Seeing the World through our Stakeholders' Eyes

Seeing the World through our Stakeholders' Eyes

Each year at FCA, we put on our creative hats to explore what matters most to the Company, to our stakeholders and to the world in general. This analysis of “materiality” takes many forms: we conduct an online global survey; we benchmark automotive competitors and leading firms from other sectors; we evaluate input from key stakeholders with whom our employees work on a regular basis; we look at global trends and risks.

Gathering stakeholder input to determine materiality is an ongoing process. As a global enterprise with a complex, intricately connected value chain, FCA engages with a wide range of stakeholders, including employees, customers, suppliers, dealers, institutions, investors, trade unions, associations and local communities. They help us to better identify risks and opportunities, as well as to align our objectives to social, technological and regulatory changes around the globe.

While many of our stakeholder activities are repeated annually for year-over-year tracking, we often try new, unique ways to probe materiality, with a view toward uncovering potential themes that are not yet fully on our radar. In each of the regions where FCA operates, these stakeholder initiatives are adapted to locally relevant topics.

sustainability topics
are material

~4,600

stakeholder surveys completed in 3 months during 2018

For instance, in 2018 we involved young people of different ages in open discussions, round tables and workshops.

Earlier this year, we turned to our student interns in the U.S. for a fresh look on two critical topics: the future of mobility and human rights in the supply chain. Workshops held in our U.S. technology center served a two-fold purpose: our interns learned about sustainability at FCA, and we, in turn, furthered our understanding of the economic, environmental and social impacts that the company and its stakeholders are facing. To make things more interesting for all involved, the two events were structured around role-playing.

At the first event, the students broke into teams, with each student assuming the identity of a major player in the automotive eco-system: manufacturer, technology or mobility service provider, utility company, community leader and consumer. The challenge? Identify what the business of moving people and goods will look like in 2025 from a variety of perspectives, and evaluate how mobility can more explicitly benefit society.

Seeing the World through our Stakeholders Eyes

The teams presented a diverse set of ideas focused on bringing affordable, accessible, efficient, safe and enjoyable mobility to a broader consumer base, while easing urban congestion. Among the concepts that were explored were autonomous and connected vehicles, shared rides, partial ownership, electrification and the subscription model.

The second workshop consisted of interns working in our Purchasing and Supply Chain Management organizations, whose challenge was the topic of responsible sourcing, specifically related to the safety and integrity of the global supply chain with respect to potential human rights issues. Our interns learned that FCA believes the responsible procurement of raw materials for our vehicles is essential, even if the source of the raw material is several tiers removed in our supply chain. By taking on the roles of automaker, Tier 1 supplier, sub-Tier supplier, nonprofit organization and worker, the students examined a multi-stakeholder approach to this issue that involves a collaborative effort among the various industries, regulatory agencies, non-government organizations, customers, and suppliers.

Another initiative targeting students is Alternanza Scuola-Lavoro, a program administered by the Italian government. It aims to familiarize high school students in Italy with real working situations. To support the program, FCA launched the FCA for Education project consisting of two initiatives: FCA Adoption and FCAe_discovery. During the 2017/2018 school year, FCA Adoption engaged students in a flexible work-school program. The students were guided along a route to discover sustainability themes throughout various FCA facilities. They had the opportunity to learn from FCA managers about the many professional paths available in a global company. They could participate in typical work situations such as meetings, brainstorming sessions, on-site audits and systems analysis.

They were also invited to provide input on relevant sustainability topics. Key topics and concerns that are raised through this kind of stakeholder engagement help contribute to FCA’s understanding of where we can best apply our resources.

FCAe_discovery is an online product for students that is accessible to all Italian high schools, with tutors available to assist them when needed. Among other topics, this training module teaches the students about the increasing connection between sustainability and business processes.

1,400

students participated
in FCA adoption initiative

7,300

students have access to
FCAe_discovery initiative

The information we glean from these efforts helps us prioritize our sustainability activities and reporting, as well as set targets to address the material topics that have been identified and respond to stakeholder needs and concerns.

If you have not done so already, you are invited to complete the survey – we welcome your opinion! Click here to start this 5-question survey.

Learning About Sustainability through a Virtual Community

JANUARY 4, 2018

Seeing the World through our Stakeholders' Eyes

Seeing the World through our Stakeholders' Eyes

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