Supplier

Responsibility
Report
2023
 Supplier Responsibility Report 2023
2 Supplier responsibility at Google
3 About our suppliers
4 About this report

Our approach
7 Building the inclusive, tech-forward supply chain of the future
8 Meeting today’s urgent global needs
9 Focusing on our people, communities, and planet
10 How we make it happen
11 2022 highlights

Putting people first

13 Overview
14 Laying a foundation for fairness
16 Creating safe and healthy workplaces
19 Setting a high bar for ethics
21 Assessing conformance with our Supplier Code of Conduct requirements
23 Managing supplier adherence to our SCOC: Site assessments
24 Using audits to identify—and correct—noncompliance

Strengthening communities
31 Overview
32 Sourcing minerals responsibly
34 Increasing community resilience
35 Advancing supplier diversity

Progress and commitments

37 Progress against targets

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 1

 Supplier responsibility at Google
It’s never been more important to promote responsible business conduct
within our operations and throughout our supply chain. Increasing climate-
related natural disasters, economic pressures, and government and
consumer demands continue to raise the bar for corporate responsibility.
We remain steadfast in our commitments to ensuring a responsible and
sustainable supply chain as part of our larger efforts to foster a culture of
responsible business.
As the foundation of our Supplier Responsibility program, Google requires
suppliers to abide by our Supplier Code of Conduct. And we conduct audits
of our suppliers to make sure they are living up to the expectations we set.
We’ve also invested in ongoing supplier training and education and have
equipped suppliers with resources to promote ethical business practices,
respect human rights, and uphold safe and healthy workplaces.
While program changes have impeded our ability to achieve some of our
stated goals from last year, we’ve taken this as an opportunity to evaluate our
priorities and strategies. As we conduct this in-depth review of our program,
we’re developing our roadmap for achieving and maintaining a best-in-class
supplier responsibility program.
This year, we’ve also made a few changes to streamline our reporting.
In this report, you’ll find details of supplier responsibility achievements
across our workplaces and communities, centering on the people integral
to our work. To see how we’re driving positive environmental outcomes,
our dedicated Environmental Report dives into the details—including our
goal to achieve net-zero emissions across all of our operations and value
chain by 2030 and our work with suppliers on reducing waste, sourcing
recycled materials, and responsible water usage.
Our detailed data, analysis, and insights exemplify our hard work, shared
commitment, and dedication to being catalysts for positive change across
global supply chains. The future holds immense promise, and we’re determined
to do our part in shaping it.

Spyro Karetsos
Chief Compliance Officer

Ana Corrales
Chief Operating Officer, Devices & Services

Monique Picou
VP, Cloud Supply Chain & Operations

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 2

 About our suppliers
We work worldwide with suppliers that support our business and operations,
including hardware manufacturing and indirect services. With the support
of our suppliers, Google is able to offer our core products and platforms—
Android, Chrome, Gmail, Google Drive, Google Maps, Google Play, Search,
and YouTube—each with broad and growing adoption by users around the
world. The hardware in our data centers helps power all of those products
as well as a broader set of cloud-based products and services, including
Google Workspace collaboration tools and satellite mapping and analysis
platforms like Google Earth. Our consumer hardware devices include
Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit products, and other devices.

We work with
suppliers in over

80
countries.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 3

 About this report
Google formally launched our Supplier Responsibility program in 2012.
In 2017, we published our first report, which outlined our framework,
tools, and key performance metrics.
This year’s report centers on our commitment to support the people
and communities within our supply chain. It highlights several key 2022
projects across our supplier network that help illustrate our program’s
successes, challenges, and aspirations.
Information about our environmental supplier initiatives and engagement
efforts has been consolidated into Google’s 2023 Environmental Report.

Read our 2023 Environmental Report.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 4

 The data in this report covers our 2022 fiscal year (January 1 through
December 31, 2022). The majority of the data in this report covers Alphabet
Inc. and its subsidiaries, including Google LLC. All reported data is global
and annual unless otherwise specified. Our Supplier Responsibility program
includes suppliers providing a wide range of products and services. By signing
our contracts, suppliers commit to adhering to our Supplier Code of Conduct.
Our supplier site assessment program includes primarily hardware, logistics,
and extended workforce suppliers.

For more information about our Supplier Responsibility program—

including case studies, white papers, and blogs—please see our
Supplier Responsibility website.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 5

 Our approach

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 6

 Building the inclusive, tech-forward
supply chain of the future
We aspire to create a supply chain model for the future that accomplishes
the following:

• Includes everyone. We want to collaborate with suppliers and peers across

industries and service sectors to create a safer, fairer, and more equitable
supply chain.

• Makes things better. We want to leave every supplier’s workplace,

community, and ecosystem that we touch better than we found it.

• Transforms with technology. We want to invest in and build technologies

to create the world’s most trusted supply chain.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Our approach 7

 Meeting today’s urgent
global needs
The global COVID-19 pandemic compelled us to adapt swiftly and rise
to new challenges to protect the health and safety of every person in our
supply chain. Upholding our collective well-being remains our top priority.
In 2022, we continued to support our suppliers in adhering to both local
and global COVID-19 guidelines in accordance with our Supplier Code of
Conduct, and we enhanced our safety measures in response to evolving
recommendations.
Now, as we shift our focus to ongoing safety management, we harness
the momentum generated during the initial pandemic to tackle today’s most
pressing issues: the well-being of people and ecosystems, resource scarcity,
and climate change. Our goal is to drive meaningful and positive change across
all our value chains. In response to the current challenges, we seek to be highly
strategic in how we engage with suppliers, their communities, and the people
and ecosystems that are integral to both.
Every decision we make has the potential to affect people, communities,
and ecosystems in countless ways. So, at every stage, we strive to understand
the interconnected impacts of our supply chain and to be inclusive and
restorative across all areas of our work.
This work requires collaboration, both internally and with partners, to determine
where we can have the most influence and make the biggest impact. It also
requires ongoing transparency, dialogue, and accountability from everyone in
our supply chain, along with a willingness to adjust our strategies and continually
improve as we learn.
We work across industries to set expectations for ourselves and our
suppliers on both social and environmental performance. By investing in areas
like worker engagement, renewable energy, transparency in the mineral supply
chain, and materials reuse, we’re working to create stronger and more resilient
communities. By partnering with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs),
industry groups, peers, and suppliers, we’ll continue our efforts to have a
more positive impact on our suppliers and their communities.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Our approach 8

 Focusing on our people,
communities, and planet
Our Supplier Responsibility program spans eight priority areas, which
we’ve organized into three categories: putting people first, strengthening
communities, and protecting the planet. This report emphasizes our
commitment to the people and communities integral to our work. (Our 2023
Environmental Report addresses the sustainability aspects of our work.)

Putting people first

We’re committed to a fair and inclusive supply chain that creates shared
value everywhere we operate.
• Treating the people in our supply chain fairly

• Creating safe and healthy workplaces

• Operating ethically

Strengthening communities

We aspire to strengthen communities everywhere we do business. This

includes sourcing minerals responsibly, empowering residents of mining
communities to pursue alternative economic opportunities, and ensuring
that we support diverse businesses throughout our supply chain.
• Sourcing minerals responsibly

• Increasing community resilience

• Advancing supplier diversity

Protecting the planet

We’re working to build an energy-efficient, low-carbon, circular supply

chain that makes smart use of the earth’s resources, protects ecosystems,
and supports decarbonization. Please see our 2023 Environmental Report
for specific insights into our environmental priorities.
• Addressing the climate crisis

• Working to increase resource efficiency and circularity

• Expanding access to clean energy

These areas are interwoven and mutually reinforcing. For example, treating
the people who work in our supply chain with dignity and respect creates
stronger, more empowered communities. Investing in infrastructure in
supplier communities generates more social and economic opportunities
and helps reduce reliance on extractive industries such as mining. Replacing
dirty energy sources with renewable options reduces greenhouse gas
emissions and increases community and global well-being.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Our approach 9

 How we make it happen
Our program strategy is built on four major pillars that help mitigate
risk and benefit people and places through responsible sourcing.

1. Supplier Code of Conduct. Our Supplier Code of Conduct sets

expectations designed to protect the health, safety, and treatment of
the people who work in our supply chain. This includes the prohibition
of any form of modern slavery, including slavery, servitude, forced or
compulsory labor, and human trafficking. Our Supplier Code of Conduct
is included in our supplier contract templates, and we expect suppliers
to actively drive adherence to the Code.

2. Supplier engagement. Through mechanisms such as supplier self-

assessments, risk assessments, and on-site third-party audits, we gauge
how suppliers are performing relative to our standards, identify potential
risks, and address concerns. We also work closely with manufacturing
suppliers to build capabilities in areas like improving environmental
performance, providing healthy and safe workplaces, and increasing
transparency in the mineral supply chain.

3. Community investment. We work with supplier and upstream

communities to minimize the negative impacts of manufacturing, improve
lives, and protect the local environment. This includes collaborating with a
range of local and global partners, stakeholders, and researchers to ensure
community access to clean energy and related economic opportunities.
We also work with communities and authorities to support conflict-free
mining, including investing in programs that create economic alternatives
to mining for local citizens.

4. Partnerships. We partner with NGOs, industry groups, suppliers, and

peers to tackle issues bigger than any company could address alone.
Our partners bring a wide range of expertise and creative thinking to issues
like improving worker well-being, advancing impact sourcing, increasing
transparency in minerals mining, reducing reliance on raw materials,
bringing electricity to mining communities, and expanding renewable
energy markets.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Our approach 10

 2022 highlights
Putting people first

85 4,500+ 789
We performed on-site or remote assessments Through third-party surveys and interviews, At our annual Supplier Responsibility Summit,
at 85 supplier sites, giving us a cumulative we engaged more than 4,500 people who 789 participants from 234 unique supplier
total of 479 site assessments since launching work in our supply chain, giving us important organizations gathered to advance our
our program.1 insights into priorities. commitment to supplier responsibility, foster
collaboration, and promote ethical practices
across our supply chain.

Strengthening communities

100% 15,000
For the fifth year in a row, 100% of the The 12 projects completed by the
smelters or refiners we used for four conflict Congo Power program between 2018 and
minerals—tantalum, tin, tungsten, and 2022 have provided renewable energy access
gold—were Compliant.2 to nearly 15,000 people in the Democratic
Republic of Congo.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Our approach 11

 Putting
people first
Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 12
 Overview
We’re committed to building a healthy, inclusive supply chain. In practice,
this means honoring and respecting everyone who engages with the
Google supply chain and striving to ensure that their workplaces promote
worker well-being. Our baseline is to ensure that Google treats every
person working in our facilities with dignity and respect, maintains safe
and healthy workplaces, and holds suppliers to high ethical standards.
But our long-term goal is more ambitious: We aim to unlock the power
of partnerships and change the dynamic between companies, suppliers,
and users so that together we can create a safer, fairer, and more
equitable supply chain.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Putting people first 13

 Laying a foundation for fairness
We believe every person working in our supply chain should be treated fairly
and with dignity and respect. We accomplish this by deploying policies and
processes that are designed to protect the people who make our products
and provide valuable services to our company.
The foundation of this work is our Supplier Code of Conduct, which
includes our expectations for labor and human rights, health and safety,
environmental responsibility, and ethics and compliance. We expect all
suppliers in our operations and supply chain—and their suppliers—to
ensure that employment is freely chosen and that their employees pay zero
recruitment fees. Our suppliers also must prohibit the use of child labor,
guard against sexual harassment and verbal abuse, prevent discrimination,
and support freedom of association and collective bargaining rights.
We hold suppliers accountable to our Supplier Code of Conduct through
a multi-step assessment process, which includes self-assessments, risk
assessments, and independent third-party audits that allow us to detect
areas of nonconformance. See page 21 for more detail on our site assessment
processes and performance.

Engaging the people in our supply chain

The employees working for our suppliers often provide some of the most
valuable insights into what’s working and what needs improvement. That’s
why hearing directly from them is a crucial component of our audits and
broader supplier engagement. In 2022, our worker engagement program
centered on understanding employees’ challenges and concerns, particularly
regarding our Supplier Code of Conduct. We seek to promote positive and
healthy workplaces that support personal and professional growth. As we
gather feedback, we plan to prioritize the areas of highest importance to
supply chain workers and address their concerns, ensuring that our supplier
engagement program accurately reflects their needs. By offering continued
support, we can help our suppliers create and maintain healthy organizational
cultures and work environments.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Putting people first 14

 Empowering the voices in our supply chain
To hear directly from the people in our supply chain, we gather
feedback through anonymous worker surveys and face-to-face interviews.
A comprehensive survey, customizable to each supplier, invites workers
and supervisors to share their anonymized concerns and satisfaction in
areas such as working conditions, health and safety, wages and benefits,
working hours, and communication with management. We also release
a standardized questionnaire to gauge general sentiments of the people
in our supply chain.
In addition, we encourage suppliers to participate in the Responsible
Business Alliance (RBA) Voices worker surveys. We coordinate with
suppliers and deploy the worker surveys via QR codes, a method that is
widely accessible to workers and easily scalable globally. The collective
results increase transparency, provide detailed insight into working
conditions within our suppliers’ facilities, and inform concrete actions
we can take to improve them.
We heard directly from more than 4,500 people throughout our supply
chain via our third-party audit process or worker surveys in 2022.

Advancing opportunities for the people

in our supply chain
In 2021, we developed a worker capacity-building initiative, which launched in
2022, to support the personal and professional development of the people
who work in our supply chain. We partnered with suppliers to provide
a digital and interactive learning experience to production workers and
frontline supervisors via the RBA Voices app, specifically designed to bolster
engagement. Within the app, Google creates custom learning maps that aim
to improve workers’ health awareness and leadership and communication
skills to promote healthy team dynamics.
We’re continuing to design our holistic, long-term approach to advancing
workplace well-being. In partnership with our suppliers, we’re working
to improve health equity for vulnerable groups and to integrate healthy
workplace practices that promote individuals’ mental and physical well-being.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Putting people first 15

 Creating safe and healthy
workplaces
Workplace safety is a top priority, now more than ever. We remain committed
to ensuring that everyone who makes our products or provides us with
services works in a healthy and safe environment. In accordance with our
Supplier Code of Conduct, our suppliers are expected to maintain safe and
healthful workplaces that comply with all applicable laws and to implement
a management system for identifying and resolving related issues.
Suppliers and their health and safety management systems must identify,
evaluate, and control worker exposure to all safety and health hazards—
including chemical, biological, physical, and ergonomic stressors—and
suppliers must provide proper design, controls, procedures, and guidance
in factory production and other work environments. We also expect suppliers
to plan for potential emergencies and provide the people in our supply chain
with ready access to clean toilet facilities, potable water, and sanitary food
preparation, storage, and eating facilities. If provided, housing facilities must
be clean, safe, and fair and include adequate personal space and hot water
for bathing and showering.
In 2022, we continued to require suppliers to maintain their commitment
to evolving COVID-19 management practices in accordance with local
guidance. These requirements include the ongoing implementation of safety
measures, such as having a preparedness and response plan for infectious
diseases, enforcing infection prevention protocols, establishing procedures
for identifying and isolating individuals showing symptoms, advocating for
workplace flexibility and protective measures, and continuously monitoring
and evaluating their strategies and plans.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Putting people first 16

 Driving healthier manufacturing processes
We’re committed to helping our suppliers protect their people and promote
environmental health and safety in their communities. We continue to work
with our suppliers and industry partners to identify and eliminate harmful
substances from our manufacturing process by giving our suppliers the
knowledge and support they need to transition to safer alternatives.
In 2017, we began incorporating substances from our Manufacturing
Restricted Substances List (MRSL) into our Restricted Substances
Specification for consumer hardware. To further support this initiative,
in 2018, we launched an MRSL assessment and declaration program, along
with comprehensive training, to request information from our suppliers
on their use of manufacturing restricted substances (MRS). In addition,
we started conducting on-site chemical management assessments (CMAs)
at suppliers’ facilities to verify the efficacy of chemical hazard controls and
provide consultation to help suppliers successfully redesign their processes
with safer alternatives. For any supplier that fails to meet the minimum
requirements of Google’s safety standards, we create corrective action plans
(CAPs) that outline specific action items for resolution. Our Responsible
Chemical Management team monitors supplier CAP progress to ensure
that all findings are thoroughly addressed.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Putting people first 17

 In 2022, we conducted five on-site CMAs at supplier sites. Across the sites,
SPOTLIGHT
we noted 30 findings, all of which have since been fully resolved. Since the
A proactive approach to
safer product materials launch of our CMAs, we have guided suppliers to resolve a total of 226 issues,
strengthening their overall chemical management systems and practices.
Making safe electronics requires a
In 2020, we expanded our Responsible Chemicals Management program
comprehensive understanding of potential
chemical hazards—beyond those currently by developing and implementing the Process Chemicals Full Material
regulated. However, the assessments needed
Disclosure (FMD) Data Collection and Assessment program for key suppliers.
to find safer options have historically been
costly and limited in scope. By creating a This program gives us an in-depth understanding of what and how process
repository of hazard assessment data, we can chemicals are used during manufacturing or maintenance. The FMD
share critical information across the industry,
accelerating innovation and fostering a safer program collects data on chemical use during manufacturing and evaluates
chemistry landscape for the entire sector. occupational exposure risks from hazardous chemicals so we can help

Learn how our recent work with suppliers minimize the risks of and phase out restricted substances.
ChemForward is improving access to After completing FMD training and data collection for 21 key contract
essential assessment data and tools
to develop safer products.
manufacturing facilities in the first year, we expanded the program to new
final assembly manufacturing sites. In 2022, we evaluated 23 additional
facilities and broadened our evaluation to include 156 chemical processes
that we assess for their applications and exposure control measures. Based
on follow-up investigations with suppliers, we’ve provided consultation and
facilitated safer substitutes for chemicals of higher toxicity. This effort has
helped create safer working conditions for the nearly 2,800 people who
work directly with the chemicals.
In addition to performing ongoing assessments, maintaining safe chemical
management also hinges on comprehensive supplier education. In 2021,
we issued two new guidance and specification documents aimed at helping
suppliers identify, assess, and mitigate occupational risks related to chemicals
used in the manufacturing process. The new guidelines require suppliers to
comply with Google’s MRS specifications for all products and components
they manufacture or provide to Google. Manufacturing sites must establish
and implement a chemical management program to evaluate the purchase,
use, transportation, and disposal of all hazardous chemicals. In addition to
training and engaging the people who work with chemicals, suppliers must
also perform job hazard assessments to ensure control mechanisms protect
their people and the environment.
Building on this foundation, we made significant strides in supplier
education during 2022. We enhanced our online training on responsible
chemical management (RCM), incorporating it into the RBA platform in
both English and simplified Chinese versions. Since the program’s inception,
nearly 250 suppliers have successfully completed our RCM training, with
45 completing it in 2022 alone. These trainings are mandatory for selected
suppliers, which we determine based on MRSL responses and RCM guidance.
In 2022, we also began identifying strategic suppliers to promote RCM
practices throughout their own supply chains.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Putting people first 18

 Setting a high bar for ethics
We expect our suppliers to uphold high ethical standards, including
not engaging—directly or indirectly—in corruption, bribery, extortion,
embezzlement, or other illegal practices. To meet these standards, we
encourage companies to disclose information about their business activities,
financial situations, and performance in line with regulations and industry
practices. We also expect our suppliers to protect Google’s intellectual
property and confidential information from attacks by third parties.

Addressing ethical conduct and preventing

modern slavery
In 2021, we established a Human Rights Executive Council, composed
of senior leaders across relevant product areas and functions, and headed
by our president of global affairs and chief legal officer. The Council oversees
the implementation of our civil and human rights work, including the
prevention of modern slavery.
Forced labor, indentured labor, debt bondage, and other forms of modern
slavery can occur in industries with many workers and few regulations.
We have zero tolerance for any form of modern slavery in our supply chain.
Our contracts require Google suppliers to comply with laws against
international human trafficking, forced labor, and modern slavery. We reserve
the right to audit any facility where modern slavery is reported and to
terminate our agreements for any violation of these policies.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Putting people first 19

 Each year, we hold a Supplier Responsibility Summit to exchange insights,
align on sustainability objectives, and reinforce our shared commitment to
responsible sourcing. We cover how to advance healthy, fair workplaces;
accelerate affordable, accessible clean energy; and drive circular, waste-
free operations.
During our Summit in April 2022, we conducted two sessions specifically
focused on educating our suppliers about forced labor. Both were designed
to empower our high-risk suppliers with the knowledge and tools they need
to proactively identify and mitigate potential risks within their own operations
and supply chains. In total, 789 participants from 234 unique suppliers met
at the Summit—a 165% increase in unique suppliers from the prior year. This
growth in attendance showcases our supply network’s shared commitment
to addressing critical social and environmental issues.
We also train our vendors, temporary staff, and independent contractors
to report concerns of illegal or unethical activity and to avoid working with
parties that engage in modern slavery or other illegal practices. In addition,
we have an online training course that includes anti-modern slavery education
for people who work in roles related to hardware supplier management.
Our anti-modern slavery program maintains our commitment to supply
chain integrity. For more information, please see our Policy Against Modern
Slavery, which defines modern slavery, lists prohibited actions, and provides
channels for reporting suspected instances.

Read our 2022 Statement Against Modern Slavery.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Putting people first 20

 Assessing conformance with
our Supplier Code of Conduct
requirements
We follow a multi-step process for evaluating our suppliers. Performing
regular assessments helps us address potential issues early on and support
our suppliers in taking corrective actions.

Supplier self-assessment process

Self-assessments kick-start the evaluation and risk assessment process.
We ask all new suppliers to complete a detailed self-assessment that helps
gauge their understanding of and commitment to our expectations. The
companies’ responses help us identify potential risks of nonconformance
with the requirements in our Supplier Code of Conduct (SCOC) and provide
a launching point for suppliers to critically consider their own social and
environmental impacts.
Many suppliers already have strong programs to address our requirements.
When a self-assessment indicates that a supplier does not meet our
expectations, we work with the supplier to ensure it develops programs
to address our concerns.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Putting people first 21

 Understanding and evaluating risks
in our supply chains
Along with having suppliers evaluate their operations, we perform our own
ongoing due diligence to verify compliance and understand our supply chain’s
current and potential risks.
Our extensive Supplier Risk Assessment process evaluates the social,
environmental, and ethical risks of working with individual suppliers or
groups of suppliers. The results give our supplier managers insights to help
them make better-informed sourcing decisions and proactively manage
their supplier relationships.
When performing a Supplier Risk Assessment, we look at a variety of
factors, such as:

• Country-level risks. Are certain countries at higher risk for certain types
of social or environmental risks?

• Product- and service-specific risks. Do suppliers use chemically intensive

manufacturing processes? How physically demanding is the work involved?

• Supplier fines or convictions. Has the supplier previously been fined for
human rights, environmental, or corruption violations?

• Google’s supplier-engagement efforts. Has the supplier submitted a

self-assessment? If problems were found during an audit, has the supplier
taken steps to resolve them?

• Supplier relationship. How strategic is the supplier to our business? Do we

influence the design of the product or the selection of the components?

Risk-based supplier engagement model

Increasing risk

Site 
assessments
& CAP
management

Supplier Risk Assessment

Expectation of compliance with SCOC

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Putting people first 22

 2022 audit overview3
Managing supplier adherence
85
Supplier site assessments
to our SCOC: Site assessments
Findings from the self-evaluation and initial Supplier Risk Assessment
determine whether we need to conduct additional assessments at the

1,111
suppliers’ facilities. We prioritize on-site audits for our contract manufacturers,
original equipment manufacturers, and suppliers identified as high risk.
Every SCOC audit is conducted by an approved third-party audit firm
Nonconformance issues identified
to assess conformance with Google’s SCOC and applicable laws and
regulations. We also encourage our suppliers to participate in RBA Validated
Assessment Program (VAP) audits. The audits include in-depth factory,
facility, and dormitory tours; management meetings; on-site worker
interviews; and reviews of the supplier’s documents and records.
In 2020, we implemented remote assessments that have since allowed
us to continue evaluating high-risk suppliers in locations where COVID-19
made it difficult for our third-party assessment teams to visit sites. Our
Targeted Desktop Assessments (TDAs) focus on a remote desktop review
of a supplier’s management system to assess whether that supplier has
policies and procedures to address our SCOC requirements.
These assessments of our suppliers’ facilities allow us to determine
whether the supplier is meeting our standards, hear directly from the
people in our supply chain (in the case of on-site assessments), and identify
opportunities for our suppliers to address issues. Our audits also provide
valuable opportunities to raise suppliers’ awareness of their social and
environmental responsibilities, promote accountability, understand leading
practices, and encourage greater transparency.
Since the inception of our program in 2013, we have performed 479 on-site
and remote assessments.4

Our supplier site assessment types

SCOC audit RBA VAP audit TDA

On-site assessment performed Validated Assessment Program Remote desktop assessment

by a third-party audit firm and (VAP) audit conducted by an performed by a third-party audit
managed by Google. RBA-approved, third-party auditor. firm and managed by Google.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Putting people first 23

 Using audits to identify—and
correct—noncompliance
When we find that a supplier is not conforming, we expect that supplier to
provide a corrective action plan (CAP) that outlines the root cause of the
finding, how and when that company will resolve the issue, and what steps it
will take to prevent recurrence. We determine whether the plan is acceptable
based on the severity of the nonconformance and the effort and time
required to resolve the issue.
We expect suppliers to demonstrate improvements to continue working
with us. Our goal is to resolve the most severe issues immediately. We expect
all other findings to be resolved in accordance with our guidelines as quickly
as is practical. While we work with our suppliers to help them address our
findings, in some instances, we may decide to no longer pursue a relationship
or to terminate our current relationship with a supplier.
Once a CAP is approved, we expect the supplier to provide evidence of
resolution and commit to maintaining those improvements over time, which
may require follow-up verification. Once the supplier is able to demonstrate
that it has successfully implemented the approved CAP, we change the plan’s
status to “closed” and continue to monitor for risks at the supplier site.

Guidelines for corrective action plans (CAPs)

Create Implement Monitor

Google: Provides an audit report  Supplier: Begins to implement Supplier

to the supplier with identified the CAP in accordance with  • Monitors and reports the status
nonconformance issues the agreed-upon timelines,  until closure
Supplier: Provides a root-cause depending on the severity 
• Continuously monitors and
analysis and proposed CAP within of the nonconformance issue
corrects any issue
applicable deadline (within 30 days Google: Monitors CAP Google
of receiving finding or s ooner for implementation and provides
Zero Tolerance and Priority findings) guidance as needed • Provides guidance as needed
Google: Reviews the completed • Reviews final evidence of
CAP and signs off on acceptability implementation and notifies the
supplier if the CAP has been
accepted or requires follow-up
• Escalates overdue findings
• Audits again, as needed, 
for Zero Tolerance, Priority,
and Major findings

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Putting people first 24

 Most common nonconformance findings in 2022
Because we frequently add and audit new supplier sites, the percentage
of findings within each category and the most common types of findings
tend to be similar from year to year. While we actively work to reach 100%
conformance, the remaining nonconformance findings may include ongoing,
overdue CAPs due to delays caused by the pandemic or other challenges in
working with the supplier to address the nonconformance findings.

Audit findings by category in 2022

Nonconformance category
0.2%
15.6% Labor

3.1% Health & Safety

Environmental
10.6% 40.1% Ethics

Management System

Other

30.4%

Most common nonconformance findings in 2022

12% 7%
Freely Chosen
Emergency

14.9%
Employment
Preparedness

Working Hours
6.8%
9.7%
Wages and
Occupational
Safety
Benefits

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Putting people first 25

 Working Hours
In 2022, we found the most instances of nonconformance within the category
of Working Hours—an area of continued focus within the industry. Working
excessive hours strains employees’ physical and mental health, increasing
stress levels and risk of injury and accidents, while also impairing personal
relationships. In order to ensure the people in our supply chain rest enough
between shifts, workweeks should not exceed 60 hours (including overtime)
or should comply with the maximum set by local law, whichever is the stricter
standard. Employees must also be allowed at least one day off every seven
days. As we continued to see pressures on working hours from the pandemic
and related labor shortages, we found an overall conformance rate of 80%.
This result was driven by a 57% increase in conformance after implementing
CAPs at supplier facilities to address findings related to Working Hours.

Emergency Preparedness
Our audits aim to protect the people in our supply chain from threats to
workplace health and safety wherever possible—including those beyond
our control. Emergency Preparedness was the second most common area
where we found nonconformance issues in 2022. We require supplier facilities
to adhere to fire codes, maintain adequate fire alarm systems, and practice
emergency-response drills. Facility managers must train their employees to
sufficiently detect potential emergency situations and follow response plans
and procedures that focus on minimizing harm to people, property, and the
environment. After CAP implementation, we found 91% of audited suppliers
in conformance with these standards.

Wages and Benefits

We expect that everyone who works in our supply chain receives fair
compensation and require our suppliers to pay their employees all legally
required wages and benefits; this includes laws related to minimum wage
and overtime compensation. The most common Wages and Benefits
nonconformance findings related to lack of compliance with providing
all required social benefits. After CAP implementation, over 89% of
audited suppliers were in conformance with the expectations outlined
in Google’s SCOC.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Putting people first 26

 Freely Chosen Employment
In addition to ensuring that workers are not subjected to unreasonable
overtime expectations, we require that their conditions of employment are
freely chosen: Workers’ employment must be their decision—and theirs
alone. Freely Chosen Employment continues to be an important focus area.
Our findings included issues related to inadequate communication of critical
employment terms in workers’ native languages, especially for migrant
workers, and insufficient policies to prevent forced labor in the manufacturing
process at any stage. After successful CAP implementation, we saw a 41%
increase in the number of supplier facilities meeting our standards, resulting
in 91% of audited suppliers being in conformance.

Occupational Safety
To prevent injury and illness from workplace hazards—chemical, electrical,
fire, vehicular, and others—suppliers must provide employees with
appropriate protective equipment and procedures in compliance with our
Occupational Safety requirements. When supplier facility managers cannot
eliminate hazards or control them with procedural redesigns or substitutions,
suppliers must provide all employees working directly with the hazards with
sufficient protection, such as personal protective equipment and ongoing
training. More than 95% of audited suppliers were in conformance with
our Occupational Safety requirements.

The more we equip suppliers’ employees with the necessary tools to

identify, mitigate, and manage workplace risks, the safer their jobs—and
the better their overall well-being.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Putting people first 27

 2022 audit conformance data
In the table below, the lighter bars show the percentage of unique audited
supplier facilities that had no findings for the listed criteria after their audit.
The darker bars show the percentage that had no findings after the corrective
action plan (CAP) process was completed.

Labor
Freely Chosen Employment 49.41% 90.59%

Child Labor Avoidance; Student Interns 60.00% 98.82%

Working Hours 23.53% 80.00%

Wages and Benefits 35.29% 89.41%

Humane Treatment 70.59% 96.47%

Non-Discrimination 69.41% 96.47%

Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining 91.76% 98.82%

Immigration Law and Compliance 98.82% 98.82%

Percentage in conformance before CAP Percentage in conformance after CAP

Health & Safety

Health & Safety Management System 90.59% 96.47%

Occupational Safety 45.88% 91.76%

Emergency Preparedness 36.47% 90.59%

Occupational Injury and Illness 62.35% 95.29%

Industrial Hygiene 78.82% 96.47%

Physically Demanding Work 82.35% 98.82%

Machine Safeguarding 89.41% 97.65%

Sanitation, Food, and Housing 82.35% 97.65%

Percentage in conformance before CAP Percentage in conformance after CAP

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Putting people first 28

 Environmental
Environmental Management System 96.47% 98.82%

Environmental Permits and Reporting 89.41% 95.29%

Hazardous Substances 70.59% 97.65%

Wastewater and Solid Waste 88.24% 95.29%

Air Emissions 90.59% 95.29%

Product Content Restrictions 97.65% 98.82%

Resource Efficiency 75.29% 92.94%

Percentage in conformance before CAP Percentage in conformance after CAP

Ethics
Business Integrity; No Improper Advantage 92.94% 97.65%

Disclosure of Information 97.65% 98.82%

Intellectual Property 97.65% 98.82%

Fair Business, Advertising and Competition 100.00% 100.00%

Responsible Sourcing of Minerals 97.65% 98.82%

International Trade 100.00% 100.00%

Privacy 97.65% 100.00%

Non-Retaliation 84.71% 96.47%

Percentage in conformance before CAP Percentage in conformance after CAP

Management System
Company Commitment 95.29% 100.00%

Management Accountability and Responsibility 77.65% 94.12%

Legal and Customer Requirements 67.06% 92.94%

Risk Assessment and Risk Management 78.82% 94.12%

Improvement Objectives 83.53% 97.65%

Training 92.94% 98.82%

Communication 89.41% 97.65%

Worker Feedback and Participation 97.65% 100.00%

Audits and Assessments 78.82% 94.12%

Corrective Action Process 89.41% 97.65%

Documentation and Records 98.82% 98.82%

Supplier Responsibility 56.47% 91.67%

Other 97.65% 100.00%

Percentage in conformance before CAP Percentage in conformance after CAP

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Putting people first 29

 Strengthening
communities
Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 30
 Overview
We aspire to create stronger, more resilient communities everywhere we do
business. We’re taking action on more responsible sourcing of raw materials,
including making broad, multi-industry commitments to ensure that minerals
are mined responsibly. We’re also working on strategies to responsibly
transition into and out of supplier communities, including investing in local
infrastructure and vital services so that people have access to economic
opportunities beyond mining and manufacturing. As we work to end our
reliance on raw materials altogether, these investments may prove critical
to helping these communities persist and adapt in the face of change.
Our supply chain should do no harm. Beyond that, we strive to leave
communities better than we found them.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Strengthening communities 31

 Sourcing minerals responsibly
We take proactive measures to manage the social and environmental
impacts associated with the sourcing and extraction of raw materials for
our consumer hardware devices and data center equipment. This includes
sourcing minerals for our electronics—specifically tin, tantalum, tungsten,
and gold—exclusively from mines that aren’t financing armed conflicts in
the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other high-risk locations.
We are also working to ensure the responsible sourcing of cobalt for all
batteries incorporated into our products.
We launched our Conflict Minerals program in 2012 to improve
transparency and develop conflict-free sources of these materials.
From the beginning, our strategy has been to work collaboratively with
governmental organizations and NGOs across the electronics industry
and others to enable conflict-free sourcing for everyone. We’re one of
more than 400 members of the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI),
which provides independent third-party audits to ensure that smelters
and refiners meet current conflict-free standards.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Strengthening communities 32

 Five straight years As noted in Alphabet’s Conflict Minerals Report covering 2022, for
of working with the fifth year in a row, 100% of the smelters or refiners we used were

100%
Compliant5 smelters or
conformant, active,6 or verified by a third party as sourced from countries
other than those covered in the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act (collectively referred
to as “Compliant” smelters or refiners for the purposes of this report).
refiners of tin, tungsten,
tantalum, and gold We are committed to zero child labor in our supply chain, including in
mining. In addition to focusing on tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold, we are
working with peer companies and partners to help ensure zero child labor
in cobalt mining and to strengthen cobalt tracing. In 2022, we joined the
Fair Cobalt Alliance (FCA), a multi-stakeholder initiative that seeks to drive
the development and supply of fair cobalt by remediating the root causes of
its highly hazardous working conditions: widespread poverty. By mobilizing
the resources of the whole supply chain, the FCA is driving the development
of the DRC to create sustainable livelihoods for as many community
members as possible.

Empowering minerals transparency

To continue to build visibility into the source of every mineral used in the
electronics industry, we invest in ways to make the minerals-tracking process
more transparent for everyone along the supply chain. In 2020, we built
on the success of our 2018 blockchain technology pilot with a phase two
blockchain pilot in Rwanda. In 2021, we focused on expanding this blockchain
traceability work to connect more upstream and downstream suppliers
that build Google products. In 2022, we began Phase 3 of our blockchain
traceability project to pilot tracing tin from products to smelters. The
team also added additional focus on tracking other impacts associated
with mining, beyond conflict: social impacts, such as gender inequality,
and environmental impacts, such as carbon emissions.
As a global team, our focus remains on furthering an open collaboration
model that any industry player can join, one that inspires greater traceability
across the mining and minerals industry and better connects our value chain
and handoffs—mine to supplier to consumer device.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Strengthening communities 33

 Increasing community resilience
Roughly 44.7 million people work in artisanal and small-scale mining,7 and
many have few options outside the minerals trade. Reducing our reliance
on mining will have many potential impacts on mining communities and the
people who work in the extractives industry. As we begin to understand these
consequences more fully, we’re investing in select communities to enhance
local infrastructure and empower people to pursue alternative livelihoods.
In collaboration with nonprofit, academic, technical, and community
partners, our initial investments have focused on solar energy projects in
the DRC, where only 9% of the nation has access to electricity.8
In 2022, we continued to support the Panzi Foundation, specifically its
Mulamba Hospital, which provides a lifeline for women in need. The hospital
offers vital services, including gynecology and care for survivors of gender-
based violence. Congo Power financed the deployment of a 20-kilowatt
energy system to power vital electrical medical supplies, such as incubators
in the maternity ward and refrigerators for vaccine storage.
Additionally, we supported the Forgotten Parks Foundation’s initiative
to empower women living near conserved parks disrupted by artisanal
mining. The foundation is working to establish local fish trading businesses,
which provide sustainable sources of income and improve livelihoods in the
communities surrounding Lake Upemba within Upemba National Park.
Since the Congo Power program began in 2018, our team has launched
14 community power projects and completed 12,9 delivering power to nearly
15,000 people in the DRC as well as conservation areas and national parks
that are of critical importance to the Congolese and the planet. Access to
renewable energy has sparked social, economic, and environmental growth
throughout the region. Energy distribution from the power grids has improved
nighttime safety and security, health care access, and cross-town collaboration
that together are creating new entrepreneurial opportunities and strengthening
community resilience.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Strengthening communities 34

 These pilot projects play a pivotal role in shaping our approach to scaling
“Google is very excited to the Congo Power initiative. As we continue to explore new solutions and
support the delivery of approaches to strengthening the resilience of communities that source
renewable energy solutions minerals responsibly, Congo Power has set an example that informs others’
for many people who live in journeys in our collective work to catalyze positive change within the
conflict-affected and minerals trade.
high-risk areas through the To continue to advance this work, in 2022, we transitioned the leadership
Congo Power program. We of the Congo Power program to the Public-Private Alliance for Responsible
believe that energy unlocks Minerals Trade (PPA)—a multi-sector initiative between leaders in civil
opportunity and distributed society, industry, and government that supports projects in the DRC and the
electrical energy solutions surrounding Great Lakes Region of Central Africa to improve the due diligence
are critical in enhancing and governance systems needed for ethical supply chains. Transitioning Congo
access to energy for people Power from a Google-owned initiative to a Google-sponsored project of the
who have never had access PPA enables us to collaborate with our peers on projects that strengthen the
to electricity. Congo Power resilience of communities in areas affected by the minerals trade.
is committed to supporting Together, we’ll continue to support community-led efforts and to deepen
the learning journey so that our collaborations with RMI and the Panzi Foundation to address the nexus
responsible solutions that of conflict, minerals mining, and women’s empowerment and livelihoods
are contextually relevant in the DRC. We’ll continue to expand real-time impact and data dashboards
are competitive in the on key metrics. Looking ahead, we are actively seeking new opportunities
marketplace.” to amplify our impact and further harness the potential of the industry.
Baraka, Program Manager,
Social Impact, Supply Chain

Advancing supplier diversity

Google is committed to advancing supplier diversity, equity, and inclusion
in how we conduct business globally. We want to help build an inclusive
economy that works for everyone. This extends throughout our company
We ended up spending and accounts for the economic impact we create when we buy goods and

$2.8 billion
with suppliers from diverse
services. That’s why we’re providing access, development, and investment
in diverse-owned companies through our Supplier Diversity program.
Diversity in our supply base helps us create better products and services
backgrounds, exceeding our
2022 goal. for Googlers and our users. In 2022, we set a public commitment of spending
$2.5 billion with diverse-owned suppliers, while expanding our program
beyond the U.S. to include suppliers from historically underrepresented
groups around the world. We exceeded that goal by spending $2.8 billion
with diverse-owned suppliers.
For more detailed information on our specific commitments, please see
our most recent Diversity Annual Report.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Strengthening communities 35

 Progress and
commitments

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 36

 Creating a more inclusive, resilient, transparent, and connected supply
chain is a long-term process. We’ve set a number of goals for our own
operations and those of our suppliers to help accelerate our progress.
We are working to better understand and act on the topics that are
most impactful to our stakeholders, including our supply chain workers
and the communities with which we interact. This work requires significant
stakeholder engagement and analysis of our supply chain, which takes time
and investment. We want to make sure we do this work right. That’s why we
are not committing to any additional goals at this time, and we plan to
reassess our supply chain engagement strategy at a later date.
Here’s a look at some of the commitments and progress we made
last year. Each of these targets represents our ongoing, year-to-year
commitment to make significant progress toward a specific priority.

Progress against targets

Putting people first
Target 2022 progress Status

Continue to integrate our Supplier Code of Conduct In 2022, we successfully incorporated Google’s SCOC into our contractual
expectations into all contractual agreements with agreements, so we will no longer be tracking this target moving forward.
our suppliers.

Conduct assessments of our higher-risk supplier In 2022, we completed 85 SCOC assessments to continue to work with our
sites to identify and improve conformance with suppliers on providing fair, healthy, and safe conditions for their workers.
our Supplier Code of Conduct expectations. Build
capabilities with our suppliers by providing training
and tools to address higher-risk topics and common
nonconformance issues.

Empower the voices of the people in our supply In 2022, we conducted worker surveys at 10 supplier sites. The information we
chain using various tools to gather anonymous gathered is helping suppliers maintain healthy working conditions and address
feedback and identify improvement opportunities; workers’ concerns. Although we covered fewer sites than in the previous year, we
promote worker capacity building by enabling digital reached the same number of workers, enabling us to provide more comprehensive
and direct worker training for personal and career feedback to supplier management.
development.
While we prioritized identifying areas for improvement over launching new supplier
training, we continue to explore opportunities to enhance worker capacity within
our existing supplier initiatives.

Conduct a Supplier Sustainability Summit covering In April 2022, 789 participants attended our Supplier Sustainability Summit. During
topics such as Google’s Supplier Code of Conduct, the Summit, we conducted two sessions about supplier responsibility to support
anti-modern slavery, and human rights. our higher-risk suppliers in developing the knowledge and building the capability
to mitigate the potential risks in their own operations and supply chains.

Scale our Process Chemicals FMD Data Collection In 2022, our program expanded to evaluate 156 chemical processes and extended
and Assessment to additional strategic suppliers training to more suppliers, encouraging Tier 1 suppliers to disseminate their
to improve safe chemistry through verifying their knowledge to Tier 2 suppliers.
conformance with the MRSL requirements, using
safer alternatives, and controlling chemical hazards
to eliminate exposures.

Grow our spending with diverse suppliers to We spent $2.8 billion with suppliers from diverse backgrounds, exceeding our
$2.5 billion, while expanding our Supplier Diversity 2022 goal. In 2022, we also piloted extending our supplier diversity programs
program beyond the United States to include beyond the United States.
suppliers from historically underrepresented
For more detailed information on our specific commitments, please see our most
groups around the world.
recent Diversity Annual Report.
Achieved In progress Missed

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Progress and commitments 37

 Progress against targets (continued)
Strengthening communities
Target 2022 progress Status

Ensure that our suppliers source from smelters that For the fifth year in a row, 100% of the smelters or refiners we used were
are 100% conformant with the Responsible Minerals conformant, active,10 or verified by a third party as sourced from countries
Assurance Process assessment protocols for tantalum, other than those covered in the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act.
tin, tungsten, and gold.

Expand the Congo Power program to focus on In 2022, we successfully reached our 2023 goal by concluding three Congo Power
conservation and community health partnerships projects that had been initiated in late 2021. We also transitioned responsibility
that improve alternative livelihoods and gender of oversight of the Congo Power program to the Public-Private Alliance for
outcomes and that reinforce responsible supply Responsible Minerals Trade, which will be in charge of managing the program
chains of conflict minerals. going forward.

Implement collaboration framework with We have made strides in enhancing cobalt traceability within our own supply
the Responsible Minerals Initiative to increase chains, but we have yet to establish a collaboration framework with RMI.
transparency and accountability between
upstream and downstream partners that
depend on responsible cobalt supply chains.

Complete third phase of digital traceability project Blockchain testing remains an ongoing initiative, and suppliers that participated
and expand supplier campaign to increase smelters in Phases 1 and 2 continue to successfully generate traceable QR codes.
and downstream partners using end-to-end data
In 2022, we began Phase 3 of our blockchain traceability project to pilot tracing tin
monitoring tools.
from products to smelters.

Achieved In progress Missed

Protecting the planet

For a review of progress toward our environmental targets, please see our 2023 Environmental Report.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 Progress and commitments 38

 Endnotes
1. These figures do not include findings from third-party audits conducted through the RBA VAP. However, Google also monitors the results of these
third-party audits, and trends in findings are similar to those shown here for Google-managed audits.
2. For the purposes of this report, “Compliant” smelters or refiners are those that are conformant, active, or verified by a third party to source from
countries other than those covered in the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act. See Alphabet’s Conflict Minerals Policy and Report for more information.
3. See note 1 above.
4. See note 1 above.
5. See note 2 above.
6. Smelters and refiners are defined as “conformant” or “active” by the Responsible Minerals Initiative. Conformant smelters or refiners are those
that have been audited and meet the criteria for not directly or indirectly supporting the conflict; active smelters or refiners are those in the
process of being audited.
7. Delve (website), accessed September 27, 2023.
8. “Democratic Republic of the Congo,” Power Africa fact sheet, USAID, accessed September 27, 2023.
9. We’ve adjusted our project counting method. Previously, we counted any project with deployed resources as completed. Now, we count only fully
executed projects and the people they have impacted. While this may result in smaller reported numbers compared to previous years, please note
that the total number of people impacted by our projects is expected to remain consistent with past figures once all projects are completed.
10. See note 6 above.

Google Supplier Responsibility Report 2023 39

Published November 2023

Additional resources
Statements Against Modern Slavery (2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017)
Supplier Code of Conduct
SEC filings (2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017)
Supplier Responsibility Reports (2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017)
Sustainability Reports