At the University of Suffolk, our financial and business decisions are grounded in long-standing principles of ethical responsibility, sustainability and transparency.

Our Treasury Management Policy, overseen by our Investment Committee, sets out the guidelines for our investment strategy, clearly defining which companies we will not invest in, whatever the potential return.

Furthermore, our Income and Credit Control Policy, overseen by our Audit and Risk Committee, sets the same criteria for any form of business and requires exceptional top-level approval for any proposal to conduct business with any company meeting the criteria, which are:

• Tobacco all companies classified as a “producer”, or those that derive 5% or more aggregate revenue from the production, distribution, retail and supply of tobacco-related products
• Alcohol all companies deriving 5% or more revenue from the production of alcohol-related products, or those deriving 15% or more aggregate revenue from the production, distribution, retail and supply of alcohol-related products
• Armaments all companies that produce or manufacture weapons including nuclear weapons, controversial weapons and civilian firearms or generate more than 15% aggregate revenue from the production, distribution, retail and supply of weapons-related products
• Gambling all companies deriving 5% or more revenue from ownership of gambling-related business activities, or those deriving 15% or more aggregate revenue from gambling-related business activities
• Adult Entertainment all companies deriving 5% or more revenue from the production of adult entertainment materials, or those deriving 15% or more aggregate revenue from the production of adult entertainment materials
• Fossil Fuels all companies that have proved and probable coal reserves and/or oil and natural gas reserves used for energy purposes
• Border industries all companies that profit from the management, surveillance, detention, and deportation of migrants and refugees
• Violation of international law any corporation that has been accused of, taken to court for, or are listed by the United Nations (‘UN’) as, violating international law or UN resolutions in the past 5 years. This typically involves complicity in human rights abuses, international environmental damage, or business operations in illegal settlements.

Our Procurement Policy, also overseen by our Audit and Risk Committee, goes further, recognising the wider responsibility of the University as an anchor institution and civic University, and includes guidelines to:

• Prioritise local suppliers, local alumni, or those that support local employment
• Prioritise suppliers with a local social or civic responsibility that supports Ipswich as a vibrant community in line with the University’s ambitions,
• Prioritise suppliers with an externally assessed sustainable policy, e.g., Soil Association or Fairtrade

This policy also incorporates sustainable procurement commitments by prioritising the following suppliers:

• Those with a carbon reduction plan, and specifically those who have signed up and committed to the Higher Education’s NETpositive Supplier Engagement Tool.
• Involved in habitat restoration projects,
• Adhere to sustainable sourcing practices, and
• Reduce waste, eliminate single-use plastic, and minimise resource extraction

The University also prioritises the following products:

• Designed for the circular economy, i.e., intentionally engineered for easy disassembly to enable subsequent repair, reuse, recycling, or recovery
• Less vulnerable to climate-related disruptions
• Certified or verified to have minimal impact on biodiversity and ecosystems
• Second-hand, repurposed assets
• Made from recycled or sustainable materials

The University also has a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery and expects this to be reflected throughout our supply chain. All tenders will require suppliers to provide basic supply chain transparency, with enhanced review in high-risk areas such as estates and facilities management (forced labour) and ICT equipment (forced labour and resource extraction).

A similar zero-tolerance approach is applied to fraud, corruption and criminal finance, with clear guidelines to staff outlined in the Staff Financial Responsibilities Policy. 

All our policies are overseen by the Board of the University who have set the strategic, ethical, and sustainable direction of the University.