Sustainability Along the Value Chain

We want to contribute to a better world with enhanced quality of life for everyone. That is why we have firmly anchored the three pillars of sustainability – the economy, environment and society – into our corporate purpose, our strategy, our targets and our operations along the value chain. They are at the core of what we do, a driver for growth and an element of our risk management.

We contribute to sustainability and to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in many ways. For instance, our innovations, products and technologies help to use natural resources more efficiently, meet the demand for food, enable climate-smart mobility, reduce emissions and waste, and increase the capabilities of renewable energy. Alongside these positive contributions, our business activities also have negative impacts. For example, we create CO₂ emissions, use water and procure raw materials from suppliers, which may involve a potential risk of violating labor, environmental or social standards. This is why we are constantly working to broaden our positive contributions to key sustainability topics along our value chain and reduce the negative impacts.

We are committed to doing business in a responsible, safe, resource-efficient and respectful way. We are guided here by our corporate values and our global Code of Conduct. Our actions are based on the applicable laws and regulations. Some of our voluntary commitments go above and beyond these. We stipulate globally binding rules for our employees with standards and guidelines that apply throughout the Group. In doing so, we consider, respect and promote internationally recognized principles such as the 10 principles of the U.N. Global Compact and the Core Labor Standards of the International Labor Organization (ILO).

We want to ensure that we act in line with the applicable laws and uphold our responsibility to the environment and society with our comprehensive management and monitoring systems. Our Responsible Care Management System does this for environmental protection, health and safety. We meet our responsibilities with respect to international labor and social standards chiefly through three elements: the Compliance Program, close dialog with our stakeholders and the guideline on compliance with international labor norms, which applies Group-wide.

Our business partners are also expected to comply with prevailing laws, regulations and internationally recognized principles. We have established appropriate management and control systems, for example, for working with our suppliers.

We seek dialog with our stakeholders to discuss critical issues and, if necessary, develop solutions together. Through our societal engage­ment, we want to create a positive impact, particularly in the communities surrounding our sites, and help solve global challenges.

We are involved in numerous sustainability initiatives to drive forward sustainability in general and, specifically, as this relates to our value chains. These include the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) as well as networks with thematic focus like the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) or the Global Battery Alliance (GBA). In addition, we realize a wide range of projects – often together with partners – for example, to improve sustainability in the supply chain or to promote a circular economy.

• More information on how we value people and treat them with respect
• More information on responsible procurement
• More information on safe and efficient production