Our Commitment to the UN Global Compact
Responsible business. Practical action. Continual improvement.
Bowden Printing has been a participant in the United Nations Global Compact since July 2009, reflecting our long-standing commitment to responsible and sustainable business practices.
The UN Global Compact calls on businesses to align their strategies and operations with ten universally accepted principles covering human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption, while taking action to support broader sustainable development.
For Bowden Printing, this commitment is not separate from how we operate our business. It forms part of our approach to governance, sustainability, responsible procurement, environmental management, our people, our suppliers and the communities in which we operate.
The Ten Principles
Our commitment to the UN Global Compact is built around four key areas:
Human Rights
We support and respect internationally recognised human rights and seek to ensure that our business activities and supply chain do not contribute to human rights abuses.
Labour
We support fair, safe and lawful employment practices, including freedom of association, the elimination of forced and child labour, and the prevention of discrimination in employment and occupation.
Environment
We take a precautionary approach to environmental impacts, promote greater environmental responsibility and continue to investigate technologies, materials and production processes that can reduce our environmental footprint.
Anti-Corruption
We are committed to ethical, transparent and lawful business practices and oppose corruption in all its forms, including bribery and extortion.
Putting Our Commitment Into Practice
Our participation in the UN Global Compact supports a broader framework of responsible business practices across Bowden Printing.
This includes:
- maintaining our ISO 14001 Environmental Management System;
- integrating environmental, social and governance considerations into business decisions;
- considering environmental impacts from a life-cycle perspective;
- promoting responsible purchasing and supplier engagement;
- reducing waste and improving resource and production efficiency;
- supporting fair, safe and respectful employment practices;
- maintaining appropriate governance, risk management and business continuity processes;
- supporting our local community through partnerships, sponsorships and community initiatives; and
- continually reviewing opportunities to improve the environmental and social impact of our operations.
Our B-Sustainable framework provides an additional structure for this work, bringing together environmental management, organisational culture, community engagement, risk management and shared value.
Supporting the Sustainable Development Goals
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals provide a broader framework for addressing some of the world’s most significant social, environmental and economic challenges.
As a South Australian business, we recognise that our individual impact may be modest, but we also believe every organisation has a role to play.
We continue to identify practical areas where our operations, purchasing decisions, environmental initiatives, employment practices, client relationships and community activities can contribute to positive outcomes.
Transparency and Accountability
Being a participant in the UN Global Compact is an ongoing commitment.
We regularly review our policies, objectives, targets and management systems to identify opportunities for improvement and to ensure the principles of responsible business continue to be reflected in our day-to-day operations.
As part of this commitment, Bowden Printing reports on our progress through the United Nations Global Compact Communication on Progress (CoP).
Our Communication on Progress
Our Communication on Progress provides transparency around the actions we are taking to support the Ten Principles and continually improve our approach to responsible and sustainable business.
View our latest Communication on Progress
Continually Improving
Sustainability and corporate responsibility are not destinations. They require continual review, measurement and improvement.
At Bowden Printing, our commitment is to keep challenging the way we operate, make responsible decisions within our sphere of influence and work with our employees, clients, suppliers and community to create better environmental, social and business outcomes.
Responsible business is simply part of how we do business.
