Suppliers

We work with suppliers across a wide range of industries to purchase the goods and services needed by our business. We expect our suppliers to maintain environmental and social standards in their daily business conduct and to comply with our Purchasing Ethics. Our Sustainable Supplier Questionnaire for Corporate Procurement enables us to include environmental and social concerns into our supplier selection and purchasing decisions.

However, whilst not insignificant, our Corporate Procurement spend is very small when compared with our customers’ claims spend. Therefore, the opportunity to influence our Claims supply chain to be more sustainable is huge – and by doing so, we can gain even greater savings.

We are working with our Claims supply chain and, in particular, our approved repairer network to raise environmental standards. In 2010, we invited these suppliers to a series of “roadshows” around the UK.The roadshows updated them on how we are responding to changes in the industry; our plans and strategy; and our CSR and climate change initiatives. In particular, we focused on the importance of reducing energy consumption and waste generation in the claims process by repairing, rather than replacing insured assets, wherever feasible.