Global standards

• We act according to clearly defined values and standards of conduct that comply with or go beyond laws and regulations
• We review our performance with regular audits

Our standards fulfill or exceed existing laws and regulations and take internationally recognized principles into account. We respect and promote:

• The ten principles of the U.N. Global Compact
• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the two U.N. Human Rights Covenants
• The core labor standards of the ILO and the Tripartite Declaration of Principles Concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration)
• The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
• The Responsible Care Global Charter
• The German Corporate Governance Code

We stipulate rules for our employees with standards that apply throughout the Group. We set ourselves ambitious goals with voluntary commitments and monitor our performance in terms of the environment, health and safety using our Responsible Care Management System. In terms of labor and social standards, this takes place using three elements: the Compliance Program (including the external compliance hotlines), close dialog with our stakeholders (such as with employee representatives or international organizations), and the global management process for the respect of international labor norms.

Our business partners are expected to comply with prevailing laws and regulations and to align their actions with internationally recognized principles. We have established monitoring systems to ensure this.