Transparency Act
TRANSPARENCY & ETHICAL TRADE
At ITP Group, we believe that the time has come to evaluate ourselves. Conducting responsible and honest business has always been a core value and integrated part of the daily business practice at ITP Group. We are now ready to take the next step by concretizing our strategic focus on sustainability. As the world braces itself for an uncertain future and disruptive forces in everyday business, we believe, that a specified strategic focus is more important than ever before.
Are you in doubt of who ITP Group is or how our business activities may impact people or the environment? Then please read the frequently asked questions (FAQ) on this page. You may also find answers to your question(s) in our documents and reports below.
If you cannot find answers to your question or wish to know more about specific concerns – then do not hesitate to contact us.
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR INQUIRIES
For all inquiries concerning responsibility of our business activities and transparency, please use this e-mail:
info@itp-group.org
DOCUMENTS AND REPORTS
Report signed by our board concerning the work with sustainability due diligence. (In Norwegian)
Our strategic focus on responsible business is outlined in our Sustainability Report.
All our offices and subsidiaries at ITP Group follow the same policies.
All suppliers of ITP Group are obliged to accept, sign, and commit to our Supplier Code of Conduct.
A STRATEGIC FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY
ITP Group operates with both B2B and B2C relations, and with both collaborating suppliers and large clients. Our strategic partnerships demand a long-term commitment to ethical trade and a continuous dialogue concerning responsible business. In order to align our efforts towards sustainability, ITP Group (ITP Group AS and subsidaries) is working towards one sustainability strategy. Moreover, we utilize a common internal service platform, which enables a company-wide focus on common goals. Our focus on sustainability is reflected in the key ethical trade areas of concern, outlined in the illustration below.
Our customers rely on us to deliver high-quality services while maintaining social and environmental standards. Our presence in the area of production and our close supplier relations are key to delivering these demands.
OUR AMBITIONS
ITP Group recognizes that business practices have the potential to cause harm to people, society, and the environment. To diminish these risks, we adhere to the principles and criteria stated in our Policy for responsible business conduct. Furthermore, we also see the potential to contribute to positive development both upstream and downstream in our value chain in the years to follow.
RESPONSIBLE PURCHASING PRACTICES
ITP Group considers responsible purchasing practices as a crucial component of our commitment to responsible business conduct. We will adapt our purchasing policies to strengthen, and not undermine, the ability of our suppliers to deliver on our requirements related to people, society, and the environment. We strive towards establishing enduring partnerships with suppliers who demonstrate a particular willingness and strong commitment to positive developments in their operations and the supply chain.
SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS
At ITP Group, we recognize that responsible business conduct depends on the collective efforts of all parties involved in our supply chain. We, therefore, understand that some suppliers may require additional resources or capacity building to meet our requirements for responsible business conduct. That being the case, we prioritize partnering with suppliers that demonstrate the willingness and efforts to reduce the risk of negative impacts on people, society, and the environment.
DEVELOPMENT THROUGH SUSTAINABILITY DUE DILIGENCE
ITP Group is committed to conducting annual sustainability due diligence for responsible business conduct. This includes conducting risk assessments to identify potential negative impacts on people, society, and the environment. We prioritize stopping, preventing, and reducing such negative impacts through customized action plans. The measures put in place must be monitored and their effect evaluated. Moreover, the measures are communicated to those affected by our actions. If our operations are found to cause or contribute to negative impacts, we will take immediate action to remedy the situation in accordance with our remediation action plan. In cases where our suppliers are responsible for such impacts, we will provide guidance and support to help them address the issue.
FAQ
ITP Group AS and subsidaries, hereinafter referred to as ITP Group, is a Norwegian company with several regional offices. ITP Group is, moreover, an investment platform. We develop own brands, offer “supply chain management (SCM)”, and “manufacturing as a service” for the retail industry. If you want to know more about ITP Group, our activities, and our strategic focus on responsible trade, then read more in our Sustainability Report.
Our key stakeholders are our clients, collaborating suppliers, our employees, the Board, civil society, and the authorities. We are determined to create value for our stakeholders without doing harm or affecting people or the environment in a negative way. With the following approach we aim to create most value both for and together with our stakeholders.
We are ISO 9001 certified by DNV GL, which means that our project managers follow an international accepted quality management system with set procedures for documentation and handling of all our projects in Asia. We follow the ISO 9000 standards to ensure high quality products and customer satisfaction as well as the documentation and experience needed for future development.
Within our internal compliance database of collaborating suppliers, we keep track of all the information, reports, and certifications gathered from the suppliers. Our risk conduct and the measures that are put in place (as a part of our due diligence procedure), are constantly monitored and evaluated. We have found that our geographical presence in the countries of production is a strength to the company. Not only do we have easy access to the production sites of our suppliers, but also talented local staff, that have an ongoing dialogue with the suppliers and workers without being limited by cultural or language barriers.
We expect our suppliers and partners to work focused and systematically to comply with our guidelines for suppliers, hereunder our code of conduct, that covers fundamental requirements on human rights, labor rights, anti-corruption, animal welfare, and the environment. Our suppliers shall:
- Follow our guidelines for Supplier Code of Conduct.
- Conduct due diligence for responsible business conduct. This involves; conducting risk assessments to identify potential negative impact on people, society, and the environment and to stop, prevent and reduce such impact. The measures put in place must be monitored and their effect evaluated. The measures taken must be communicated to those affected by your actions. If the supplier is responsible for the negative impact/damage, they are responsible for providing remedy.
- Show willingness and ability to continuous improvement for people, society, and the environment through collaboration.
- At the request of ITP Group, be able to document how they, and potential subcontractors, work to comply with the guidelines.
The principles for responsible business conduct outlined in our Supplier Code of Conduct are based on UN and ILO conventions and provide minimum, not maximum standards. Our Supplier Code of Conduct addresses:
- Forced and compulsory labor (ILO Conventions Nos. 29 and 105)
- Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining (ILO Conventions Nos. 87, 98, 135 and 154)
- Child Labor (UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ILO Conventions Nos. 138, 182 and 79, and ILO Recommendation No. 146)
- Discrimination (ILO Conventions Nos. 100 and 111 and the UN Convention on Discrimination Against Women)
- Harsh or Inhumane Treatment (UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Art. 7)
- Health and Safety (ILO Convention No. 155 and ILO Recommendation No. 164)
- Wages (ILO Convention No. 131)
- Working Hours (ILO Convention No. 1 and 14)
- Regular Employment (ILO Convention No. 95, 158, 175, 177 and 181)
- Marginalized Populations (UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, art. 1 and 2)
- Environmental impact
- Corruption
- Animal welfare
Read more about the specific concerns in our Supplier Code of Conduct.
ITP Group shall conduct due diligence for responsible business conduct, and we follow the OECD guidance on sustainability due diligence. This involves conducting risk assessments to identify the potential negative impact on people, society, and the environment, and to stop, prevent and reduce such impact. The measures put in place are monitored and their effect evaluated. The measures are communicated to those affected by our actions. If our activities are found to cause or contribute to negative impact on people, society, or the environment, we will stop the activities and seek to provide remedy. You can read about our main findings in our Sustainability Report.
In dialogue with suppliers we will consider, if needed, contributions with capacity building or resources that enable our suppliers to comply with ITP Group’s requirements related to responsible business conduct. In this way we lay the foundation for collaboration with suppliers that show the willingness and ability to work on positive development for people, society, and the environment in the supply chain. Moreover, we invest in sustainable supplier development (SSD) projects to help suppliers grow and improve together with us.
FAQ
ITP Group considers responsible purchasing practices to be one of our most important tools for responsible business conduct. ITP Group shall adapt our purchasing practices to strengthen, and not undermine, our suppliers’ ability to deliver on our requirements related to people, society, and the environment. We strive towards lasting supplier relationships with suppliers who show a particular willingness and ability to create positive developments in the supply chain.
ITP Group has whistleblower channels for employees and our individuals working on the production sites of our suppliers. We use dialogue with employees of our suppliers to overcome barriers for speaking up or fear of using use our whistleblower channels. Our compliance staff makes sure that contact information to ITP Group is always available and visible to employees on production sites e.g., on visible printed posters.
We celebrate both diversity and gender equality at ITP Group. The diversity calculation of our top management shows an overrepresentation of women, as 7 out of the 12 top managers are women. For team managers and team members in the company there is a small majority of men resulting in the fact that 43% of our employees are women and 57% are men. We are proud of the diversity reflected among our employees, and value all the different skills they bring to our team.
We operate as a strategic partner that links between clients and suppliers and facilitate large-scale production. For this reason, we know that acting responsible involves considerations of human rights, labor rights, health, and safety of the many individuals employed by our collaborating suppliers. As presented in our Sustainability Report our collaborations rely on respect and compliance with our policies and Supplier Code of Conduct. Our policies and Supplier Code of Conduct is based on ILO conventions and frameworks from the UN and OECD. The policies follow the applied law, and the design and formulation of our policies are developed through guidance from Ethical Trade Norway.
It is important for us to track, measure, and map salient issues during our daily business. In our internal compliance database, we track measure and register areas for improvement regarding safety and health, working conditions, or other areas related to our policies. ITP Group does not accept any large issues that have a negative impact on people.
At ITP Group, we are dedicated to minimizing our environmental impact. With our strategic focus on sustainability, we widen our perspective and strive to be even more focused on decarbonization, and other activities which can help us in our role to reduce any negative impact on environment. We have identified potential risk towards environmental impact in different areas of our business conduct such as packaging, transportation, product design. This is addressed in our Sustainability Report.
As a part of our sustainability due diligence, we have outlined procedures for remediation. Even though we have a strategic focus on conducting continuous risk assessment and preventing risks through sustainable supplier development (SSD) projects, we cannot avoid the risks of salient incidents where remediation may be needed.
We have improved the possibilities of contacting ITP Group with potential inquiries. We have continued our work on securing whistleblower channels for individuals working for suppliers. We have updated this website with correct contact information regarding sustainability and compliance inquiries to make sure that the messages reach the employees responsible hereof. Furthermore, we are working on informing clients about our work and encourage them to use feedback mechanisms.
To ensure that potential processes of remediation are handled correctly, we have formulated a process description for remediation. Even though core violation to our supplier code of conduct is uncommon, we find it important to state process guidelines to ensure immediate enactment.
In line with the applicable law, we include anti-corruption in our policies. Corruption in any form is not accepted, including bribery, extortion, kickbacks and improper private or professional benefits to customers, agents, contractors, suppliers, or employees of any such party or government officials. ITP Group, including all employees, shall never offer or receive illegal or inappropriate monetary gifts or other remuneration to achieve private or business benefits in their own interest or in the interest of customers, agents, or suppliers.
ITP Group supports the right to freedom of association and other forms of democratically elected worker representation. We shall involve worker representatives and other relevant stakeholders in our work with responsible business conduct. You can read about how we support and inform suppliers about this subject in our Sustainability Report.