Marking International Human Rights Day: Wood’s commitment to sustainability and worker welfare

At Wood, our commitment to worker welfare and sustainability is at the heart of everything we do.

As we observe International Human Rights Day, we reaffirm our commitment to be leaders in environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices to create a positive impact on our employees, communities and the environment.

By embedding fair working practices and ethical principles into our operations and supply chains, we ensure that our business not only thrives but also contributes to a more just and sustainable world. Our dedication to these values is reflected in our alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and our active board participation for Building Responsibly.  We employ proactive measures to safeguard the rights and welfare of all workers in our own operations and aspire to influence the overall industry in adopting stronger worker welfare practices.

A key component of our sustainability goals is embedding fair working practices by increasing the percentage of suppliers observing the worker welfare principles established by the Building Responsibly initiative – a collaborative effort to promote the rights and welfare of workers across the construction and engineering industry.  By integrating Building Responsibly principles into our supply chain, we create ethical partnerships that protect worker welfare and reduce our exposure to potential human rights violations.

Currently, we have made significant strides towards our goals:

• 73% of Wood’s labour suppliers have signed up to comply with the Building Responsibly Principles. Our target is for 100% of labour suppliers to have signed up by the end of 2025.

• 22% of Wood’s total suppliers have signed up to comply with these principles in their supply chains. Our goal is to achieve 100% of our total suppliers signing up by 2030.

To ensure we reach full compliance, we have:

• Incorporated our expectations for our suppliers to comply with and promote the Building Responsibly Principles in our Supply Chain Code of Conduct.

• Taken a collaborative approach with our suppliers in order to foster relationships based on trust and shared values. This includes engaging with our labour suppliers and providing essential training and support material through our supplier support hub, to help our supply chain partners meet Wood’s expectations.

• Implemented a supplier re-evaluation process that requires all suppliers to reaffirm their commitment to upholding Wood’s expectations, including in respect of human rights and worker welfare.

As well as the expectations we set for our supply chain partners we look for continuous improvements in our own approach, particularly through raising awareness in our business. Some of the steps we have taken include:

• Training for our HR leaders in these principles and their role in safeguarding against modern slavery and human trafficking.

• Introduction of a Sustainability Code of Practice, incorporating a systematic approach to the identification, adoption and assurance of worker welfare principles at our project sites.

Kolby Ivanhoe, Human Resources Vice President for Wood’s Operations business in the Americas and board member of Building Responsibly, recently attended the 2024 Bi-Annual Members’ Meeting and Forum in Paris, where global industry leaders shared their progress and insights on addressing worker welfare challenges.

Reflecting on the forum, Kolby said, “At Wood, we believe that collaboration and continuous improvement are the cornerstones of achieving our shared objectives. By working together and constantly striving to enhance our practices, we can create a more sustainable and ethical industry that prioritizes the welfare of all workers.”