Key results 2023: Pioneering sustainable solutions in coatings
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Human Rights
and Ethics
Principles into practice
In a world where change is the only constant, we maintain an unwavering commitment to integrity. At the heart of our narrative lies a profound dedication to corporate ethics and human rights, recognizing these as not just policies, but as foundational pillars that shape and define the essence of our organization. As we navigate through the complexities of an evolving global landscape, our steadfast adherence to these principles ensures that every decision, every action, and every innovation is aligned with the greater good, paving the way for a future where ethics and progress go hand in hand.
Our policies and commitments
Across all company levels – from executives and managers to line employees – and towards all stakeholders we follow fundamental business principles and high business ethics standards according to our Code of Conduct. Our Code of Conduct provides a detailed set of principles that bring our values to life and applies equally to all co-workers and directors. Thereby, all our operations and as well as subcontractors and suppliers must adhere to the same key internationally accepted ethical principles like the United Nations Global Compact, the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the Children’s Rights and Business Principles and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The UN Global Compact
A fundamental part of our values and our Code of Conduct is the UN Global Compact. By signing the Global Compact, we take responsibility in the areas of human rights, labor, the environment and anti-corruption, and make an even stronger commitment to taking action and reporting on our progress. We are an active UN Global Compact participant and this report serves as Communication on Progress.
Anti-corruption and bribery
At Beckers, we have zero tolerance for bribery and corruption. Accordingly, no one may – directly or indirectly – demand, accept, offer or give any kind of bribe, kickback, unethical or unlawful benefit to employees, other representatives or associates of Beckers Group, its companies or any third party. To ensure our zero tolerance, our legal department assesses our risks annually, and our internal audit team carries out routine audits to ensure every site is audited approximately every third year. We did not have any legal actions for corruption and bribery in 2023.
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Anti-corruption and bribery addressed in Our Code of Conduct
“There were no legal actions for anti-competitive conduct, antitrust or monopoly practices in 2023.”
Anti-competitive behavior
At Beckers, we respect and support fair and free competition. Consequently, all companies within our Group compete vigorously but honestly for business and uphold the highest standards of business ethics. We respect anti-trust and fair competition laws that prohibit certain actions that unfairly and dishonestly harm competitors. Throughout our business dealings, we act in accordance with fair business, marketing and advertising practices. To ensure that all employees act in compliance with our anti-competitive behavior guidelines, we have translated our Competition Compliance Policy to all relevant languages.
There were no legal actions for anti-competitive conduct, antitrust or monopoly practices in 2023.
Whistleblowing
We support an open and fair discussion of issues and concerns and encourage our stakeholders to report on any incidents of non-compliance or suspected non-compliance with our Code of Conduct. We have several established whistleblowing channels to protect the anonymity of those reporting.
A total of 19 cases from all types of incidents were reported in 2023. 14 of these cases were reported through our whistleblowing channels. All have been handled according to procedure. Three remained subject to remedial action plans at the end of 2023.
Human and Children’s Rights
As an employer in five continents, a critical topic that we passionately uphold in our own operations and in our supply chain is human and children’s rights. We see that risks of breaches to human or children’s rights would undermine all of our efforts so therefore, we have developed policies, due diligence procedures and processes to prevent and address possible human rights violations for our own operations. We are not aware of any incidents of child or forced labor in our operations. To monitor the social and environmental sustainability of all our suppliers, we use a three-step process and ask our key suppliers to conduct EcoVadis assessments which cover labor and human rights issues. Should any incidents arise, we will take appropriate measures to eradicate all forms of child and forced labor and provide remediation.
“We are not aware of any incidents of child or forced labor in our operations.”
Raising awareness
Our Code of Conduct training raises awareness about modern slavery and child labor, and we have established internal reviews for all sites. We adhere to ILO child labor conventions for workers in hazardous jobs and we are already working with NGOs to ensure compliance and to rectify the situation should cases of forced or child labor be discovered. During 2023, we continued our support and dialogue with our partnering organizations, Global Child Forum and UN Global Compact. Drawing from their expertise, we’ve identified improvement areas to address moving forward, especially regarding ensuring living wages, and our human rights due diligence processes.
WHAT.
Making high performance coatings and exceeding customer expectations for over 150 years has its share of stories. We continuously improve the materials used and the functionality in our products. This year we have some of the most exciting stories how our product innovations have the potential to transform our industry.
WE.
People are at the heart of our products, production and profits. Safety, mental and physical health, and leaving a positive impact in the communities where we operate makes the existence of our business go beyond the surface.
DO.
Our operations and work in the supply chain strives to improve our environmental and social impacts. Resource efficiency together with responsible procurement turns our efforts into a positive ripple effect in our value chain.
Climate Action
Get a better picture of our biggest emission reduction opportunities in our Climate Action 2.0 strategy. See what we've learned and how we've made steady progress since our first climate assessment in 2012.
Our Performance dashboard
Explore our comprehensive dashboard for progress across all three sustainability streams.