Siemens IT Solutions improves green credentials

The global IT company has been awarded the voluntary independent certification ‘Corporate Assessment of Environmental, Social and Economic Responsibility’ (CEASAR), which supports organisations in their goal of sustainable procurement.

As well as passing the ‘self-certification’ test, with a 98 per cent score, the company is the first IT company to have been awarded the second stage of the assessment, whereby external CEASAR assessors verify the CEASAR self-certification. Siemens IT Solutions and Services has now been recognised by CAESER as an ‘exemplar’ organisation.

The CEASAR assessment methodology is recognised by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply and is used by a number of central Government departments in their procurement of goods and services.

Siemens IT Solutions and Services is a supplier to the Home Office, and in February 2009 it was asked by the Government department to complete the CAESER Sustainability Assessment. After an extensive audit, Siemens IT Solutions and Services was recently awarded the ‘Verified’ status.

According to a spokesperson for Siemens, the verification assessment “involved a week-long visit conducted by a CAESER assessor, who interviewed managers from across the organisation and asked for detailed evidence to support the responses given online”.

Siemens, which claims to be the world’s largest supplier of eco-friendly technologies – totalling around £20 billion worth of of revenues in 2009 and including technologies such as wind power systems, energy-efficient lighting and ecofriendly trains – says sustainability is “embedded” in the business.

“We are often required to provide formal recognition and evidence of our credentials in these matters for our customers,” commented Clark MacFarlane, managing director at Siemens IT Solutions and Services. “Our achievement in the CAESER assessment provides just that – and shows that we don’t just mean what we say, we live it!”

John Collington, Home Office group commercial director, added: “Siemens IT Solutions and Services has demonstrated through CAESER that it is proactive in helping the Home Office meet its sustainable procurement targets, and a visible and measured commitment to responsible business practices is encouraging and appreciated. We would like to see more of our suppliers taking such positive steps to improve their environmental and social impact.”

CAESER’s chairman, John McClelland, added: “Siemens IT Solutions and Services has shown that the ethics of CSR pervade the organisation. It understands how these values inform business decisions and offer both ethical and practical advantage: proof of its commitment to being an exemplar ‘responsible’ company”.

CAESAR says its assessment tools and certification system is suitable for small to medium-sized businesses as well as large organisations. As well as  offering a ‘self certified’ and ‘verified’ assessment, CAESAR also provides a‘gold status’, whereby a supplier in turn adopts CAESER to assess the responsible practices of its own suppliers.