We want to help change the world for the better. This is what drives us and is at the core of our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. How we act is critical. BASF’s four corporate values serve as a compass for us worldwide and are simultaneously an expression of our ambitions and our shared identity.

Together with our Code of Conduct and our global standards, our CORE values lay the foundation for responsible conduct and trust-based relationships with our stakeholders. They define how we want to work together – as a team, with our customers and our partners:

• C – creative: We make great products and solutions for our customers. This is why we embrace bold ideas and give them space to grow. We act with optimism and inspire one another.
• O – open: We value diversity, in people, opinions and experience. This is why we foster feedback based on honesty, respect and mutual trust. We learn from setbacks.
• R – responsible: We value the health and safety of people above all else. We make sustainability part of every decision. We are committed to strict compliance and environmental standards.
• E – entrepreneurial: We focus on our customers, as individuals and as a company. We seize opportunities and think ahead. We take ownership and embrace personal accountability.

Our standards are based on, and in some cases, exceed existing laws and regulations and take internationally recognized principles into account. We respect and promote:

• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the two U.N. Human Rights Covenants
• The 10 principles of the U.N. Global Compact
• The core labor standards of the ILO and the Tripartite Declaration of Principles Concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy
• The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
• The Responsible Care^® Global Charter
• The German Corporate Governance Code

We stipulate binding rules for our employees with our standards and guidelines that apply throughout the Group. Our aim is to prevent compliance violations from the outset through compulsory training for all employees and special training for leaders. The Corporate Audit department continuously monitors compliance with requirements. We regularly assess our performance in environmental protection, health and safety as part of our Responsible Care Management System. We realize our responsibility to behave in accordance with international and social standards largely in three ways: through our Compliance Program, including our Code of Conduct and compliance hotlines, through close dialog with stakeholders and through the global management process to respect international labor norms. We pursue sustainability-oriented supply chain management and expect our business partners to comply with prevailing laws, regulations and internationally recognized principles. Here, too, we have established appropriate monitoring systems.

• More information on human and labor rights
• More information on compliance
• More information on responsible procurement and the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act
• More information on the Responsible Care Management System