We recognize the criticality of our supply chain as we focus on a clean, sustainable future. Ongoing supplier engagement is a necessity to ensure a responsible and resilient supply chain. We engage our suppliers in ways such as industry alliances and supplier recognition.
COVID-19 Response. As the pandemic continued in 2021, our suppliers tackled the unique challenge of assessing material availability risk and responding to shortages and increased demand for needed materials and supplies, including personal protective equipment. Through our partnerships, our suppliers supported the safety of APS employees by providing COVID-19 prevention and detection materials and ensured APS could keep providing reliable power to customers.
EUISSCA Membership. As a co-founder of the Electric Utility Industry Sustainable Supply Chain Alliance (EUISSCA or the Alliance), we work with peer utilities and suppliers, sharing best practices and participating in industry discussions regarding sustainability. The focus of the Alliance is to improve environmental performance and advance sustainable business practices through collaboration. This helps us advance our sustainability within our organization.
Through the Alliance, we distribute an annual sustainability survey to our suppliers, which enables a baseline understanding of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) performance within our supply chain. The results drive discussions enabling us to engage with our suppliers in advancing our sustainability priorities and projects.
Key Supplier Forum and Awards. We recognize exceptional supplier performance by hosting a Key Supplier Forum and Awards. Success stories are celebrated through our Supplier Excellence Awards nomination process, and awards are presented in five categories: Performance, Customer Service, Value-Added Relationship, Safety and Environmental Sustainability. To qualify for these awards, suppliers must excel in each of these categories. We look forward to hosting the next Key Supplier Forum and Awards in 2023.
The Environmental Sustainability Award is presented to suppliers who make responsible choices recognizing the inherent value of the natural world by minimizing their impact through sustainable practices and who work toward preserving natural resources. We value the contributions made by these suppliers and integrate their best practices to ensure successful project execution.
Learn more about our key supplier award recipients.
Supply Chain Sustainability Council. The Supply Chain Sustainability Council was established in 2019, in partnership with Corporate Sustainability, to identify opportunities for driving efficiency within the company. This increased visibility on supply chain sustainability and collaboration enables solution development. For example, this collaboration led to process updates incorporating sustainability criteria within the procurement bid evaluation process. Through the cross-functional council, we evaluate internal initiatives with a sustainability lens ensuring alignment with organizational priorities.
CDP Supplier Engagement Rating. As part of the CDP climate change questionnaire, we are proud to be recognized by CDP as a Supplier Engagement Leader for the past four years. The CDP Supplier Engagement Leadership Rating is earned by those found to be effectively implementing best practices when engaging with suppliers to limit greenhouse gas emissions within the supply chain. We continue to partner with our suppliers to support APS’s Clean Energy Commitment.