Sustainability at Dayco

EcoVadis Silver Medal 2022Sustainability is a cornerstone of Dayco’s operations. We are committed to building and maintaining a sustainable company by safeguarding natural resources, fostering a culture of growth, safety and belonging with our employees, and creating efficient, innovative, and safe products. Dayco promotes sustainability by going above and beyond to deliver on initiatives that have positive environmental and societal impacts. We are pleased to once again be partnered with EcoVadis in 2022 and to have earned their silver status award. We look forward to continuing our partnership in 2023 and beyond.

In 2021, the Company enlisted the support of sustainability consultants to guide us in developing a robust sustainability framework. This work encompassed an internal audit and a peer benchmarking exercise as well as an illuminating materiality assessment with our executive team. We identified 14 priority Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) topics material to Dayco, our mission and our stakeholders.

Currently, Dayco is focusing on 6 of the 14 high priority topics identified in the materiality exercise. These 6 priority topics were aggregated into three pillars that drive our sustainability initiatives: Performance, People and Planet.

Pillars 2023

The world is going through a climate and humanitarian crisis with significant global implications. The climate change crisis is causing unpredictable and more frequent extreme weather events – rising sea levels, severe droughts, increasingly frequent forest fires, amongst others. The climate crisis is directly linked to the humanitarian crisis causing the most vulnerable communities to feel the effects of instability, hunger, violence, and displacement. We all share responsibility in addressing these global threats by committing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, by addressing social impacts as they arise and by ensuring adequate management controls are in place as a means of good governance. See below for how Dayco is driving sustainability initiatives within our three ESG pillars:

Implementing Responsible Governance

Good corporate governance is the foundation of our business – operating with honesty, transparency and integrity. Our board of managers and executive team strongly believe that good governance is essential to creating and preserving value for all our stakeholders. The board oversees our executive team who, in turn, lead our senior managers. Members of our senior managers, including our Global Environmental, Health and Safety manager, are responsible for implementing policies and procedures that promote ethical and sustainable operating practices.

Dayco works to maintain the highest standards of ethical behavior by demonstrating accountability, providing clear policies and guidance and communicating effectively. Compliance with our Code of Conduct ensures the integrity of all our actions. Showing respect for human rights, combatting corruption and ensuring compliance standards are met or exceeded across our supply chain demonstrates our commitment to conduct business responsibly.

At Dayco we take pride in setting and maintaining the highest levels of standards for product safety and quality management across our value chain. Our suppliers and business partners are held to the same standards as our business operations and are expected to abide by our Code of Conduct and our Global Supplier Performance Manual.  Dayco’s sound environmental, safety and occupational health management practices fully comply with industry standards. Dayco is proud to be ISO certified placing value on the importance of quality, safety and efficiency of our products, services, and systems — 100% of Dayco’s global manufacturing facilities are ISO 14001, ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certified.

Dnv Certification

Protecting Human Rights

Respect for human rights is especially important to our business and we believe this begins with our employees. We create a work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. Protecting all employees’ basic human rights, maintaining fair working hours and wages, committing to zero-tolerance for immoral practices involving child labor, forced labor and modern slavery and holding our suppliers to the same standards are all human rights elements outlined in Our Code of Conduct. Dayco strives to act with honesty and transparency, creating a safe and healthy environment with zero tolerance for harassment and discrimination. In addition, our internal complaints mechanism – Dayco’s Ethics Point hotline, is one of our approaches to ensuring respect for human rights. The most pertinent human rights issues derived from this framework include equal opportunity, health and safety, labor related aspects (child labor, forced labor, collective bargaining, and others) and zero tolerance for discrimination.

Driving Employee Well-being

We continuously invest in our workforce through wellness and benefits programs, creating a safe and healthy environment with equal opportunity and zero tolerance for discrimination. We also invest in our employees through training and development programs to provide the skills they need to grow in their careers.

We have several initiatives in place to ensure employee well-being – these include:

  • Operationalized global standards to ensure employee safety. Global standards include but are not limited to: Machine Safeguarding, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Confined Space, and others
  • Tracking key metrics such as Recordable Incident Rates and Lost Time due to injury

Promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Dayco pursues diversity, equity and inclusion because it is a fundamental ingredient to creating a more just and sustainable world. We believe diverse and inclusive teams offer unique perspectives which position us for success. We promote a culture where all employees are respected & valued and feel a sense of belonging.

We have several initiatives in place to promote diversity, equity and inclusion – these include:

See what Some of our Leaders have to Say about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Diversity Equity Inclusion Wang China“Respect the Team – is what Dayco lives by on a day-to-day basis. I am proud to be a part of Dayco’s global team where all staff, regardless of their differences, are treated with respect. We have great policies and systems in place from recruitment and annual performance management to making sure people have equal opportunities for growth within the company. Dayco China’s leadership team ensures compliance with these policies and systems to foster a culture of respect and equality across all plants in China. Embracing diversity, equity and inclusion is a never-ending goal for Dayco China where we will continuously leverage opportunities to enhance in this space. I am pleased to say that 50% of our leaders are women in China’s Guiyang office” – Kennie Wang, Director of Global Strategic Sourcing Belt.

Diversity Equity Inclusion Errejon Mexico“Nobody is exactly like you and that is exactly your power”, written on an award to recognize women on International Women’s Day, is how we here at Dayco Mexico perceive Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to me is treating all people, regardless of differences, the same because it is through these differences that we are able to grow further as a company. Dayco Mexico understands that access to job opportunities does not look the same to everybody. Especially to those that are considered vulnerable – single mothers, people with disabilities, the young and more senior groups of people, etc. I am proud to say that we have several initiatives in place that allows us to go that extra mile to ensure vulnerable groups have equal access to Dayco Mexico’s job opportunities – Karla Errejon, Plant Manager – Dayco Mexico.

Dayco Mexico Working Towards Gender Equality

Holding themselves accountable to the highest standards of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), Dayco begins from the top down supporting a diverse leadership team. Meet Karla Errejon, Plant Manager of Dayco’s San Luis Potosi (SLP), Mexico facility and a key member of the leadership team. She joined Dayco’s leaders in 2013 with many aspirations, one being enabling a culture of diversity and inclusion at Dayco. Since then, Karla and her team have created opportunities for some of the most vulnerable – women, single mothers, members of the LGBTQ community, the young and the more senior groups of people, amongst others.

Dayco’s leaders serve as role models and are responsible for promoting diverse, fair, and comfortable environments. Karla has taken this to heart by seeking to bring different people from various backgrounds to join the Dayco Mexico team. The company’s diversity mission commenced with gender – increasing the number of women in senior positions. To date, 33% of women in the Dayco SLP facility are in leadership positions. Their DE&I journey then shifted from solely focusing on female development and employment to focusing on both females and other vulnerable community members. Extra measures were taken to ensure that single mothers with low incomes and senior members of society were introduced to the right people within the organization and provided with access to job opportunities.

SLP Women Appreciation Day

SLP Women on International Women’s Appreciation Day

Dayco is leading by example and has many DE&I initiatives under way. For example, although recent college graduates are often overlooked in Mexico, the company provides internship opportunities linked to more permanent roles for those candidates who excel. On March 8th, International Women’s Appreciation Day, the company recognized female employees for their hard work through an award focused on the idea that “nobody is exactly like you and that is exactly your power”. Further advancing DE&I initiatives to promote workforce equity for people with disabilities, the company is having internal discussions to possibly partner with “Juntos”, a local non-profit organization with a mission to ensure that all women living with disabilities have access to services and opportunities. This undertaking would include revamping the work environment to make it more conducive to accommodate the needs of the disabled – of which Karla and her team have begun having these conversations.

“Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to me is treating all people, regardless of differences, the same because it is through these differences that we are able to grow further as a company” Karla states. Indeed, Karla and her team are working diligently to provide a diverse, fair and comfortable environment for all current and future Dayco employees.

Dayco Poland Prioritizing Inclusivity of their Ukrainian Team Members

Dayco believes that a diverse workforce allows for better decision making that ultimately leads to better risk management. Grounded by their Code of Conduct, Dayco’s culture promotes equal opportunities and has zero tolerance for discrimination. Dayco seeks to bring different people from various backgrounds into the company to promote an environment of respect and mutual understanding.

Sust Poland1Dayco Poland has been on a mission to make their Production workforce more diverse – about 38% of production staff are Ukrainian. Following this shift, Dayco Poland noticed that workforce diversity offered unique perspectives making them more successful as a company.

Dayco took this initiative to the next level by translating some of the most pertinent documents into Ukrainian. Documents translated included (but not limited to) – Work Regulations, Code of Conduct and Employee Information Book. By offering documents in multiple languages, Dayco Poland was able to ensure that employees of different backgrounds needs were being met, which is a basic human right. By doing so, Dayco will continue to provide their workforce with an environment where each individual is recognized as important to the company and can thrive and grow to their farthest potential.

Sust Poland2Even prior to the war on Ukraine, Dayco Poland has welcomed Ukrainian staff members into their Dayco home. Following the war, with thousands of individuals fleeing to Poland, initiatives to enhance diversity and ensure seamless transitions have been proven to be even more crucial. To ease Ukrainians transition into their Dayco home, Dayco Poland has been offering free Polish language classes to Ukrainian staff members. “Openness to other cultures gives us strength, shows our tolerance and respect for people, regardless of their origin. Through working with employees from Ukraine, we experience mutual learning of our cultures and values, we become better. The cultural diversity that we have built is unity, strength and success in joint action” Piotr Madejski, Plant Manager.

Reducing Waste and Promoting Circular Economy

We strive to preserve natural resources by reducing waste generation and by actively participating in the circular economy through our recycling initiatives. A sustainable circular economy involves repurposing materials for other uses. Our goal is to retain the functional value of materials, which will contribute to resource conservation and reduced environmental pressures. We at Dayco are proud to support circular economy initiatives some of which are outlined below:

  • Repurposing sewage wastewater, following treatment, to build a green city forest
  • Implementation of renewable energy infrastructure

Managing Climate Change

In an effort to combat climate change, preserve ecosystems and protect human health, Dayco aims to track, report and work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By 2025, we will:

  • Track electricity use and aspiring to increase use of renewable energy
  • Track fuel use and aspiring to transition from liquid fuels to natural gas and to electricity as technology allows
  • Quantify and identify our Carbon Footprint

 

We have several initiatives in place to manage climate change – these include:

Dayco India’s Tree Planting Initiative (India’s Promise to Align with the Paris Agreement)

Climate Protection Before

Tree Plantation Site – Before Initiative


Climate Protection After

Tree Plantation Site – After Initiative

Armed with saplings, representing 30 different species of trees, the entire Dayco India team planted over 600 trees just outside of Delhi in Manesar, India using treated sewage wastewater and organic fertilizer.  Establishing this multi-layered green forest is Dayco’s way of tackling some of the greatest global sustainability challenges facing the planet such as climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. This concept of utilizing waste for the regeneration of nature is known as Circular Economy. Dayco understands that we live in a world where natural resources are quickly being depleted.  The need for beneficially using materials that are disposed of as waste is one of the keys to addressing some of the world’s biggest sustainability issues.

Inspired by the Miyawaki methodology of natural resource restoration, in 2018 Dayco India began their journey to transform 312 sq. meters of empty surfaces into a biodiversity rich land that currently features 650 trees. Miyawaki projects involve planting two to four trees per square meter. These projects came about because of India’s promise, under the Paris Agreement, to improve its green cover from 25 to 33 percent. This promise is expected to yield lower temperatures in concrete-heat-island areas of India, reduce air and noise pollution, attract local birds and insects, and create carbon sinks.

In alignment with Dayco’s message of “Move Forward. Always.”, the team in India plans on planting additional trees every 18 months. The restoration site is near Dayco’s facility in India which is located in an industrial area surrounded by heavy traffic. This is a prime location for Dayco to further address sustainability issues like noise and air pollution while at the same time adding aesthetic appeal. “The team converted about 60% of our front lawn into this city forest. The tree plantation site in our lawns will make a positive contribution to society by reducing pollution. I am pleased that the forest has developed well in a short period of time” noted R.B. Singh, Managing Director & Unit Head Operations of Dayco India.

Our Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Policy

Dayco is committed to workplace safety, employees health/well-being and environmental preservation. The principles that relate to our EHS policy can be found here.