2024:
year
in review

Strengthening Transportadora’s business continuity plans

Intertek conducted Argentina's first independent climate risk and vulnerability assessment to strengthen the climate resilience and business continuity of the country’s leading natural gas transportation company.

Transportadora de Gas del Sur S.A. (‘TGS’) is responsible for transporting over 60% of the gas produced in Argentina. As a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange, TGS is required to present its plans for evaluating and mitigating the impacts of extreme climate events caused by climate change to its investors, shareholders and board members. Its challenge was to update its business continuity plan to minimise the impact of disruptive events and better protect its people and local communities.

Aiming to reinforce TGS’ business continuity plan for the next 15 years, our Sustainability team in Buenos Aires carried out comprehensive analysis to understand the specific needs of the company’s decision makers for sustainability. During this process, we leveraged Intertek’s leading sustainability services and global network of experts, and applied the ISO 31000, ISO 14091 and ISO 22301 standards. The resulting study evaluated the climate vulnerabilities and risks associated with 45 TGS assets, including nearly 10,000km of pipelines and 40 compression stations.

Ultimately, the project left TGS better positioned to anticipate, prepare for and mitigate the negative impacts of severe climate events.

Engaging employees in sustainable transportation initiatives

With more than 45,000 Total Quality Assurance experts around the world, employee commuting inevitably contributes to our global value chain emissions.

We are committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2050, so reducing greenhouse gas (‘GHG’) emissions and air pollution from traditional transportation methods is an essential part of our Climate Transition Plan. Through the implementation of clean transportation initiatives, we engage our colleagues and reduce their commuting emissions.

In mainland China, our team is achieving this on a large scale through an electric shuttle bus service operating across the south and east of the country, where many of our employees are based. These electric vehicles (‘EVs’) transport around 1,100 employees, over 10% of our workforce in the country, to and from the office each day.

Starting with the introduction of a small EV fleet in Shenzhen in 2017, the initiative has grown in response to the launch of our companywide emissions reduction targets and Climate Transition Plan.

In south China, more than 80% of employee commuter buses are now EVs, most of these in the major cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou. To increase this positive impact, we are working with suppliers to replace the remaining petrol-powered buses in the region with EVs.

In east China, nearly a third of employee commuter buses – all in Shanghai – are EVs. For services operating just outside the city, where location and the availability of charging facilities create additional challenges, we continue to explore options for transitioning.

With 30 electric buses in operation across the country, this initiative is currently saving nearly 1,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year.

According to the International Council for Clean Transportation, battery electric vehicles have by far the lowest lifecycle GHG emissions among passenger cars today. Through our efforts in China and other countries where we are investing in EV technologies, we are helping to make our planet a cleaner and healthier place for everyone.

Advancing reconciliation efforts across our communities in Australia

In early 2024, Intertek formalised its commitment to advancing reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians by receiving endorsement for its Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (‘RAP’) from Reconciliation Australia.

Reconciliation is about strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non- Indigenous peoples for the benefit of all Australians. It aims to foster mutual understanding, heal historical injustices and build stronger, more inclusive relationships within and between communities.

Reconciliation Working Group

Under the guidance of Reconciliation Australia, we are laying the foundations for our reconciliation pathway with our RAP. We have established a Reconciliation Working Group of representatives across our Australian business lines and locations. The working group meets fortnightly and works collaboratively to implement our RAP objectives. With more than 1,400 employees across our network in Australia, this allows us to build meaningful relationships with our local communities.

Raising cultural awareness

NAIDOC Week celebrates the rich and diverse cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and is organised by the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee ('NAIDOC'). To mark the occasion, we hosted customers and members of our extended community at the Intertek Minerals Global Centre of Excellence in Perth, where a guest speaker described the intricacies of Noongar culture from clans across the South West region of Australia.

Building work skills

We are also engaging with WorkSkil Australia, a provider of the Australian Government workforce services, through participation in the Yirra Yaakiny Indigenous employment programme. Each programme invites up to 12 Indigenous jobseekers to attend a two-week skills programme. Employers are then invited to meet with the jobseekers and discuss employment opportunities in their organisation. During 2024, we engaged in three of these programmes, with job offers made to 14 participants.

There is a lot to learn from this ancient culture and, through our Reflect RAP, we are starting our journey to meaningful conversations to allow for knowledge exchange. Our team in Australia is committed to building on the uniquely strong partnerships we have in place and contributing to the five key dimensions of reconciliation: race relations, equality and equity, institutional integrity, unity, and historical acceptance.

We welcome all our customers, partners, suppliers, employees and broader communities to join us on this journey towards reconciliation.

Providing quality STEM education to thousands of young people

With an increasing global demand for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (‘STEM’) professionals, it has become essential to give young people access to these subjects at an early age.

In India, several government initiatives are focused on promoting STEM in schools, including the National Education Policy 2020.

Taking advantage of our science-based expertise, Intertek India has partnered with several government schools in rural Gurugram and Mumbai on its ‘Design for Good – STEM Education’ project. This initiative is giving more than 40,000 young people, mostly first-generation learners from low-income families, access to quality STEM education, including a practical understanding of scientific concepts and critical thinking skills, at no cost.

In addition to the focus on students, the initiative has involved upgrading infrastructure and the building of STEM labs, as well as the training and capacity building of teachers to promote innovative and engaging methods of instruction.

During the first phase of the project, which completed in 2024, more than 20,000 students benefitted.

Intertek Methane Clear – providing accurate and independent measurement and verification

Our Science-based Customer Excellence programme moving energy companies Faster to Net Zero.

What it is: Intertek Methane Clear is our programme that provides energy companies with accurate and independent measurement and verification for the reporting of methane emissions, supporting compliance with local regulatory regimes and methane emissions reporting. The reporting of methane emissions is moving from being a voluntary to a mandated regulatory requirement in major jurisdictions like the EU, USA, UK, and Canada, who have been finalising their regulations. Reporting of these emissions needs to be accurately baselined and monitored, and Methane Clear is designed to help emitters work towards the Oil & Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 ('OGMP') standard level of measurement, reporting and verification ('MRV').

Customer benefit: Through a suite of science-based solutions that range from direct measurement using aerial drones and fixed sensors, to inspection and testing, emissions data management and analysis, and mitigation consulting, Methane Clear enables companies to effectively reduce emissions levels and build resilience into their value chains, creating market trust and transparency for compliance with regulations.

Champions programme goes from strength to strength

Over a year on from its launch, our Champions engagement programme continues to play an increasingly important role in enabling open and constructive dialogue within our teams around the world.

Champions, led by our managers and organised in partnership with Gallup, the leading expert in the science of employee engagement, gives all colleagues the opportunity to anonymously rate statements precisely crafted to measure employee engagement. Our managers then share the results with their teams and work together to agree actions for improved engagement, including follow-up meetings to track progress.

During 2024, we organised two rounds of Champions in March and October, with participation increasing on each occasion. We saw a significant increase in completion of the survey’s October round after providing managers with additional knowledge and resources to more effectively discuss the process and its importance with their teams. Other tools to support our teams include an explainer video and a dedicated training programme, both made available before Champions first launched in September 2023.

The Champions engagement programme will continue to run on a regular basis to support our goal of taking engagement within our teams to the highest levels and supporting increased satisfaction and wellbeing across the company.

Addressing all quality assurance needs on a single platform

InterLink 2.0 is an advanced digital Total Quality Management platform that helps brands and retailers manage product Quality Assurance in complex production cycles.

What it is: InterLink provides core features such as online job requests, report cockpit, report disposition, business intelligence, knowledge library, communication gateway and product approval. The latest version, InterLink 2.0, draws on cutting-edge technology to offer an even more user-friendly experience, enhanced security measures, and sophisticated data analysis solutions to help customers excel in the marketplace and manage their end-to-end supply chain needs.

Customer benefit: Combining new interface, digitised certificate data that supports CPSC’s e-filing, and ready-to integrate APIs to streamline data exchange, InterLink 2.0 enables seamless e-Filing experience in a few clicks and gives customers advanced business intelligence powered by Power BI. It addresses all Quality Assurance needs on a single platform, offering customers great value and the convenience of access anytime, anywhere. Harnessing real-time, data-focused insights gives businesses a competitive edge, while minimising their supply chain risks. Seamless CPSC e-filing and quicker lead times also enhance the product life cycle and help increase speed to market.

Offering seamless access to Standards through Intertek Inform

Intertek Inform uses market-leading technology to provide companies with standards and regulatory solutions to facilitate faster market access.

What it is: Intertek Inform (formerly known as Intertek SAI Global Standards) provides up-to-date standards, transparent pricing, and real-time alerts when standards change. With a vast library of 1.6 million standards from over 360 publishers, such as ISO, ASTM, ASME, BSI, and Standards Australia, our digital, centralised platform offers tailored access to the information customers need, when they need it, helping them get their products to market faster. Users also receive alerts that provide an up-to-date summary of all the standards on their Intertek Inform watchlist.

Customer benefit: Meeting the right internationally recognised standards is critical to the ongoing success of our customers in both established and new markets. To ensure we offer them seamless access to our library of standards, the Intertek Inform Technology team has now launched a mobile app as part of our Standards Management Solution i2i. This i2i mobile app allows customers to download their essential standards to access them anytime, even without an internet connection. They can also log into their accounts with just one set of credentials, using a convenient single sign-on ('SSO') that streamlines their login experience and enhances the platform’s security.

HoneyTrace – traceability from hive to jar

Complete transparency of honey's journey from hive to jar, tracking each batch as it moves from beekeeper to exporter, importer and packer.

What it is: Intertek Food Services has launched HoneyTrace, an innovative traceability solution for the honey industry, designed to protect the integrity of the honey supply chain. Built using blockchain technology and backed by our extensive honey testing expertise, the secure platform can track the identity and location of beekeepers, store laboratory test results, and monitor batches throughout the supply chain. It provides complete transparency of honey's journey from hive to jar, minimising opportunities for adulteration – the deliberate modification of honey, such as adding sugars, syrups, or colours, or falsifying the product's origin to enhance its value or appearance.

Customer benefit: Despite its reputation as a pure and natural product, honey ranks among the most tampered with foods on the planet, with an estimated 14% of honey sold worldwide being either fake or mixed with other substances. Our powerful new solution helps honey professionals meet regulatory requirements while also safeguarding consumers and building trust through unparalleled traceability and accountability. The level of transparency HoneyTrace provides is critical in light of recent EU regulatory changes, which mandate specific origin information on honey packaging and encourage the use of traceability systems to validate that information.

Intertek Caleb Brett – expanding industry leading testing capabilities

Intertek Caleb Brett has been a pioneer in the field of global, professional, and reliable bulk commodity inspection for more than a century. As part of our commitment to providing unparalleled quantity and quality services, we have expanded our capabilities and laboratory footprint in 2024.

Supporting the local and regional energy sectors in Guyana

Our Intertek Caleb Brett’s new Georgetown, Guyana laboratory is equipped with the latest technology and staffed by a team of highly trained and experienced Intertek experts. It offers comprehensive fuel testing services, conducted with the utmost accuracy and adherence to international standards, providing clients with the confidence and assurance they need in their fuel products. Guyana has emerged as a significant player in the global energy market. By bringing testing capabilities closer to home, Intertek is helping to streamline operations for local businesses in Guyana and across the Caribbean region and reduce turnaround times. This supports the overall growth, development and competitiveness of the region's energy sector, while creating new job opportunities in the community and nurturing local talent.

Strengthening our presence in Spain’s maritime and energy sectors

Positioned at the crossroads of major global shipping routes, Algeciras, Spain, is a strategic maritime hub in Europe. Establishing a new fuel testing laboratory here allows Intertek Caleb Brett to offer immediate access to essential fuel and marine gasoil testing and inspection services. These services include cargo inspection, fuel quantity surveys, sampling and blending, gauging, stock monitoring, tank calibration, marine fuels testing for ISO 8217 compliance, and aromatics content analysis. Staffed by a team of highly skilled scientists and technicians with decades of experience in fuel analysis and marine operations, the laboratory uses cuttingedge technology, such as advanced gas chromatography and mass spectrometry instruments. All this strengthens our position as a pioneer in various services critical to the maritime and energy sectors in the region, while helping businesses comply with international environmental and fuel standards and avoid costly delays.

Expanding our testing capabilities for animal fats and used cooking oils

Intertek Caleb Brett has made significant investments to upgrade its New Plymouth, New Zealand laboratory’s testing capabilities. It now offers full specification analysis of animal fats and used cooking oils, making it the only laboratory in New Zealand capable of providing comprehensive testing of these key materials in the production of biofuels. This is vital for maintaining strict quality control and ensuring biofuel production complies with stringent global standards. Expanding our testing capabilities not only supports the transition to more sustainable energy sources but also strengthens New Zealand’s position in the global renewable energy market. We are proud to be at the forefront of this important shift. By providing advanced testing, inspection, and certification services, Intertek Caleb Brett is committed to supporting the renewable energy transition and ensuring that the highest standards of quality and precision are met.

New state-of-the-art facility ensuring the highest standards in jet fuel

Intertek Caleb Brett's new laboratory is equipped with all the state-of-the-art technology required to assess the key parameters essential to jet fuel safety, reliability, and performance. Strategically situated on the island of O’ahu, Hawaii, our experts offer a wide array of testing services that cover chemical composition, physical properties, environmental considerations, and overall performance metrics, aligning with the stringent ASTM D1655 specification, a global standard for quality. Our comprehensive evaluations monitor factors such as acidity, sulphur content, distillation properties, flash point and API gravity/density. By conducting these detailed analyses, Intertek Caleb Brett not only ensures compliance with industry standards but also significantly contributes to enhancing the safety and operational efficiency of the aviation industry in Hawaii and worldwide.

10X Leadership programme

During 2024, 175 senior leaders from 29 different countries took part in our 10X Leadership programme led by our Chief Executive Officer André Lacroix.

Through this bespoke series of workshops and seminars, attendees explore how a humanistic approach to leadership can help to empower employees with a sense of purpose and unlock their unique individual talents. André highlights this by sharing insights from his career across leading global brands to help advance the leadership styles and personal growth of our leaders at Intertek.

Since the 10X Leadership programme launched in 2019, we have held seven in-person 10X Leadership events across Greece, Italy, the UAE, the UK and the USA, with more than 600 colleagues taking part.

Ensuring the durability of M&S clothing

Intertek conducts tests for leading British retailer Marks & Spencer (‘M&S’) worldwide to ensure that its clothing meets the highest standards of quality and durability.

Through our decades-long partnership with M&S, we have developed a series of rigorous tests for its products. And while we support M&S with various garment testing services, we have recently worked with the company on its goal of making school uniforms better for children, parents and our planet. School uniforms are worn over 50 times more than the average item of clothing, and the durability of clothing is a significant factor in its environmental impact.

Our work with M&S highlights our joint commitment to ensuring the production of durable, high-quality clothing to reduce waste and educate consumers on sustainability. The partnership also supports M&S’ ‘Plan A’ roadmap to drive the circular economy.