February 2007
The Electronics Industry Code of Conduct group consists of 26 companies that have come together in their common interest to improve working conditions and environmental stewardship throughout the electronics supply chain. This group supports a common “Code of Conduct” for electronics companies. The Code covers expectations for performance across a range of issues including labor, health & safety, environmental practices, ethics and management systems and is rapidly becoming the industry standard for social responsibility in the electronics sector. Through its board, steering committee and working groups, the group is developing the tools to implement the code, engaging with stakeholders as well as updating the Code from time-to-time.
We acknowledge that current conditions in the supply chain are not perfect and, in some cases, need improvement. The member companies are committed to making these improvements and meeting the high standards in the EICC. As a group, we believe that strong social responsibility and good business practices go hand-in-hand.
Our vision is that, through the global application of the Code, we will improve social, economic and environmental outcomes for all those involved in the electronics supply chain. This includes improved conditions for workers, increased efficiency and productivity for customers and suppliers, and a cleaner environment for local communities.
The mission of the EICC group is to deliver these benefits through a shared approach to implementation of the EICC. This approach will maximize the coverage of the Code and improve efficiency. By working together we can reduce duplication of effort and focus the saved resources on positive social and environmental change. Ultimately, our goal is to build awareness and capacity throughout the electronics supply chain to achieve consistently high standards of social and environmental responsibility.
Working with our partners in the Global e-Sustainability Initiative [GeSI], the group is creating and implementing a comprehensive set of tools and methods with the aim of ensuring the standards in the Code are upheld across the widest possible portion of the electronics supply chain. Specifically, we have developed a common questionnaire and audit process to assess conformance to the Code. In addition, we have launched a pilot initiative to jointly conduct audits of electronics manufacturers through third party auditors, the results of which are distributed to the individual customers of these firms. Joint audits will provide verification of conformance to the Code much more efficiently than each company auditing their suppliers independently.
All the information generated from the joint audits and the self-assessments will be housed in an information system we are building. When complete, this system will distribute the data to the members while protecting the confidentiality of vendor relationships. In this way, suppliers and customers will be able to work with the information as they would any other business-to-business interaction.
Auditing alone will not bring the sustainable improvements we seek. In addition to our joint audit program we are engaged in building the awareness and capabilities of key stakeholders of our supply chain so that, over time, Code conformance is the norm and exceptions are rare.
Throughout our short history as a group, the EICC has reached out to stakeholders to gather input on our mission and objectives. These dialogues have been critically important to our group and have provided key guidance that has helped shape our plans.
Going forward, we will continue to highlight our progress and work with stakeholders as we fulfill our mission of working together on implementation of the Code through the development and use of common tools and processes.
“When we started the EICC, in 2004 the founding companies realized that even though we all were coming from slightly different positions, we could achieve meaningful improvements efficiently by working together” said Brad Bennett Chairman of the EICC. “That willingness to focus on our common interests in social responsibility and not our differences is the heart of our coalition and the reason we continue to grow.”