Stakeholders inform our approach

Ongoing dialogue with stakeholders helps us define and deliver on our promises and stay ahead of emerging issues.

Our promises cover actions along our value chain, from sourcing to end of life. That means we can’t deliver on our ambitions on our own – and that engaging with our stakeholders is critical. Realizing our vision is determined by customers, consumers, employees and shareholders, so their insights play a particular role in our engagement process.

Within Electrolux, Sustainability Affairs oversees dialogue on sustainability-related issues with a wide range of internal and external groups. Feedback from these activities is reported to Group Management and feeds into decision-making to strengthen company strategy and response. An ongoing challenge is to systemize local stakeholder dialogue to ensure that local voices are heard consistently.

Stakeholder priorities and our response

Key stakeholder group	How Electrolux has engaged	The impact on our sustainability approach
Consumers	Bi-annual brand scorecard on sustainability: We surveyed 200 consumers per market per month in Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany and the US in 2014. 69% of consumers interviewed said that environmental impacts were one of the most important factors when buying an appliance. Net Promoter Score: Gauges how consumers rate their interactions with our after sales services network. In 2015, the NPS was 31 (30).	Developed ‘For the better’, a communications platform to involve consumers (and employees) in purposeful dialogue on sustainability. From 2016 onwards. Better Solutions is one of three pillars in the Sustainability strategy. The next brand scorecard survey is scheduled for 2016.
Customers	Partnerships with specific customers. Dialogue on sustainability is expanding to more markets. Engagement is becoming long-term and strategic.	Collaborated in areas including chemicals handling and recycled materials. Discussed criteria and evaluated our process for supply-chain monitoring. Initiated renewables projects, inspired by a customer, leading to our wider commitment to renewables.
Customers	Electrolux Professional: More than 200 customers from all continents shared learnings and discussed sustainable solutions for Professional kitchens and laundries. Topics included energy-efficient products, connectivity as well as customer service, education and training.	Insights contributed to discussions on how to raise awareness in the market on the importance of an energy-efficient Professional product offering.
Investors	Mainstream investors asked more about sustainability, closing the gap with SRI (socially responsible investment) colleagues. Questions focused on sustainable products and services, human rights and corruption.	Incorporated feedback from investors into priorities for our nine promises in 2014 and 2015. Enhanced our reporting and activities on CO₂ reduction in response to completion of CDP.
Employees	Ongoing dialogue between management and employee representatives and unions. Topics covered include updates on restructuring plans, feedback on business development, Code of Conduct education, the Ethics Helpline and H&S performance. Examples include: The European Works Council several times in 2015 with Electrolux representatives The head of Industrial Relations and union representatives meet prior to each Board of Directors meeting H&S committees meet locally and regularly.	Integrated views into strategic and operational activities on local, market and Group levels. At local level, collective agreements are in place for 59% of the workforce.
	Employee Engagement Survey 2015: 70% of employees believe sustainability is a natural part of their everyday work. In 2014, 99% of the top 200 managers said sustainability strengthens our competitive position.	2016: Conduct an employee survey on sustainability priorities. Group-wide employee communications on sustainability will be ongoing in 2016 under the ‘For the Better’ banner, aiming to increase the awareness of our sustainability priorities and ambitions.
	Key supporter of AIESEC, the world's largest student organization and an international platform for young people to explore and develop their leadership potential.	Build on our strategic partnership with AIESEC, including on the sustainability agenda. Employee branding work will continue in 2016 to reflect the priorities of potential employees.
Suppliers	Over the last five years, held workshops with representatives of OEM suppliers on our sustainability expectations and encouraged suppliers to set their own energy targets.	Continued to collect supplier data (representing 80% of our OEM supplier spend) on energy and prepared to set energy reduction targets for 2016. Initiated discussions on water use. Launched discussions with suppliers to access safe, high quality recycled plastics, driving progress on materials.
Suppliers	Initiated dialogue with the logistics industry in 2015 to set our transport target. Member of US Environmental Protection Agency-led SmartWay, with a commitment to reducing road transport-related emissions.	Participated in the BSR Clean Cargo initiative. We stipulate that Electrolux shippers must be members of the initiative. Launched a partnership with shipping company Maersk Line to improve sustainability performance by 2020. The Group is surveying carriers to evaluate their environmental performance. The result was included in the supplier-evaluation process in 2015.
Industry peers	Shared best practice on setting stretch targets for renewable energy. Shared best practice on human rights, including at the Ethical Trade Initiative (ETI) conference (UK), the Swedish Network on Business & Human Rights and UNICEF	Developed a commitment to use only renewable energy at 13 manufacturing sites in Europe. Insights provided input into Promises 6, 7 and 8.
NGOs and governmental initiatives	Attended multi-stakeholder meetings, in which NGOs raised issues such as human rights due diligence, responsible taxation, food and social innovation, education and empowering consumers.	Relevant issues will be part of our materiality analysis in 2016.
	Took part in United 4 Efficiency, a UNEP-led project to develop recommendations on how emerging markets can ‘leapfrog’ to greater energy efficiency.	Formulated Promise 7, to bring efficient products to new consumers.
	Exchanged ideas with the European Environmental Bureau on energy efficiency and labeling.	Input to our public policy initiatives in Europe on labeling.