Supply Chain Sustainability Policy

In an era where corporate responsibility and sustainability are at the forefront of business operations, Telefónica underlines the Group’s unwavering commitment to ethical and responsible business practices throughout its supply chain in the third edition of its “Supply Chain Sustainability Policy“. With this supplier code of ethics, Telefónica aims to ensure that every link in its supply chain operates with the utmost respect for legal, ethical, social, environmental, and privacy standards. The ‘Supply Chain Sustainability Policy’ is applicable across all companies within the Telefónica Group.

General principles of action

Telefónica is deeply committed to upholding the highest standards of rigour, objectivity, transparency, and professionalism in its interactions with suppliers. These key principles include:

• Acting ethically and responsibly at all times.
• Honouring commitments made to suppliers.
• Promoting transparency in procurement management, especially during negotiations and decision-making processes.
• Avoiding any actions that could be perceived as dishonest, such as conflicts of interest or actions that unfairly benefit the company.
• Ensuring equal opportunities for all suppliers involved in a procurement process, with decisions based on objective criteria.
• Fostering a culture of sustainable business among suppliers.
• Work with suppliers to ensure compliance with minimum responsible business criteria and encourage a process of continuous improvement.
• Evaluating compliance to these standards through independent supervision and/or verification, which may include information from the supplier or on-site audits.

Telefónica’s dedication to these principles underscores its commitment to supply chain sustainability, ensuring that every step in the supply chain aligns with the company’s values and standards.

Minimum standards for sustainable business

Telefónica’s ‘Supply Chain Sustainability Policy’ outlines the minimum standards for sustainable business that all suppliers must adhere to. These standards encompass:

• Respect for the Law: Suppliers must comply with all applicable international, national, and local regulations. These higher standards must be applied where Telefónica’s standards exceed the law.
• Ethical and Responsible Criteria: Telefónica expects its suppliers to combat any form of corruption, including bribery and undue influence. Suppliers should act ethically and responsibly in all their dealings.
• Social Criteria: This includes aspects to be complied with concerning the employment relationship, working hours, wages and freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining. Suppliers will also ensure that there is no child labour in their business and in their own supply chain. Telefónica’s policy also stresses the importance of diversity, inclusion and non-discrimination. Similarly, suppliers must provide their employees with a safe working environment.
• Environmental Criteria: Suppliers must adhere to all environmental laws, especially those concerning waste, energy, emissions, and resource consumption. They should consider the entire life cycle of their products and services, from raw material extraction to waste management. Moreover, suppliers should have an environmental policy in place and operate an environmental management system. Preferably aligned with ISO 14001 or similar standards. Furthermore, actions to mitigate climate change, promote energy efficiency, and support renewable energy initiatives are also emphasised.
• Criteria for Privacy, Confidentiality, and Freedom of Speech: The supplier will inform as to whether it has a policy that includes privacy principles reflecting its commitment to protecting the personal data entrusted to it. The supplier must sign a Personal Data Protection Agreement containing the commitments it assumes as the data processor in relation to the processing of the data for which Telefónica is responsible, all in accordance with the applicable data protection regulations.

Within the framework of Telefónica’s Supply Chain Sustainability Policy, there is a strong emphasis on the paramount importance of privacy, data protection, and freedom of speech. As a result, suppliers must safeguard personal data, ensuring it aligns with both global standards and Telefónica’s specific directives. For a comprehensive understanding, please read the full document in the link provided below: