IBM does business with suppliers that are environmentally and socially responsible, and encourages environmental leadership among them. IBM also routinely responds to requests from our clients and governments for information about the environmental attributes of our products. In many cases, the source for this information is our suppliers.
The objectives of our requirements for suppliers and our supplier evaluation program include:
- Ensuring that IBM does business with environmentally responsible suppliers that are actively managing and reporting on their environmental impact
- Helping our suppliers build capabilities and expertise in the environmental area
- Avoiding the transfer of responsibility for environmentally sensitive operations to any company lacking the commitment or capability to manage them properly
- Reducing our suppliers' environmental and workplace health and safety risk
- Protecting IBM, to the greatest extent possible, from potential environmental liabilities or adverse publicity
Supplier social and environmental management system requirements
Since 2010, IBM has required that all of its first-tier suppliers maintain a management system to address their social and environmental responsibilities. Our objective is to help our suppliers build their own capability to succeed in this area.
Environmental evaluations of suppliers
As part of its global environmental management system, IBM conducts a three-stage supplier environmental evaluation for suppliers providing hazardous waste management services or product end-of-life management services, with increasing levels of detail, depending on the risks associated with and the potential environmental impacts from the supplier's operations.
Supplier Code of Conduct
IBM endorses the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) Code of Conduct for its internal operations and requires the same of our direct (first-tier) suppliers for hardware, software and services.
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