Community

Community engagement at SGS aims to build mutual trust and sustained social benefits in the communities we operate in. To us, community action means being in touch with the people and needs around us and doing what we can as individuals or as a team to make a difference. We are an employer in many communities, providing work and income and supporting local businesses through our professional services. SGS provides technical support by helping to maintain the efficiency and safety of local industries and by helping to minimise related social and environmental risks.

Our aim is to use our talents and expertise to support prosperity, wellbeing, education, sustainability and health in communities that need help. Many such communities, particularly in the developing world, lack institutional capacity and essential technical skills and resources. In these circumstances we need to understand our role within the community and explore where we can make the most useful and sustainable contribution.

It is clear that our employees are passionate about supporting their local communities, offering their time, skills and hands-on help. Many also hold positions of responsibility as trustees, governors and non-executive directors. The majority of employees regard our relationship with the communities in which they work and live as one of the most important features of working for SGS.

In this section we describe how we forge strategic partnerships with local stakeholders to deliver effective solutions to some of the most challenging issues affecting sustainable development in our local communities. While many of the projects demonstrate continued support from previous years, we have added several new projects and collaborations in 2010.

Core programmes and case studies

Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger. Group initiative: SGS sponsors water partnership in Mauritania.

SGS is involved in sponsoring a partnership between the municipality of Lausanne, Switzerland and the urban community of Nouakchott, Mauritania, to provide safe drinking water in the city. Water supply in Nouakchott is both scarce and of poor quality, with 70% of the city’s population not connected to the public water system. Since 2008, three tankers have been provided by the City of Lausanne and inspected by SGS to supply water from local surrounding areas to more than 8 000 people in Nouakchott. The aim is to improve access to water and strengthen water management skills locally, by rehabilitating communal water points and developing an awareness campaign on safe drinking water.

Achieving universal primary education. Group initiative: SGS partners Educatis Foundation to promote universal higher education.

SGS continues to partner with the Educatis Foundation, a distance-learning university in Switzerland which aims to provide universal, affordable higher education to low-income students all over the world. Training is provided online and examinations are held in a variety of venues to reduce costs and the need for travel. Through this project, SGS provides spaces in our offices and laboratories for Educatis students to sit their examinations. To date we have provided facilities to support students in Mali, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Congo, Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Canada, France and Italy.

Promoting gender equality and empowering women. Local initiative: SGS Bangladesh supports micro-finance project.

People in Bangladesh, particularly women, have made significant positive changes in their lifestyle with the support of micro-finance projects to start small and medium scale businesses which are helping them to become financially self-sufficient. As part of its commitment to the local community, SGS Bangladesh has started a micro-finance project through national level non-government organisation, Dhaka Ahasania Mission. The aim is to implement a community development project entitled “Restoration of livelihood through Job Creation, Gaining of Assets by the Rural Poor (ROJGAR)”. The project is implemented in Sreepur Thana, a remote area in the Gazipur district north of Dhaka. Through the project, rural poor, especially women, will receive micro-credit support through the agency. With such support they can establish a range of small enterprises including dairy, poultry and duck farms and small-scale shops or market stalls selling local produce and traditional handicrafts. So far 20 women have benefited and have initiated their own farming projects.

Reducing child poverty. Local initiative: SGS Tirupur supports local orphanages in South India.

SGS employees in Tirupur – a hub for the knitted garment industry in India - came up with the idea of donating samples of garments collected during final random quality inspections to those in need. Once the sample retention period has been completed, and with permission from our customers, the  amples (which would otherwise be disposed of) are collected and donated to children in orphanages and schools. Working with local NGOs, SGS employees visit the institutes to understand what types of garments are needed. Since 2005, SGS Tirupur has donated samples to several orphanages and schools for disadvantaged and disabled children in the Tamil Nadu state.

Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. Local initiative: Ghana Community Network Services Limited (GCNet)* promotes employee wellbeing in Tamale.

Malaria, tuberculosis, Hepatitis B and HIV remain serious problems in Sub-Saharan Africa. Non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer and hypertension also pose a huge disease burden in a low income country like Ghana.SGS, through its role in the Ghana Community Network Services Limited (GCNet), is supporting a comprehensive  employee Wellbeing Programme in collaboration with Revenue Agencies for the benefit of employees, their families and the immediate community of Tamale. Its purpose is to provide social protection and improve the health and financial wellbeing of around 38 000 people by 2012.The programme is becoming recognised as a model project, not just in Ghana but across Africa, illustrating how private and public sector organisations can provide much needed health and wellbeing services to employees and the wider community.*GCNet is a private company established in 2000 to develop and implement a computerised system for validating and forwarding trade and customs documentation. SGS is the principal shareholder.

Ensuring environmental sustainability. Group initiative: SGS supports the Sustainable Lifestyles programme in partnership with UNEP.

SGS Group Management is supporting a strategic, multi-stakeholder partnership involving UNEP, UNESCO, the Center for Development of Community Initiatives and Environment, SGS Philippines, SGS Vietnam and local NGOs. Its aim is to promote sustainable consumption amongst young people. The Sustainable Lifestyles programme enables youth leaders and groups to reach out to young people to adopt more sustainable lifestyles. It also seeks to build strategies that support positive behaviour change amongst young people in developing countries.

During 2010, SGS helped to sponsor two capacity building workshops in Vietnam which resulted in five sustainable living initiatives receiving funding for implementation. These included supporting a Green Days awareness raising event in Hanoi; installing a wetland model of plants to treat and reuse household waste water; development of a sustainable living website www.unep.fr/scp/youth/; and a project to integrate sustainable lifestyle elements into the framework for building green schools. Two further projects linked to awareness raising amongst students are being given technical support.

The focus in 2011 will be on creating a virtual platform for youth collaboration in solving challenges relating to sustainable development in Vietnam; an educational channel to compile and promote entrepreneurship education among Vietnamese youth; and a sustainable business incubator model for further development of the project.

Key Performance Indicators

Looking ahead

During 2011 we will communicate our Group Community Policy and Guidelines across the Company.

• We will review SGS Group community projects to explore possible additional programmes and ensure that we are operating our community programmes in accordance with the new Community Policy.
• At a corporate level, SGS will provide strategic support and funding to the Paint a Smile foundation which creates inspiring stories and uplifting images on the walls of children’s hospitals. www.paintasmile.org
• SGS Group will identify and recruit a charity ner with which to collaborate on a new global community programme.