles

of Association. The elections will take place during the TfS General Assembly in 2017.

VCI – Chemie3 Pilot project

Following the start of the cooperation between Chemie3 and TfS, the Pilot Project for members of Chemie3 to use

TfS tools for the sustainability management of their suppliers will be rolled out in 2017. The first phase of the Project

will consist of equipping Chemie3 members with an understanding of sustainability and supplier management systems

as well as TfS tools through a series of workshops.

TfS Audits

TfS targets to update its Audit questionnaire and further improve cooperation with the pre-approved Audit companies

who carry out TfS Audits.

In line with efforts of harmonization, TfS started working with the support of ACC on extended recognition of the

Responsible Care audit and certificates; the RCMS and RC14001. Suppliers who possess such a certification will

be eligible for a shorter version of the TfS Audit, given the significant overlap between the TfS audit and the RCMS /

RC14001. The questions already covered by the RC audit will be considered positively covered by TfS, and only

the remaining questions will be evaluated. The TfS Short Audit will become available in 2017.

Regional Operating Committees

Following the full establishment of the Asia Regional Operating Committee, to increase global spread, Regional

Committees started being established in Brazil and the US. Following the TfS event in India, a local representative

as a link to the Asia team is also being established. The year 2017 will therefore see the development of the local

TfS Committees and an increased cross-collaboration amongst the global and regional Work Streams.

TfS events and Supplier Trainings:

After the success of the training conducted in China, which was considered very informative by the participants,

regional supplier trainings based on that model are to be repeated by TfS throughout 2017 in China (and potentially

other regions). TfS will be focusing its efforts on more varied and targeted events, e.g. face-to-face trainings and

webinars as well as round tables in several countries throughout 2017.

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THE CURRENT MEMBERS ARE

CONTACT

Rüdiger Eberhard

TfS President

Mrs. Gabriele Unger

General Manager TfS

Phone: +32 2792 7515

[email protected]

Bank Account

BNP Paribas Fortis

TOGETHER FOR SUSTAINABILITY AISBL

IBAN: BE33 0017 5100 0146

BIC: GEBABEBB

VAT/ TVA: BE 0589 936 479

Together for Sustainability aisbl (TfS)

Avenue E. van Nieuwenhuyse 4

B - 1160 Brussels

www.tfs-initiative.com

[email protected]