Environmental, Social and Governance

Our Sustainability Policy

Approved by: Board of Directors of Xait AS

Date of approval: 25th of November 2021

Scheduled review: Annually

Document owner: CEO

Contact person: Eirik Gudmundsen

Purpose

This document defines Xait Software AS’ («Xait») general guidelines for corporate social responsibility and sustainability. The purpose is to reinforce and to guide our contribution to a sustainable economic, social and environmental development in the sectors and industries in which Xait operates. The policy shall support employees and managers in their strategic decisions and daily work.

At Xait Software, we are committed to harnessing our culture of innovation to be an industry role model on sustainability and contribute to setting sustainability on our industry’s agenda. We leverage the power of our people and our products to reduce the impact that we and our customers have on the planet. We see sustainability as a competitive advantage that helps us create long-term value for our business and our stakeholders.

 

Background

The development of our Sustainability Policy is part of the process of systematising the work we do on sustainability at Xait. For this policy, we conducted a basic, internal materiality assessment, which identified key topics that we believe are most important to our stakeholders and our success as a business.

As of 2022, we will start publishing a sustainability report, informed by the Global Reporting Initiative Standards (GRI) and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board’s (SASB) Software and IT Services sector guide. The report will serve to develop an effective sustainability strategy for Xait, which targets the most significant impacts of our organisation.

 

Scope

Our ESG policy applies to all of Xait’s employees, including the Board of Directors, and persons who, without being employed by Xait, work on assignment or as consultants for Xait. In addition, the policy covers all business activities in connection with customers, suppliers and others commercial partners. 

 

Framework

This policy is based on Norwegian law, and has been informed by the UN Principles for Corporate Social Responsibility (UN Global Compact), Xait’s values and purpose, as well as the Global Reporting Initiative Standards (GRI).

 

Definition

We define sustainability as: “Developing products and solutions that meet today's needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.”

 

Objectives

The objectives of this policy are to:

• Increase understanding of and commitment to the broader concept of sustainability within Xait
• Strengthen the Board and executive management’s oversight, proactive management and ongoing dialogue on sustainability topics
• Serve as a platform for developing a sustainability strategy under which Xait’s sustainability outcomes are maximised
• Embed sustainability considerations in all of Xait’s decision-making
• Integrate a consistent approach in applying sustainability across the organisation
• Adopt a systematic approach to identify, assess and respond to sustainability-related risks in business operations
• Communicate consistently and accurately Xait’s achievements in sustainability
• Establish Xait as an industry role model on sustainability that contributes to setting sustainability on our industry’s agenda

 

Principles

Xait is committed to respecting human rights and labour rights standards, preserve the climate and the environment, combat corruption and uphold good governance standards. This applies to the development of the Company’s products and services, consulting and sales, as well as investment decisions. The same requirements apply to the Company's suppliers.

Our purpose at Xait is to create a more sustainable society by supporting our clients in digitalising their operations, thereby improving energy efficiency, innovation, profitability and reducing the environmental footprint.

Our commitment to doing business fairly and responsibly is anchored in our values.

Our values are:

Trustworthy:
By acting honestly and with integrity, we gain the respect of customers, partners and suppliers. It creates the mutual trust necessary for delivering superior products and services.

Efficient:
We're agile and solution-orientated. By being efficient we contribute to making our customers more efficient- and ultimately more competitive. We are an integral part of their progress. 

Xaiting:

We are passionate about our work. We van challenge mindsets and make significant changes to the way people interact. Let's have fun! 

Thought leader:
It's time we acknowledge our ability to deliver products and services that change the way people work together. Let's nurture our ideas because they'll let us grow and prosper.

 

Xait’s commitment to respecting diversity, human rights, labour rights and the right to decent work entails:

• Having zero tolerance for all forms of bullying and discrimination, including verbal, physical and sexual harassment.
• Being an equal opportunities employer
• To work against discrimination on the basis of gender, ethnicity, skin colour, language, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, political opinions or other opinions, national or social origin and affiliation with national minorities.
• To consider gender imbalance as a risk and therefore strive for gender balance in all parts of the business. To work for equal pay for equal work of equal value, and to systematically work to redress any potential imbalances and close the pay gap that may be due to gender.
• To offer a workplace environment that is conducive to good health, beyond what is stated in the law's minimum requirements.
• To give all employees the opportunity for competency and skills development.
• To grant employees the fundamental right to be represented by a trade union and respect the rights of employees and their unions to negotiate collective bargaining agreements.
• To have routines and channels in place for notifying breaches of these commitments in accordance with the Norwegian Working Environment Act.

 

Xait’s commitment to preserve the climate and the environment entails:

• To contribute to sustainable development and to continuously minimise negative environmental impact.
• To encourage an environmentally-conscious workplace, by minimising waste, recycling and re-using as much as possible, conserving energy and encouraging employees to use sustainable methods of transportation to get to work.
• To drive innovation, develop and promote sustainable products and services that help customers reduce their energy consumption, waste and environmental footprint, and help them make environmentally-conscious choices.
• To prioritise climate-positive buildings when considering office relocations or acquiring new office space.

 

Xait commitment to upholding the highest ethical and corporate governance standards entails:

• To have a robust internal system against corruption, based on transparency and verifiability.
• To train employees in issues related to anti-corruption, money-laundering and bribery.
• To uphold the privacy of our customers, customer’s end users and employees. Xait shall at all times comply with the data protection laws of the countries in which it operates.
• To not enter into partnerships with or invest in companies that, through their own business or through entities they control, violate international and national laws, or Xait's internal guidelines, for human rights, labour rights, environmental regulations or anti-corruption.
• To not purchase goods and services from suppliers that violate international and national laws, or Xait's internal guidelines, for human rights, labour rights, environmental regulations or anti-corruption.
• To develop a Supplier Code of Conduct that sets forth the minimum standards of business conduct that we expect from all of our suppliers.