At Anderson Development Company we recognize the importance of being a sustainable company and are dedicated to devoting our organization to efforts aimed at fulfilling this purpose. As part of our journey towards sustainability we recently participated in a “Together for Sustainability” (TfS) audit in an effort to learn how we can become more sustainable, as we work to strengthen our ability to serve our customers. Anderson Development this wasn’t just about checking a box for our customers; it was an opportunity for our company to grow, and to demonstrate our commitment to being a sustainable company. Participating in the TfS audit taught us a few things and also validated that our efforts towards sustainability thus far have been successful and that we are doing great things.

TfS is an independent organization that was originally created by chemical companies with the goal of assessing, auditing and improving the sustainability practices within their global supply chains. After it was setup, TfS was “set free” from its founders, so that it can provide objective, independent insight into companies. The initiative is based on good practices and builds on established principles such as United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), Responsible Care Global Charter and more. In order to provide this insight, it audits and assess its subjects, covering topics relevant to sustainability including environment, health and safety, human rights and labor relations.

In preparation for the audit we conducted a gap analysis, and while we did discover some gaps we were able to close many of these during the preparation phase, and of course we continue to put efforts towards others. While we faired very well on our TfS audit scoring a 190 out of 200 possible points, we do not plan to rest on our laurels. We realize we are not perfect and we continue to focus on areas where we can improve as a company, and we continue to evaluate ways in which we can become even more sustainable than we are today.

Sustainability is often defined as “meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” As a sustainable company, continual improvement is always on the forefront of our minds and actions. We look forward to improving and implementing new practices that can have a positive environmental or social impact on our local and global communities and to continue on in our journey of sustainability.