Vendor Compliance

Natural Energy Today| Responsible Sourcing Policy

Fact 1: Introduction & Core Ethical Standards

Welcome

At Natural Energy Today, we believe that every drink we create should reflect our commitment to the environment and the communities we serve. As a New Zealand-owned beverage based business, our goal is to supply the highest-quality products to our retail partners across Aotearoa.

To achieve this, we hold ourselves and our partners to strict ethical standards. This Responsible Sourcing Policy outlines the mandatory guidelines that all our suppliers, contractors, and sub-contractors must follow to do business with us.

1. Business Integrity & Legal Compliance

We expect our suppliers to operate with total transparency, honesty, and in full compliance with the law.

  • Legal Compliance: You must comply with all relevant New Zealand legislation (including the Employment Relations Act 2000, Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, and Commerce Act 1986) or the equivalent laws in the countries where you operate.

  • Anti-Corruption & Bribery: We have zero tolerance for bribery, extortion, embezzlement, or fraud in any form. Business must be won on merit and fair competition.

  • Conflicts of Interest & Gifts: Suppliers must not offer gifts, hospitality, or entertainment to Natural Energy Today employees that could influence business decisions. Any business tokens must be reasonable, infrequent, and transparent.

  • Confidentiality & Intellectual Property: You must safeguard all non-public information, recipes, branding, and intellectual property shared by Natural Energy Today or our retail partners.

2. Human Rights & Fair Labour Practices

We are dedicated to ensuring a safe, fair, and respectful environment for everyone involved in producing our beverages.

  • Freedom from Forced Labour: No forced, bonded, or involuntary prison labour may be used. All work must be voluntary, and workers must be free to leave their employment with reasonable notice.

  • Child Labour: You must strictly adhere to local minimum working age laws. Under no circumstances will child labour be tolerated anywhere in our supply chain.

  • Fair Wages & Working Hours: Workers must be paid fairly in accordance with local laws, including overtime, allowances, and benefits (e.g., meeting the NZ Minimum Wage or Living Wage where applicable). Working hours must comply with local statutory limits.

  • Non-Discrimination & Respect: All employees must be treated with dignity. No worker should be subject to discrimination, harassment, or bullying based on race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, or disability.

Fact 2: Safety, Sustainability, & Ingredient Sourcing

3. Health, Safety, & Workplace Well-being

A safe workplace is non-negotiable. Suppliers must proactively manage risk to prevent accidents and injuries.

  • Safe Working Environment: Suppliers must provide a clean, safe, and healthy workspace that complies with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (or international equivalent). This includes providing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) at no cost to workers.

  • Risk Management: You must maintain clear procedures for identifying hazards, reporting incidents, and handling emergencies (such as fires or chemical spills).

  • Access to Clean Facilities: Workers must have free access to clean drinking water, sanitary restrooms, and safe eating areas.

4. Environmental Stewardship & Agriculture

Because we produce beverages, our ingredients rely heavily on healthy ecosystems. We expect our suppliers to actively minimize their environmental footprint.

  • Sustainable Agriculture (For Ingredient & Packaging Suppliers): If you supply us with fruit, juices, sweeteners, botanicals, or agricultural packaging materials, you must monitor your impact across four core areas:

    1. Human & Workplace Rights: Ensuring fair treatment for farmworkers and seasonal pickers.

    2. Ecosystem Protection: Minimising pesticide use, maintaining soil health, and protecting local water catchments.

    3. Animal Welfare: Ensuring high welfare standards if any animal-derived ingredients are used.

    4. Efficient Farm Management: Keeping robust records of chemical usage and water efficiency.

  • No-Deforestation Commitment: We do not accept ingredients or packaging materials that contribute to global or local deforestation. Packaging products (like cardboard cartons or labels) should ideally be FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified where possible.

  • Waste & Resource Management: Suppliers must actively work to reduce waste, safely manage and dispose of chemicals, and maximize recycling or composting opportunities within their operations.

Fact 3: Supplier Tiers, Compliance, & Sign-off

5. Categorized Supplier Expectations

To keep our supply chain robust and satisfy the sustainability targets of major NZ chains and or retailers and those we choose to work with, we categorize our partners into two priority tiers:

Tier Category Who It Applies To Key Requirement
Strategic Partners Major suppliers accounting for the bulk of our ingredient, packaging, or logistics spend. EcoVadis Assessment: You are expected to undergo a sustainability evaluation within 3 months of onboarding, this is an independent audit check.
Carbon Conscious Partners High-impact suppliers (e.g.major freight operators). Carbon Footprint Tracking: You must work towards mapping your Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) and aligning your business with science-based carbon reduction targets to support our net-zero goals.

6. Compliance, Verification, & Continuous Improvement

We view our relationship with suppliers as a collaborative partnership based on mutual trust. However, verification is essential to maintain our retail standards.

  • Self-Monitoring: We expect you to regularly check your own compliance (and that of your sub-contractors) against this policy. If you identify a risk or a breach, you must notify Natural Energy Today immediately.

  • Verification & Audits: We reserve the right to verify compliance through self-assessment questionnaires, requests for certifications (e.g., Organic, Fairtrade, FSC), or scheduled third-party site audits if deemed necessary.

  • Continuous Improvement: If a supplier falls short of these standards, our preference is to work together to build a corrective action plan. Termination of the business relationship will only occur if a supplier refuses to engage in improvements or commits a critical, unresolvable breach.