Code of Conduct for Business Partners

Our business partners are fundamental for our success and have a major influence on our sustainability performance. To fulfill our mission "we create value for people and the planet by taking responsibility for our social and environmental impact.", we require our business partners to comply with this code of conduct. 

Environment

As our business partner, you must commit to actively collaborate with us on sustainability. This commitment requires an appropriate and reasonable effort from both sides as it is a shared responsibility. This includes undertaking due diligence measures to analyse, avoid or minimise negative impact of our business activities and products on the society and the environment.

A key part of this is the establishment of an adequate risk management system and own sustainability strategy. Our business partners are responsible to ensure compliance in their own business area and strive to ensure compliance within their own supply chain.

General Commitment

As our business partner, you must comply with applicable environmental laws and regulations at all times. This includes obtaining all relevant permits and licenses.
You must also implement an effective environmental management system. The system must support you in minimising waste, noise as well as emissions to air, soil and water.

This specifically includes greenhouse gas emissions and assessing associated impacts on biodiversity. It must cover the international and local standards to the handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste as well as ensure the harm-free handling of chemicals. It also shall contribute to the recycling and reuse of materials and products. 

Social

We expect our business partners to always act with respect to human dignity - whether towards employees, suppliers, customers, third parties, local community members... simply: always.

Social compliance requests our business partners to not:

make use of child or forced labour, or use or contribute to slavery, servitude or compulsory labour and human trafficking;

discriminate based on race, colour, sex, language, national or social origin, birth or other status, ethnicity, cultural background, age, disability, religious beliefs, political or other opinion, sexual orientation or any other characteristic;

exceed the maximum legal working hours;

obstruct workers' rights to assembly, association, and collective bargaining;

make use of any type of mental and/or physical forms of disciplinary action and engage in systematic harassment;

pay below legal minimum wage or compensate overtime without applicable premium.