Black Box places sustainability at the core of its business strategy, integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations into decision-making processes across the organization. To drive this commitment, an ESG Committee comprising leaders from various functions and regions coordinates initiatives and aligns input from procurement, operations, finance, technology, human resources, and client-facing teams. This collaborative approach ensures that ESG objectives are advanced consistently and effectively on a global scale.
Building on this foundation, the company embeds ESG performance monitoring into recognized frameworks such as CDP, EcoVadis, SBTi, BRSR, and GRI standards. These benchmarks are routinely included in formal discussions to ensure that progress is measured against global best practices.
Oversight of the ESG program is elevated to the highest levels of governance. Senior management assumes direct responsibility for the program, emphasizing its importance in the company’s long-term strategy. The board of directors maintains regular review of ESG developments, integrating updates into quarterly investor communications and statutory disclosures. This transparent reporting, including a dedicated section in the Annual Report, reinforces Black Box’s accountability and affirms the credibility of its sustainability commitments.
At Black Box, we recognize that addressing sustainability and climate concerns is integral to responsible business management. Our journey begins with a steadfast commitment to transparency and resilience principles that underpin our approach to risk mitigation, operational efficiency, and long-term value creation.
To support these goals, we align our disclosures with globally recognized frameworks such as CDP, EcoVadis, SBTi, BRSR, and GRI. This alignment enhances data quality, strengthens governance, and ensures compliance with evolving regulatory and stakeholder expectations.
Our strategy prioritizes targeted action: we continuously monitor and work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions where possible, invest in renewable energy solutions, and collaborate across our value chain to enhance Scope 3 reporting. These proactive efforts not only reinforce our competitive advantage but also position us to meet the needs of regulators and clients alike.
Oversight for Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives resides with our Board of Directors, who are supported by a dedicated ESG Committee and cross-functional teams. We review progress regularly and communicate outcomes transparently through investor updates and our Annual Report.
As the regulatory landscape evolves, so will our commitments, guided by our drive for accountability and continuous improvement. This statement reaffirms Black Box’s dedication to transparent, responsible, and adaptive ESG and climate practices assured we remain a trusted partner for all our stakeholders.
At Black Box, we recognize that true business sustainability is shaped by more than our internal practices, it’s equally influenced by how our partners and customers operate. Through our Value Chain ESG Program, we actively broaden our ESG commitments to reach this extended ecosystem, uniting suppliers, clients, and stakeholders in a shared mission for responsible growth. This collaborative strategy enhances transparency, strengthens Scope 3 reporting, and keeps us aligned with international standards like CDP, SBTi, EcoVadis, and BRSR.
Today’s global climate demands that businesses offer a holistic view of how they manage emissions, governance, and ethics throughout their value chains. For many organizations, the biggest sustainability impacts extend far beyond their own operations. Customers want confidence in the responsible sourcing of solutions, products, and honest disclosures; investors look for adherence to trusted frameworks; and regulators ask for increasingly detailed reporting.
Our structured approach ensures Black Box can meet these shifting expectations head-on, emphasizing transparency, consistency, and achievable goals across every link in our value chain.
Our Value Chain ESG Program targets six essential areas, each mapped to globally recognized standards:
Together, these pillars lay a strong foundation for assessing maturity and driving continuous improvement among our suppliers and customers.
Stage 1 – Assess (Q1–Q2 2025)
We’ll begin by evaluating principal technology partners listed in our annual report, establishing key ESG maturity benchmarks with a focus on governance, emissions tracking, and targeted climate objectives.
Stage 2 – Survey (Q2–Q3 2025)
Next, we initiate supplier surveys modeled after leading programs like CDP Supply Chain and EcoVadis to collect robust data on emissions, targets, and governance, strengthening our Scope 3 disclosures.
Stage 3 – Engage Customers (2026–2028)
Through direct collaboration, we support customers’ ESG goals, offering transparent progress updates and assisting them in meeting reporting requirements under CDP, SBTi, EcoVadis, and BRSR. We demonstrate how integrated value chain practices build lasting customer trust.
Stage 4 – Integrate Across the Value Chain (2026–2028)
Finally, we deepen sustainable practices throughout our network, enhancing Scope 3 data quality, expediting climate target validation, and aligning procurement processes with top global standards.
Methodology and Frameworks
Supplier and customer engagement follows a four-level maturity model: Basic, Progressing, Advanced and Leaders. This allows us to spotlight best practices, boost high performers, offer tailored guidance to those advancing, and set clear minimum standards for newcomers. Our program benchmarks against CDP for disclosure, EcoVadis for supplier reviews, SBTi for climate targets, and both GRI and BRSR for reporting, ensuring we uphold credibility and relevance for all stakeholders.
Engagement Practices
Beyond measurement, our Value Chain ESG Program emphasizes ongoing collaboration. Supplier forums enable knowledge exchange among Leaders and Advanced members; training sessions and workshops bolster Progressing participants; direct customer outreach guarantees data transparency; and Basic suppliers gain clear requirements and introductory resources. Together, these actions deliver tangible progress toward our shared sustainability ambitions.
Future Outlook
This multi-year initiative is designed for sustained impact. In 2025, we’ll lay the groundwork with initial baselines and survey deployments; from 2026 through 2028, our focus will expand to broader engagement across the value chain. By recognizing the diverse starting points of our partners, we set practical and meaningful goals for improvement. Annual reviews ensure our objectives evolve alongside global frameworks and growing reporting expectations, positioning Black Box as a proactive leader in sustainability.
At Black Box, our commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) excellence weaves through every aspect of our operations, and it begins with our technology partners. As part of our Value Chain ESG Program, we've launched an in-depth, preliminary assessment of the core technology organizations featured in our annual report. These partners sit at the heart of our business ecosystem, enabling us to deliver transformative solutions for customers around the globe.
To build a solid foundation, we evaluated each partner against six critical criteria: governance practices, greenhouse gas emissions transparency, climate-related targets, alignment with CDP and EcoVadis frameworks, progress on decarbonization, and deployment of environmental and social management systems. Leveraging these benchmarks, partners were categorized into four maturity tiers: Leaders, Advanced, Progressing, or Basic.
Our analysis revealed nuanced distinctions:
This first-of-its-kind review provides a crucial baseline, highlighting strengths to celebrate and pinpointing areas where progress is needed. It confirms that Black Box is already collaborating with globally recognized sustainability leaders, while also making clear the importance of systematic improvement across our value chain. These insights directly inform our engagement strategy and shape the path forward.
Responsible business is non-negotiable at Black Box. Every supplier is expected to uphold rigorous standards around environmental stewardship, ethical conduct, and transparent governance. These requirements are outlined in our Supplier Code of Conduct, a cornerstone of our procurement process and a blueprint for global collaboration.
We hold ourselves and our partners accountable through annual ESG evaluations structured around our tiered maturity model. Results are shared transparently in our Annual Report and other key disclosures, providing stakeholders with year-over-year updates on greenhouse gas emissions, goal setting, and governance enhancements.
Our ESG commitments align with internationally accepted benchmarks for responsible business. By embedding these principles into policy and practice, we ensure our activities are measured against the world’s leading standards for transparency, governance, and environmental impact. This approach gives our stakeholders confidence that Black Box’s initiatives represent best-in-class performance.
The connection between climate risk and supplier engagement is direct and strategic. Insights from our Climate Risk & Transition Assessment immediately shape our Value Chain ESG Program. By identifying which supplier activities introduce transition risk, we can prioritize our engagement efforts, improve Scope 3 data accuracy, and focus resources on partners integral to meeting global disclosure requirements.
Change is the only constant, especially as we look ahead to how climate-related risks and opportunities will influence our operations. Guided by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), our Climate Risk & Transition Assessment explores the medium- and long-term impacts on our business, supporting our ongoing reporting to CDP and similar organizations.
We assessed two primary categories:
Our findings reaffirmed that supplier ESG maturity plays a pivotal role in managing transition risk. While some partners lead the charge with verified targets and detailed reporting, others are still building foundational capabilities. This gap presents both challenges requiring focused engagement and opportunities to deepen collaboration.
Looking ahead, we see substantial possibilities to expand sustainable technology offerings, strengthen stakeholder trust through transparent Scope 3 reporting, and foster innovation with suppliers and clients on decarbonization. Integrating our climate risk assessments with our broader ESG strategy ensures that risks are mitigated proactively, and opportunities are seized, bolstering Black Box’s resilience and ability to compete in a rapidly evolving landscape.
Through these connected actions, Black Box is not only responding to today’s expectations but preparing to lead in a more sustainable future.
For more information on our ESG initiatives, contact us at [email protected].
