How stakeholder dialogues help pave the way for a healthier, sustainable world
Jul 24, 2025 | 2 minute read
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Continue Collaborating with and learning from diverse partners across the value chain helps us to address environmental and human rights challenges.
As global supply chains face increasing scrutiny, companies are under pressure to demonstrate how they’re addressing environmental and human rights risks in practice – not just in principle. Philips is working to drive more sustainable consumption and production practices across our value chain, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. A key part of this effort involves engaging a broad range of stakeholders to better understand environmental, social, and governance (ESG) challenges from multiple perspectives.
The approach builds on Philips’ longstanding commitment to protect and uphold human rights, part of Philips’ strategy to doing business with sustainable impact. We are turning our high-level human rights ambitions into tangible programs together with colleagues, suppliers and partners around the world.
In 2024, we hosted the annual Philips Supplier Sustainability Stakeholder Dialogue Meeting, bringing together representatives from NGOs, academia, government and industry. Through interactive sessions, we covered topics such as responsible sourcing and supply chain decarbonization, sharing valuable insights on maximizing positive impact in the supply chain.
The outcome was a clear path forward, identifying future trends, and aligning on overcoming ESG risks to achieve a healthier, more sustainable world. The group suggested actionable steps, including: developing a self-assessment tool to help companies improve sustainability performance and expand raw material mapping; enhancing transparency in sourcing; and emphasizing the importance of carbon emissions into tendering processes.
We look forward to supporting Philips’ continuous efforts for stakeholder engagement at all levels and specifically for the development of health solutions in low- and middle-income countries.
Since launching the stakeholder engagement program in 2015, Philips has remained open to dialogue and improvement with partners across the value chain, continually deepening our sustainability engagement. Thanks to enthusiastic participation, this year’s discussions reinforced the value of these exchanges and highlighted opportunities to expand them further. Several other strategies have emerged from these conversations, including a recommendation to adopt an intersectional perspective that considers the interlinkages between human rights and environmental issues, and to apply a child-specific lens to risk assessments that considers the unique challenges and vulnerabilities that children face, particularly in remote regions. Learn more about Philips' commitment to doing business with sustainable impact and upholding human rights here.
“We look forward to supporting Philips’ continuous efforts for stakeholder engagement at all levels and specifically for the development of health solutions in low- and middle-income countries,” said Pauline Neefjes, Senior Advisor Better Business for Children at UNICEF.
We value the recommendations shared and are committed to maintaining transparency and open dialogue in future stakeholder dialogues. By integrating environmental and social sustainability considerations at every stage of our design and production processes, Philips shows that sustainability is embedded within our business. Ongoing stakeholder input helps us assess emerging risks and take proactive steps for mitigation. This approach aligns with our goal of creating more resilient, equitable and sustainable healthcare systems – ensuring the well-being of future generations.
