Corporate Social - Kiwa

Review 2019-2020

Corporate Social ResponsibilityOur ambitions, accomplishments and actions

CSR is at Kiwa’s core

Our CSR Route 2022

2 General Principles

4 Focal Points

Our internal CSR organization

CSR achievements in 2019 and 2020

See some examples of what Kiwa colleagues

around the world did to give meaning to

‘responsibility’ throughout this Review.

CSR stories from around Kiwa

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CLICK!

Corporate Social Responsibility, or CSR, belongs to Kiwa’s core.

Our quality declarations, tests and inspections make the world

a little bit more safe, sustainable and of better quality. At the

same time, we sustainably develop ourselves and our business

beyond country borders. CSR indeed links all Kiwa companies

worldwide, as became apparent over the last few years and

ever more visible in 2019.

We ARE Kiwa, a global leader in Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC). We operate at the heart of society: our aim is to create trust in people’s health and safety at work and at home. Our purpose is to contribute to making products, processes, organisations, living and working environments as clean, healthy, safe and sustainable as possible. In doing so, we create trust, transparency and a level playing field for all parties involved, both private and public. For Kiwa and all of its employees, fulfilling Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) means embodying these principles as corporate citizens in all that we do and to respond to the trust society places in us. Thus, we aim to improve and sustainably develop society, both globally and locally for the benefit of all.

Kiwa’s Corporate CSR statement

Paul Hesselink, CEO Kiwa

CSR is at Kiwa’s core

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Paul Hesselink, CEO Kiwa

Creating trust and transparency for society

Kiwa’s TIC services provide transparent information on the quality, health, safety and sustainability of a wide variety of products, processes, services, persons, systems and organisations. We do so through independent testing, inspection and certification (TIC) strengthened by training, consultancy and data services. In itself, these services add to people’s safety and health, both at work and at home, and in general to a safer, healthier, more sustainable world in which quality assurance and verification brings transparency. In many cases, our role originates from a governmental mandate in sectors including gas, energy, drinking water and construction or production safety.

We offer these services for: governmental bodies that make and enforce

rules and regulations and define acceptable levels of quality, safety and health;

public utilities and service organisations that (continuously) supply gas, electricity and water, provide healthcare and education and ensure our food is safe;

the industrial sector that supplies goods, products, installations and services and aims for improvement and innovation on a level playing field open for all;

the (end) user that wants to be confident that what he or she uses or consumes is reliable and safe, so he or she is able to choose quality based upon independent judgement.

Over the past decades, a wealth of companies offering services in a broad range of markets have grown into Kiwa as it stands today: Ambitious, Reliable and Engaged (‘We ARE Kiwa’). We create trust for society at large. All in all, about 70% of our revenues directly relate to CSR.

Kiwa PCS’s CSR Champion Amy

Lipyeart has introduced the

recycling of old tech equipment to the

office. Kiwa PCS, located in Aylesbury,

UK, specializes in the international Type Approval

of wireless communication, ITE and electrical and

electronic domestic and commercial use products.

By subscribing to Tech Cycle, all of the company’s

old IT and electrical items are collected free of

charge (laptops and monitors, servers, UPS’s, server

cabinets, cables, printers, photocopiers, cameras,

mobile phones). Any hard drives are wiped or

destroyed to protect our data security.

Comments Amy: “This service allows us to dispose

of our old equipment in a responsible way, complying

with current environmental legislation, notably the

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive

or WEEE. And of course, it also feels good to be

able to help others – some of the IT equipment is

refurbished and given to charitable organisations

or schools that are struggling with out of date

equipment. Plus, it helps to keep our office tidy!”

CSR

For us, our core business alone is not enough when it comes to CSR. We aim for more.

That’s why we have formulated CSR ambitions that are aligned with our high-level business goals.

Our CSR Route 2022

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The basis: CSR Route 2022

In 2018, Kiwa Route 2022 set goals and ambitions for Kiwa’s development over that five-year period. In 2019, we introduced Kiwa CSR Route 2022, setting CSR ambitions and goals that cover the same period and support Kiwa’s growth and expansion. As such, we have set attainable, measurable goals for Kiwa on a global scale. These goals have been further enriched and practically elaborated; furthermore, they have a PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) approach, including continuous monitoring and improvement. They look ahead to 2022 when deciding on how we’ll bring CSR into practice at Kiwa. Several general principles apply to Kiwa Group as a whole; additionally, Kiwa countries may decide for themselves which focal point(s) fit their local CSR ambitions.

Aligned to United Nations’ SDGs

We highly value that our CSR ambitions and goals should also be related and aligned to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (or SDGs), “the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all by 2030. The SDGs address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice.” These 17 goals provide a framework to which CSR efforts can be aligned. As an international company committed to good citizenship, we want to include the SDGs in our efforts.

Various offices in the

Netherlands have

partnerships with

foundations aiming to link

volunteers to people facing

poverty, health issues or

social isolation.

For example, together with a foundation

called Stichting Present, our colleagues at Kiwa in

Apeldoorn set up a dinner with and for refugees

from the local asylum center. The event was held just

before Christmas. Two professional chefs, one from

Syria and one from Pakistan, plus two assistants,

used the office’s kitchen facilities to prepare a

delicious meal while colleagues shared some drinks

with people from Iran, Turkey, Yemen, Eritrea and

other countries. “We heard some remarkable stories

about what these people have been through”,

says colleague Lee Dorland. “All in all, we had

about a dozen colleagues and an equal number of

people from abroad who have gotten to know and

understand each other a little better.”

In 2019, we introduced a new Kiwa Code of Conduct and Compliance (as a successor of a former Code of Conduct). Anyone doing business with Kiwa, as well as any other stakeholder, including Kiwa employees, must not have any doubts about our integrity, fairness, proper behaviour and independent judgement. In other words: being a leader in quality and reliability also includes compliance and living up to proper conduct and a high moral standard. That is why we work according to a Code of Conduct and Compliance framework, consisting of interconnected regulations and guidelines in the fields of Legal, HR and Quality.

It is a frame of mind for employees and an 8-fold statement towards all Kiwa stakeholders. It’s about acting professionally and doing business with integrity. About upholding our clients’ reputations as well as our own. About treating people and the environment honestly and with respect. About working together and considering the ethical dimensions of our actions. Thus, it sets out the basic principles that guide our activities and the activities of the parties we work closely together with.

In line with our Code of Conduct and Compliance

Integrity Conflicts of Interest

CompetenceConfidentiality and Data Protection

Anti-briberyFair Business Conduct

Fair Labour and Ethical Behaviour

Health and Safety

Linked to the Kiwa brand

While developing our CSR strategy, we also develop and enrich the Kiwa brand. Stakeholders should relate Kiwa to trust and quality; Kiwa creates trust for customers, shareholders, Kiwa employees and societies. The ‘We create trust’ adage also applies to CSR. In 2019, we continued propagating one clear ‘Kiwa story’ based on the ‘We create trust’ slogan to show how Kiwa is and can be a true Partner for Progress for all stakeholders, inviting them to team up with Kiwa when developing CSR initiatives.

2 General Principles

There are a lot of ways to express Corporate Social

Responsibility. We’ve chosen two general principles

that each Kiwa location around the globe should

be able to reach over time. These two complement

each other.

Reaching Level 3 of the CSR Performance Ladder

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level

level

level

level

3Ambition level

General Principle 1

Adhering to 2 UN SDGsas ambition beyond Level 3of CSR Performance Ladder

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General Principle 2

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CSR PERFORMANCE

LADDER

Level 3 of CSR Performance Ladder

Reaching Level 3 of the CSR Performance Ladder

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level

level

level

level

3Ambition level

2015 Belgium

2015 The Netherlands

2016 Germany

2016 Sweden

2017 Spain

2018 Finland

2018 United Kingdom

2018 Italy

2019 Norway

2019 Turkey

Certified Kiwa countries

Each Kiwa office and ultimately every Kiwa country should be externally audited and certified according to Level 3 of the CSR Performance Ladder. In 2022, 80% of our turnover will be realized in offices certified according to Level 3 of the CSR Performance Ladder.

The CSR Performance Ladder provides objective evidence of the extent to which Kiwa has a CSR management system in place. In it, objectives and results with regard to stakeholder requirements and expectations are managed on the basis of indicators. These 33 indicators cover the fields of People, Environment and Communities. A system of internal auditing has been set up; a fellow certification institution audits Kiwa externally. The CSR Performance Ladder thus forms the foundation of our CSR efforts. A major part of offices already have been certified; others will follow over the next few years.

General Principle 1

“There are several deprived indigenous communities

around our city”, says Lorena Patiño, who works at our

Kiwa office in Riobamba, Ecuador. “As a company we

wanted to contribute to make these people’s Christmas a bit

happier. Therefore, Kiwa Ecuador donated food and candy to three deprived

indigenous communities. Employees contributed 20% of the total amount.

A group of colleagues visited and delivered the donation, which felt

heartwarming.”

Offices and/or countries that have implemented CSR thoroughly, have reached Level 3 of the CSR Performance Ladder and have been certified according to it, are challenged to choose and elaborate on the UN’s SDG Goals or Targets to act on locally.


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United Nations SDG Targets

The United Nations have introduced 17 Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, as “the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all by 2030. These SDGs address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice.”

General Principle 2

These 17 Goals are huge in itself. Still, awareness of their importance is growing, as is the number of companies using them to streamline their CSR efforts. But awareness is not enough. The Goals should have impact by contribution.

At Kiwa, we want to realize impact by focusing on SDG Goals or Targets. Each SDG consist of several targets, which serve as ‘sub-goals’. Once a Kiwa location has reached Level 3 of the CSR Performance Ladder, new challenges should be accepted. The SDG Goals or Targets can be used to decide upon for a country, location, team or perhaps even an individual. They should be chosen to focus on over the next couple of years towards 2022, including plans, reports and evaluations.


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United Nations SDG Targets

General Principle 2

Over the last two years, a review of energy and water use at Kiwa

UK’s Head Office and laboratory in Cheltenham has been undertaken

using a monitoring dashboard. A monitoring system and the dashboard

allow people to view real-time information on energy consumption and

providing a detailed breakdown of where energy is being used in the building.

Over time, changes have been made to the site to make efficiency savings.

Also, areas have been identified to target in future to make energy and water

consumption reductions, including the performance of the air-conditioning,

energy use when the building is not occupied and laboratory improvements to

ensure efficiency savings are maintained. In the meantime, the same kind of

monitoring has been implemented in other laboratories at Kiwa UK to identify

other areas for energy savings to be made.

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4 Focal Points

We aim for most Kiwa locations to be certified

according to Level 3 of the CSR Performance

Ladder by 2022. Within this first General Principle,

we have formulated four Focal Points for Kiwa

countries and locations once they have been

certified.

Reducing our CO2 footprint


1 2

Improving employee health and satisfaction


Intensifying stakeholder voice in relation to our CSR e�orts

Enlarging the impact of our services on sustainability

Intensifying stakeholdervoice in relation to our CSR efforts


3 4

energy usage reduction (buildings and mobility) per year per FTE1%

countries purchase green electricity 4of cars in lease fleet have energy label A or B75%

reduction in mileage related to business travel5%

CO2 footprint reduction per FTE*20%

* Compared to 2015 or compared to the first year for which CO2 footprint data is available

2022

CO2 footprint – an indication of a company’s or individual’s total CO2 emissions during a year – is one of the world’s most used indicators for sustainability. It is also an indicator within the CSR Performance Ladder framework. A large part of global CO2 emissions are the result of burning fossil fuels for energy usage and burning waste. Kiwa therefore aims to reduce its CO2 footprint considerably.



Raoul Mancke, team leader of sustainability at Kiwa

Germany in Berlin: “We offer various products

in the field of sustainability, including Life Cycle

Assessment, Environmental Product Declaration,

Carbon Footprints and Sustainability Certification

Schemes such as the Concrete Sustainability Council.

Together with three partners, we also developed

a sustainability standard for the food sector. It is a

proactive initiative to push the efforts of companies

focusing on sustainability aspects of supply chain

management. We are currently working on extending

this standard to other industries such as the metal

industry.”

One example currently in progress is Alnatura,

a very well-known and widespread organic

supermarket in Germany. The company

started by selling organic products in

conventional supermarkets and now they

have their own stores. Our German

colleagues work with them to develop

a certification standard, which will be

rolled out in the foreseeable future.

1FOCAL POINT

In October 2019, our colleagues

colleagues of Kiwa’s

Valencia office moved to a

new location. They took the

opportunity to donate old furniture

and tools to the NGO ‘Alanna’ Asociation, which

develops social and educational programs oriented to

help socially vulnerable people.

Kiwa colleagues are the company’s most valuable asset. We’ll have to recruit new colleagues and we’ll have to make sure employees stick to the company. We therefore aim to increase wellbeing among Kiwa colleagues by investing in improvements in working conditions and personal development. The international Kiwa Employee Experience Survey (KEES) by the corporate HR department is the most important indicator for employees’ satisfaction with our company.


overall average Kiwa Employee Experience Survey (KEES) score 7.5

KEES result for country 7.0

balanced representation of women in total number of employees 40%

balanced representation of women in management positions 30%

up-to-date HSE/RI and action plan


2022

2FOCAL POINT

In June 2019, colleagues from various

Kiwa Spain locations planted two

hundred indigenous tree species in

the Arboretum of the town of Sinarcas,

Valencia. It was a collaboration with the NGO

‘Reforesta’ and the Sinarcas Town Hall.

CSR ambitions never stand on their own. Kiwa is part of (local) society, positioned in between many stakeholders - from customers to shareholders, from neighbors to colleagues. Our own CSR ambitions therefore have to take the voice and satisfaction of stakeholders into account: what do they expect from us, and how do they rate what we do?

Intensifying stakeholder voice in relation to our CSR efforts

2022

CSR part of Customer Relationship Management

CSR meetings for customers

country < 200 FTE

at leastper year1

country ≥ 200 and < 1,000 FTE

at leastper year2

country ≥ 1,000 FTE

at leastper year3

Intensifying stakeholder voice in relation to our CSR e�orts

3FOCAL POINT

Last December, our Turkish

colleagues set up a

project to donate clothes,

shoes, books and toys to

children living in a village

in Batman, a province in

eastern Turkey. It was very

enjoyable to see the smiles on

the children’s faces and to make

a difference. The project continues in

2020.

Kiwa aims to improve the ‘greenness’ of its products and services to make them (more) sustainable – in other words: we add sustainability indicators to them. In order to convince societies to ‘greenify’ by using these services, we aim to visualize their level of sustainability.


2022


Label services to an independent Corporate Sustainability Indicator (under development)

country < 200 FTE

at leastper year1

country ≥ 200 and < 1,000 FTE

at leastper year2

country ≥ 1,000 FTE

at leastper year3

Development of sustainable service(s)

4FOCAL POINT

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To ensure ambitions and goals are set and met, Kiwa’s

internal CSR organisation covers three organisational

levels, a system of internal audits, and a stakeholder

voice recognition plan. All together, they help us to

reach what we aim for.

Our internal CSR organization

LEVEL 1

Corporate CSR Council Since 2017, Kiwa has an international CSR Council covering all Kiwa countries that have offices and labs certified to the CSR PerformanceLadder Level 3. Members of the CSR Council are CSR coordinators from participating countries. The CSR Council’s main responsibility is to ensure Kiwa’s CSR strategy is set, followed, reported and evaluated. As such, its members discuss CSR related issues, set actions, and inspire Kiwa office and lab locations globally to embrace our corporate CSR policy.

LEVEL 2

CSR Quality PlatformsOn a national level, so-called Quality Platforms (QPs) have been set up, mainly in larger Kiwa countries like the Netherlands, Germany and the UK. Their role is twofold: they ‘translate’ CSR Council and corporate CSR issues into national policies and they represent and advise local CSR workgroups from their respective countries. As such, they ensure that Kiwa’s corporate CSR principles and more local initiatives are aligned. QPs are also responsible for regular reporting (to the CSR Council) about their efforts related to the CSR strategy.

LEVEL 3

CSR workgroupsLocally, with the corporate and national CSR policies in mind, CSR workgroups per Kiwa location unfold their own CSR-related projects to create awareness among colleagues and in local society. These groups represent all disciplines in their locations, the participants meet quarterly (or more often when needed), they are the ‘eyes and ears’, communicate about local CSR efforts and make sure activities can go on.

LEVEL 1

LEVEL 2

LEVEL 3

CSR Council

Local workgroup

Local workgroup

Local workgroup

CSR QP CSR QP

External audit

In February, 2020, auditors from our fellow certification institution DNV-GL conducted Kiwa’s first follow-up audit against the CSR Performance Ladder Level 3. From a total of 17 already certified locations and 4 new locations, they took a sample of 8: 5 existing, 3 new, to be assessed and controlled via on-site and remote audits and document reviews. The result of the audit was satisfactory: apart from two minor non-conformities and a handful of observations, Kiwa proved to be compliant with the requirements. The certificate was handed to us in May, 2019 and is valid until May, 2022.

Says Eugène den Elzen of the Corporate Quality department, one of the team members who prepared the audits and accompanied the auditors: “I believe we can be proud of the results we booked here. The DNV team has seen many, many positive elements in our approach of CSR across countries. We now have a renewed certificate which is valid until halfway 2022. The entire CSR team worked very hard to achieve this fine result. We’ve taken another step forward in reaching our ambition of being a sustainable Kiwa organization.”

CSR Performance Ladder Level 3 certification at Kiwa now covers the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Finland, the UK and Turkey with Kiwa offices in Oslo (Norway), Istanbul (Turkey) and San Vendemiano (Italy) having been newly added to the certificate.

Internal audits

Kiwa’s corporate CSR Internal Audit programme is part of the regular annual internal auditing cycle. In general, the CSR internal audits in 2019 took place according to planning. Certified locations proved to comply to the CSR Performance Ladder; new countries and locations proved to be ready for certification. All in all, the internal audits are contributing to the fulfillment of Kiwa’s CSR strategy within the scheme requirements of the CSR Performance ladder level 3.

Over 2019, stakeholders prove to be satisfied with Kiwa’s CSR efforts. During regular interviews with stakeholders, such as customers and suppliers, a checklist containing Kiwa’s CSR goals for 2019 was used to loosen tongues about CSR. Their expectations proved to be reasonable and in line with Kiwa’s corporate focal points. In general, stakeholders are eager to cooperate with Kiwa when it comes to Corporate Social Responsibility.

They also shared suggestions for improvement, which include: that we should participate in local (national or

regional) CSR-related projects; that we could communicate more often about

the local initiatives we are involved in and the social impact we create, as well as about our policy and the results we book;

that we should provide clarity on the CSR networks we are involved in; that we should incorporate the

United Nations’ SDGs in our CSR policy; that collaboration with partners in our supply

chain is a must; that we could be more aware of opportunities

to boost circularity.

One important note remains: the number of stakeholder interviews in which CSR was a subject was noticeably smaller than in previous years. We intend to raise the amount of interviews considerably in 2020 and beyond.

Stakeholder interviews and analysis

In Finland, over 300 customers and other

stakeholders were present at a Kiwa event

about Corporate Social Responsibility. The event

hosted knowledge sessions and presentations by

sustainability experts including Lidl’s Sustainability

Manager, Maija Järvinen, Carbon Neutral Circular

Economy Theme Leader, Mari Pantsar from Sitra

and non-fiction writer and entrepreneur

Niina Ratsula. Main topic was how to

communicate responsibility, both

to the outside world and through

company culture.

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CSR achievements in 2019 and 2020

Corporate

Sustainability has been made part of Kiwa’s purchasing criteria on a global level.

Four working groups have been established that each dived into one of Kiwa’s Focal Points to make them more practical.

Kiwa is a Company Ambassador for Oxfam Novib, a branch of the international NGO Oxfam, which fights poverty all over the world. For example, through microcredits and education to people setting up their own small-scale businesses.

Belgium

Cooperation with other organizations in the shared office building where Kiwa Belgium is headquartered to optimize energy and water use, safety, environmental impact and satisfaction of employees.

Colleagues are working on a Green Car policy to help lower CO2 emissions.

All colleagues followed an e-learning module to train their energy efficient behavior at work.

98% of employees drive electric or hybrid (company) cars and all have been trained in eco-driving.

Kiwa Sweden climate-compensates all airplane travel.

Finland

Sweden

Germany

All German office locations operate a waste separation program.

Spain

Kiwa Spain headquarters now occupies a new, energy-efficient building which considerably reduces power consumption.

Italy

Continuous monitoring on safety procedures improvement: preventive measures have been applied.

The Netherlands

UK

Norway

Kiwa Norway climate-compensates all airplane travel.

All electricity used comes from hydropower.

All offices in Norway operate paperless.

Colleagues contribute to local volunteering work (related to e.g. elderly people, social initiatives, homeless shelter).

Colleagues collect plastic caps (from e.g drinking bottles) which are recycled; the revenues are being used to finance guide dog training.

In 2018, a covenant with a Dutch energy supplier lead to the fact that in 2019, most offices only use ‘green’, sustainably generated electricity.

Kiwa’s CO2 footprint in the Netherlands was brought fully in scope.

A number of actions to improve energy usage awareness in offices was conducted.

Centralised printing was introduced throughout offices to save electricity and paper, and to make colleagues think about the need of printing their documents (next to other paper-saving measures like digitisation).

A participant in Kiwa’s corporate Talent Development Program was being encouraged to take CSR on as a project; results to be awaited.

Colleagues use Yammer to communicate trips to encourage car sharing.

Stay in touch!

Kiwa N.V.Sir Winston Churchill-laan 2732288 EA Rijswijk

Phone +31 (0) 88 998 4400 E-mail [email protected]

www.kiwa.com

PO Box 702280 AB RijswijkThe Netherlands

We regularly publish CSR related articles on our Kiwa website and we offer services to help you realize your CSR ambitions as well.

Follow us on Linkedin for Kiwa updates.

Kiwa Stories offers insights into the world of Kiwa, including CSR.

https://stories.kiwa.com/en/

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Corporate Social - Kiwa

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