OUR PRIMARY FOCUS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Under SDG 12 the work specifically focuses on targets;

• 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.

• 12.4 By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimise their adverse impacts on human health and the environment.

• 12.5 By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.

• 12.6 Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle.

• 12.7 Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities.

We recognize the need to accelerate the shift to a circular economy. The Earth’s resources are limited, and waste is a major concern. We do recognise that at end of life, our products are in hard-to-getto areas, with end-customers that are not equipped to collect the materials and/or dispose of them. The ongoing work for building reliable partnerships at the end-of-life is a key challenge for us in the coming years.

Circularity is a big wish for us. We develop partnerships with local suppliers that can support us lower our resource usage and energy needs. But to make full circularity of our products possible we need to work on recycling solutions together with our clients. That is the next big challenge.

Frank Merks Head of Design, Product Development and Engineering NRS Relief

At Sheikh Noor-ud-Din & Sons (HSNDS), great efforts have been put on reducing the water consumption in the production cycle and recycle as much water possible. Positive progress continues in waste management (relevant numbers can be seen in the Appendix).

Waste materials Waste recycling

Bags produced from recycled materials

• We target zero waste. To this aim, we reuse and repurpose whenever possible. Ongoing initiatives aim at repurposing small amount of waste, i.e., the tent tote bag (polycotton off-cuts from the production of family tents are utilised for bags).

• We design products for less waste. For example, we procure aluminium tubes and profiles which are already cut to size for our storage shelters (MSU). And we procure locally produced steel pipes and sheets to reduce transportation distances and to empower the local economy.

Under SDG 8 the work specifically focuses on targets;

• 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.

• 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms.

• 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment.

Under SDG 5 the work specifically focuses on targets;

• 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.

• 5.3: Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

• 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life.

• 5.c: Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.

Under SDG 17 the work specifically focuses on targets;

• 17.16: Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilise and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in all countries, in particular developing countries.

Goal 8 is both an internal effort to ensure decent work opportunities for our existing employees, but certainly also an external exercise in making our partnering companies adhere to the 10 Principles and creating inclusive workplaces with a diverse workforce and fair pay.

Culture pays a significant hinderance to gender equality, and therefore we purposefully communicate and operate to be inclusive of empowered women in our offices and factory. During COVID-19’s first years, it was evident that it was harder for women to focus on both ensuring wellbeing in their families and partaking in the workforce.

Operating in an ever-changing multistakeholder global setting, we build strong and agile partnerships with clients and stakeholders in the countries where our products are distributed. Having the same mindset for sustainable development, hereunder upholding the 10 Principles, we strengthen collaborations to foster sustainable manufacturing and innovation.