Project description
In 2017 Ammeraal Beltech (later merged into the Ammega Group) asked my support to strengthen the overall frame and ambition level of their important but still scattered sustainability and CSR approaches. Ammeraal Beltech at that time was already a truly global leader in belting products, offering the largest range of belting products worldwide to over 150 countries and with production plants in 7 countries, over 80 service centers, more than 2,500 employees and 25,000 customers in 26 different countries (www.ammeraalbeltech.com).
Approach
In a series of workshops, starting with the global procurement team and later extended to the global leadership team, we created a shared understanding of the state of the art insights on sustainability and CSR and identified critical challenges and opportunities most relevant for Ammeraal Beltech. We mapped these against running activities and policies and prioritized the gaps in relation to the overall strategic priorities of the company and the competitive environment. This wide engagement process led to a collective ownership of:
the external CSR benchmarks,
the sustainability strategy as part of the overall strategy
the improvement priorities.
This was summarized , with support of New Foresight, in a public progress report using the UN Global Compact framework Communication on Progress (COP). A first COP report was published in November 2017. To ensure consistent follow up I was asked to repeat leading the cycle of external and internal progress assessment with the leadership team in preparation for the COP reports in 2018 and 2019 (on Ammega Group level) .
Testimonial of Michael Wilhelmer, Chief Operating Officer at AMMEGA
In 2017 our company approached Ted van der Put to support us in developing a higher ambition ánd stronger foundation for our sustainability strategy and to guide us through the first steps of bringing that to live. We heard about him from colleagues in front-running multinationals in this area. After checking personally the full commitment from our CEO Ted has been leading different workshops in which both the global procurement team ánd the leadership team in Ammeraal Beltech became fully engaged in assessing the sustainability issues in our sector, how our company was related to these challenges and what was the most logical strategic response to these challenges both from a business and an impact perspective. Part of the process was the creation and implementation of a customised supplier assessment approach and a technology assessment related to “reduce, reuse and recycle” raw material, energy and water. Ted demonstrated passion, engagement, authority and experience in translating the complexity of sustainability issues into pragmatic opportunities and priorities for our business.
We look back on a very pleasant and very fruitful collaboration marked by the publication of our first UN Global Compact Communication on Progress (COP) report in November 2017 (produced in cooperation with New Foresight consultants). It was a natural extension of this to ask Ted to guide and New Foresight to support also the 2nd and 3 rd UN Compact COP report in November 2018 and November 2019.
Michael Wilhelmer, Chief Operating Officer at AMMEGA, Member of Global Executive Committee
Marthe Mense, Global Procurement Engineer.