Hear from our CEO and CSO about our Green Lights Strategy and how it incorporates What We Do
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Human Rights
and Ethics
Principles into practice
In a world where change is the only constant, we are committed to corporate ethics and human rights. Our adherence to these principles ensures that every decision, every action, and every innovation is aligned with the greater good.
Our policies and commitments
Across our company – from executives and managers to line employees – and toward all stakeholders, we follow fundamental business principles and high standards of business ethics in accordance with our Code of Conduct. The code provides a detailed set of principles that apply equally to all co-workers and directors.
In practice, this means that all our operations as well as our subcontractors and suppliers must adhere to the same key internationally accepted ethical principles such as 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.
Whistleblowing
We support the transparent discussion of issues and concerns and encourage our stakeholders to report any incidents of non-compliance or suspected non-compliance with our Code of Conduct. We have established several whistleblowing channels to protect the anonymity of those reporting.
A total of seven incidents of suspected non-compliance with our Code of Conduct were reported in 2024. Five of these cases were reported through our whistleblowing channels. All were handled according to our procedures. Two remained subject to remedial action plans at the end of 2024.
Human and children’s rights
As an employer with operations around the world, we uphold human and children’s rights in our own operations and in our supply chain. Breaches of human or children’s rights would undermine our efforts, and we have therefore developed policies, due diligence procedures and processes to prevent and address possible human rights violations in our own 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 that 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 implement remediation actions.
We’re proud to have contributed to the Global Child Forum’s Corporate Playbook on embedding children’s rights in ESRS reporting through an interview sharing our insights. Access the playbook here.
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 the ILO conventions on child labor and work with NGOs to ensure compliance and to rectify potential cases of forced or child labor if they are identified.
During 2024, we continued our support and dialogue with our partnering organizations, the Global Child Forum and the UN Global Compact. We contributed toward developing the Global Child Forum’s playbook to integrate child rights in reporting, as we had a fresh perspective while preparing for our Double Materiality Assessment (DMA). As we work to align our reporting with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), we have identified improvement areas to address – such as our human rights due diligence processes.
WHAT.
For 160 years, we continuously advance the performance and functionality of our high-performance coatings, consistently exceeding customer expectations. Our legacy is defined by the stories of how we help transform our industry.
WE.
People are at the heart of our business. Safety, mental and physical health, and leaving a positive impact in the communities where we operate transcend our business.
DO.
Our operations and work with suppliers improve our environmental and social impact. By working with resource efficiency and responsible procurement, we have a positive effect throughout our value chain.