MODERN SLAVERY – OUR SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING STATEMENT 2021
INTRODUCTION
This statement is made on behalf of Climate Change Media Limited (“Climate Action”) pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and comprises our slavery and human trafficking statement.
It outlines the steps we have taken as a business to identify and prevent slavery and human trafficking in our own operations and supply chains. We understand our responsibilities and are committed to improving our practices to combat slavery and human trafficking.
As an equal opportunities employer, Climate Action are committed to creating and ensuring a non-discriminatory and respectful working environment for our staff. We want all our staff to feel confident that they can expose wrongdoing without any risk to themselves.
Our recruitment and people management processes are designed to ensure that all prospective employees are legally entitled to work in the UK and to safeguard employees from any abuse or coercion.
We do not enter into business with any organisation, in the UK or abroad, which knowingly supports or is found to be involved in slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour of any sort.
OUR BUSINESS
Established in 2007 and headquartered in London, Climate Action establishes and builds partnerships between business, government, and public bodies to accelerate international sustainable development and advance the ‘green economy’.
We do this by providing a global media and events platform across which stakeholders can share knowledge, technologies, and expertise, and identify innovative solutions to the challenges faced by climate change and a growing population.
For our partners and supporters, we help engage the private sector, bringing innovations, technologies, and finance to the debate.
For our clients we help generate profitable business opportunities and partnerships, provide top-level access to emerging markets, and reinforce their commitment to, and their position as leaders within, the global sustainability industry.
OUR SUPPLY CHAINS AND ADHERENCE TO OUR VALUES AND ETHICS
We have a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of slavery and human trafficking. Due to the nature of our business and our approach to governance, we assess there is a low risk of slavery and human trafficking in our business. This is because Climate Action does not manufacture and directly sell goods. However, we do work with businesses that exhibit goods and promote services on our platform and at our events. Therefore, Climate Action also demands the same high standards which we set for ourselves from those parties with whom we engage, and we ensure all those in our supply chain and contractors comply with our values within which we operate in line with the principles of responsible sourcing, including paying employees at the prevailing minimum wage applicable within their relevant country of operation.
OUR POLICIES ON SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING
We are committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in our supply chains or in any part of our business. Our Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy reflects our commitment to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure slavery and human trafficking is not taking place anywhere in our business and in our supply chains.
Accompanying this is our Whistleblowing Policy which provides a system for our employees to escalate slavery and human trafficking issues and breaches of our Group policies.
Both policies are reviewed annually.
DUE DILIGENCE
We have processes in place across our business, our trading partners and our supply chains to assess and manage our suppliers, both new and established, from the tender process to new supplier meetings and service level agreements to:
- Identify inappropriate employment practices;
- Identify, assess and monitor other potential risk areas;
- Mitigate the risk of slavery and human trafficking occurring;
- Protect whistleblowers; and
- Investigate reports of Modern Slavery.
TRAINING
To ensure a high level of understanding of the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking in our business, in our supply chains and in our business partners, we provide the relevant in-house training to our colleagues ensuring staff involved in procurement activity are aware of and follow modern slavery procurement guidance on GOV.UK.
COVID-19
We understand that some workers may be more vulnerable to modern slavery during the coronavirus pandemic. Climate Action adopted government guidelines for Covid-19 secure workplaces in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Our employees have had and continue to have access to our grievance procedures.
NEXT STEPS
- Continue to raise awareness of the Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy and supplier code of conduct requirements with our employees and suppliers.
- Additional training for employees as necessary.
- Integrate any learnings from Covid-19 into our future strategy.
ENFORCEMENT
In the event of the discovery of non-compliance with our policies we reserve the right to terminate our relationship with a business supplier or partner. Employees who violate our modern slavery or other principles of our Code of Conduct may be subject to disciplinary proceedings, up to and including dismissal.
STATEMENT
This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes Climate Action’s slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ending 30th April 2021, and was approved by the Founder and CEO of Climate Action on 30th June 2021.
