Sustainable supply chains

As part of our Group policies, we are committed to respecting and promoting human rights and protecting the environment throughout global supply chains. This commitment has shaped how we do business for more than two decades and is a core part of our corporate culture.

We work with more than 20,000 direct suppliers in over 150 countries. Through clear sustainability standards, established risk management, including regular supplier reviews, and close, collaborative dialogue, we actively engage our suppliers. We support them in meeting our requirements and in making sustainable progress together throughout the supply chain:

• We ensure that our principles and values are reflected throughout the supply chain through our Supplier Code of Conduct, which is an integral part of our supplier contracts. Our Supplier Code of Conduct sets out ethical, social, and environmental standards and helps ensure respect for human rights - in line with the requirements of the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG).
• We analyze potential risks and human rights violations that may arise from our suppliers or be caused by our business activities throughout the supply chain. By developing targeted measures, we help reduce adverse impacts and promote compliance with sustainable standards.
• We also consider sustainability in our procurement processes. By taking human rights and environmental requirements into account when selecting our suppliers, we help ensure that standards for social and environmental responsibility are met.
• We regularly review human rights and environmental conditions at our suppliers’ production sites. The insights we gain feed into our established risk management and provide the basis for developing and implementing appropriate measures to reduce human rights and environmental risks.

Through these activities and measures, we continuously work to make global supply chains sustainable and fit for the future.