Sustainability Report
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Sustainability Fundamentals
Few companies integrate compliance, ethics and EHS into day-to-day operations and the
very culture of the company as Georgia-Pacific has done. But Georgia-Pacific doesn't do this to be unique.
Ultimately the company believes excellence in these areas creates value for our consumers, customers,
communities where we operate, our employees, government agencies and the firm -- and it's simply "the
right thing to do."
Georgia-Pacific's focus on compliance, ethics and EHS (environmental, health and safety) performance is
fundamental to how the company is run and provides an
important foundation for the company's sustainability efforts.
Few companies integrate compliance, ethics and EHS into day-to-day operations and the very culture of the company as Georgia-Pacific has done. But Georgia-Pacific doesn't do this to be unique. Ultimately the company believes excellence in these areas creates value for our consumers, customers, communities where we operate, our employees, government agencies and the firm - and it's simply "the right thing to do."
Georgia-Pacific's efforts stem from the very core of the company's philosophy. Under Market Based Management®, the company's 10 guiding principles start with Integrity and Compliance. These are considered the necessary, but not sufficient, conditions for long-term success (which requires true value creation). In other words, Georgia-Pacific is not interested in profits or growth obtained without integrity, full compliance and excellence in all aspects of EHS.
Thus, compliance with the law, ethical behavior and superior EHS performance are fundamental expectations of Georgia-Pacific and all employees, and are reflected in the company's compliance, ethics and EHS Vision:
Create long-term value by striving for excellence
in all areas of compliance, ethics and EHS.
At Georgia-Pacific, achieving this vision starts not with programs and documents, but with company leadership. Leaders must commit to this compliance priority and lead through actions, not just words. Once this culture -- as part of the larger MBM® culture -- begins to take hold, the company focuses on compliance systems, standards and programs to help achieve and sustain compliance excellence.
Georgia-Pacific has a strict code of conduct and more than 50 specific corporate compliance standards that address commercial, environmental, and health and safety areas including anti-corruption, competition laws, human resources, air quality management, water management, and personal protective equipment. These standards include specific performance requirements and mandatory processes that help ensure full compliance with all applicable laws. Each standard is designed as a tool to help employees make the right decision and also has an assigned owner who is responsible for conducting a structured process that includes periodic risk assessment, training delivery, implementation and tracking, audits, and self-assessment within the business and functional unit.
Still, no company standards, rules or Code of Conduct can anticipate every situation that employees of a global company may encounter every day. That's why Georgia-Pacific's Guiding Principles — reflected in every aspect of the company from the culture to our recruiting and hiring process — focus on people's own internal sense of ethics, honesty and integrity. All Georgia-Pacific employees — if they encounter an issue or decision that does not feel right — are expected to discuss and challenge the situation — to "stop, think and ask" — in order to make the right decision that supports the values and principles of the company.
Most importantly, the program strives for continuous improvement through the use of our Compliance, Ethics and EHS Excellence Risk Management System, a system that leverages the skills and knowledge of people across the company to improve in all areas. It is comprised of seven key elements and facilitates continuous improvement through a plan-do-check-adjust model to achieve the goal of superior performance.
Ultimately, the vision, culture development and management system help Georgia-Pacific employees achieve compliance and ethics excellence. This means we not only strive to meet legal requirements and company standards, but also to go beyond those levels. For example, the Georgia-Pacific code of conduct not only prohibits unethical behaviors but also prohibits any behavior that could even be perceived as unethical. In environmental performance, we not only strive to meet legal requirements but also go beyond by continually working to minimize our impact on the environment. In health and safety, we follow all legal requirements as well as strive to identify and manage risks that could result in injury to our employees, contractors or others, and prevent all injuries.
That is the essence of compliance, ethics and EHS excellence at Georgia-Pacific each and every day.
Few companies integrate compliance, ethics and EHS into day-to-day operations and the very culture of the company as Georgia-Pacific has done. But Georgia-Pacific doesn't do this to be unique. Ultimately the company believes excellence in these areas creates value for our consumers, customers, communities where we operate, our employees, government agencies and the firm - and it's simply "the right thing to do."
Georgia-Pacific's efforts stem from the very core of the company's philosophy. Under Market Based Management®, the company's 10 guiding principles start with Integrity and Compliance. These are considered the necessary, but not sufficient, conditions for long-term success (which requires true value creation). In other words, Georgia-Pacific is not interested in profits or growth obtained without integrity, full compliance and excellence in all aspects of EHS.
Thus, compliance with the law, ethical behavior and superior EHS performance are fundamental expectations of Georgia-Pacific and all employees, and are reflected in the company's compliance, ethics and EHS Vision:
Create long-term value by striving for excellence
in all areas of compliance, ethics and EHS.
At Georgia-Pacific, achieving this vision starts not with programs and documents, but with company leadership. Leaders must commit to this compliance priority and lead through actions, not just words. Once this culture -- as part of the larger MBM® culture -- begins to take hold, the company focuses on compliance systems, standards and programs to help achieve and sustain compliance excellence.
Georgia-Pacific has a strict code of conduct and more than 50 specific corporate compliance standards that address commercial, environmental, and health and safety areas including anti-corruption, competition laws, human resources, air quality management, water management, and personal protective equipment. These standards include specific performance requirements and mandatory processes that help ensure full compliance with all applicable laws. Each standard is designed as a tool to help employees make the right decision and also has an assigned owner who is responsible for conducting a structured process that includes periodic risk assessment, training delivery, implementation and tracking, audits, and self-assessment within the business and functional unit.
Still, no company standards, rules or Code of Conduct can anticipate every situation that employees of a global company may encounter every day. That's why Georgia-Pacific's Guiding Principles — reflected in every aspect of the company from the culture to our recruiting and hiring process — focus on people's own internal sense of ethics, honesty and integrity. All Georgia-Pacific employees — if they encounter an issue or decision that does not feel right — are expected to discuss and challenge the situation — to "stop, think and ask" — in order to make the right decision that supports the values and principles of the company.
Most importantly, the program strives for continuous improvement through the use of our Compliance, Ethics and EHS Excellence Risk Management System, a system that leverages the skills and knowledge of people across the company to improve in all areas. It is comprised of seven key elements and facilitates continuous improvement through a plan-do-check-adjust model to achieve the goal of superior performance.
Ultimately, the vision, culture development and management system help Georgia-Pacific employees achieve compliance and ethics excellence. This means we not only strive to meet legal requirements and company standards, but also to go beyond those levels. For example, the Georgia-Pacific code of conduct not only prohibits unethical behaviors but also prohibits any behavior that could even be perceived as unethical. In environmental performance, we not only strive to meet legal requirements but also go beyond by continually working to minimize our impact on the environment. In health and safety, we follow all legal requirements as well as strive to identify and manage risks that could result in injury to our employees, contractors or others, and prevent all injuries.
That is the essence of compliance, ethics and EHS excellence at Georgia-Pacific each and every day.