code of conduct for suppliers
Introduction
Our company is committed to ecologically and socially responsible corporate governance and the principles of ethics, integrity and compliance with the law. Our company’s code of conduct and compliance guidelines and the principles of the United Nations Global Compact initiative are mandatory requirements for all employees. We also expect integrity and lawful, ethical behavior from our subcontractors and sup-pliers that complies with the principles of the Global Compact initiative and the mini-mum standards listed below.
To avoid conflicts of interest, we offer each supplier clear and understandable contracts.
Against this background, this Supplier Code of Conduct describes what all suppliers must observe with regard to management practices and ethics, health, safety and environmental protection and, in particular, with regard to labour and human rights.
We expect our suppliers and subcontractors to agree to the principles in this Code of Conduct. These are part of the supplier selection and evaluation process. We also expect our suppliers to implement these standards downstream in the supply chain.
Iprotex GmbH & Co. KG therefore provides its suppliers with this Code of Conduct with the aim of strengthening the common understanding of how sustainability should be implemented in everyday business.
Human Rights and Working Conditions
Child labor and young workers
Suppliers must not use child labor and must comply with all applicable laws and regulations regarding the minimum age of workers. Suppliers are required to implement appropriate audit procedures to ensure compliance with these requirements. Young workers must be protected and promoted in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, including appropriate working conditions, working hours and training opportunities.
Wages and social benefits
Suppliers must ensure that compensation, including wages, benefits and overtime, complies with applicable laws, collective agreements and industry standards. All workers must be paid fairly and on time and suppliers must provide transparent pay-roll. Suppliers should also provide adequate social insurance to protect workers against the financial consequences of illness, accident, old age and unemployment.
Working Time
Suppliers must respect the legally prescribed working hours and must not force employees to work excessive overtime. They are obliged to plan appropriate breaks and rest periods for employees and to ensure that overtime is voluntary and appropriately remunerated.
Modern Slavery
Suppliers are required to prevent modern slavery in all its forms, including slavery, servitude, forced labour and human trafficking. They must implement appropriate controls and procedures to ensure that their supply chains are free from modern slavery and take all necessary steps to end such practices if they are discovered.
Ethical recruitment
Suppliers must ensure fair and transparent recruitment practices that are free from discrimination and exploitation. This includes respecting minimum wages, avoiding illegal fees and coercive measures, and providing clear and understandable employment contracts.
Freedom of association and collective bargaining
Suppliers must respect and promote workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. They must not retaliate against workers who exercise their rights in this area and must be open to dialogue and cooperation with workers’ representatives.
Non-discrimination and harassment
Suppliers must create a work environment that is free from discrimination, harassment and abuse. This includes equal treatment of all employees regardless of gender, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability or other protected characteristics. Suppliers must take reasonable steps to investigate com-plaints of discrimination or harassment and take appropriate remedial action.
Women’s rights
Suppliers are required to promote gender equality in the workplace and to ensure equal opportunities, salaries and working conditions for women. They should take measures to consider and protect the special needs of women with regard to pregnancy, maternity protection, breastfeeding and family responsibilities.
Diversity, equality and inclusion
Suppliers should create a diverse and inclusive work environment in which all employees are equally respected and valued. They are encouraged to take measures to promote diversity and inclusion in their workforce and to counteract discrimination and stereotypes.
Rights of minorities and indigenous peoples
Suppliers must respect and promote the rights of minorities and indigenous peoples. They are obliged to prevent discrimination and exploitation of these groups and to protect their cultural identity, traditions and livelihoods.
Land, forest and water rights and forced eviction
Suppliers must respect and protect the land, forest and water rights of local communities, including indigenous peoples. They must not carry out forced evictions and must obtain all necessary permits and consents for their business activities.
Use of private or public security forces
Suppliers must ensure that the use of private or public security forces complies with applicable laws and international human rights standards. They must implement appropriate training and controls to prevent human rights violations by security personnel.
Occupational safety
Suppliers are obliged to ensure the health and safety of their workers in the work-place. They must comply with all applicable occupational health and safety laws and regulations, create safe working conditions and regularly train and instruct workers on safety-related issues.
Combating corruption and money laundering
Suppliers must comply with all applicable anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws and regulations. They must not offer, promise, solicit or accept bribes, kickbacks or other improper payments to influence business deals or to gain an unfair ad-vantage.
Suppliers must implement appropriate procedures and controls to prevent, detect and combat corruption and money laundering within their organization. This includes training and raising awareness among their employees on the risks and the appropriate precautions to be taken.
Data protection and data security
Suppliers must respect and ensure the privacy and protection of personal data of employees, customers, suppliers and other parties. They must comply with all applicable data protection laws and regulations and take appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of personal data.
Suppliers must train and educate their employees on privacy and data security issues and ensure that they understand and follow relevant policies and procedures.
Financial responsibility
Suppliers must ensure sound financial management and control and comply with all applicable laws and regulations relating to accounting, tax and financial reporting. They must maintain their financial reports and records accurately and transparently and review them regularly.
Suppliers must manage their financial resources responsibly and sustainably and design their business practices so that they remain profitable and competitive in the long term.
Disclosure of information
Suppliers must report openly and transparently on their business operations, finances, governance and sustainability performance. They should regularly publish reports and information that provide stakeholders and the public with insight into their business practices and their environmental, social and governance (ESG) impacts.
Suppliers must, upon request, provide relevant information and documents necessary to verify their compliance with this Code of Conduct and applicable laws and regulations.
Fair competition and antitrust law
Suppliers must commit to fair and competitive business practices and to comply with all applicable antitrust and competition laws and regulations. They must not engage in price fixing, territorial or customer allocation, bid rigging or other anti-competitive practices. They must maintain transparent and fair business relationships with their customers, suppliers and competitors.
Suppliers must train their employees in the principles of fair competition and antitrust law and ensure that they know and comply with relevant laws and regulations.
Conflicts of interest
Suppliers must avoid and disclose conflicts of interest that could affect the objectivity and impartiality of their business decisions. They must ensure that their employees do not accept personal benefits, gifts or invitations that could impair their judgment or loyalty to the company.
Suppliers must implement appropriate procedures and policies to identify, manage and resolve conflicts of interest.
Plagiarism
Suppliers must respect the intellectual property rights of others and must not engage in plagiarism, counterfeiting or unauthorized imitation of products, brands or intellectual property. They must ensure that all materials, technology and information they use are lawfully acquired and used.
Suppliers must implement appropriate controls and procedures to ensure compliance with intellectual property laws and regulations and prevent plagiarism in their products and business practices.
Intellectual Property
Suppliers must respect and protect the intellectual property rights of all parties involved, including customers, suppliers and competitors. They must not use or dis-close confidential information, trade secrets or intellectual property of third parties without their express consent.
Suppliers must ensure that their employees understand the importance of intellectual property and are aware of and comply with relevant laws and regulations.
Export controls and economic sanctions
Suppliers must comply with all applicable export controls and economic sanctions issued by national and international authorities. They must not do business with sanctioned countries, organizations or persons or supply products and technology that violate export controls or economic sanctions.
Suppliers must implement appropriate procedures and controls to ensure compliance with export controls and economic sanctions and to respond to changes in laws and regulations.
Whistleblowing and protection from retaliation
Suppliers must establish a secure and anonymous system for employees and other stakeholders to report concerns or information about possible violations of this Code of Conduct, laws or regulations. They must carefully review the information reported and take appropriate action to correct any problems identified.
Suppliers must ensure that whistleblowers are protected from retaliation, discrimination or detriment and that their identities are kept confidential where permitted by law. They must inform their employees of their rights and responsibilities regarding whistleblowing and encourage them to raise concerns openly and responsibly.
Environment
Reporting on greenhouse gas emissions
Suppliers must quantify and continuously monitor their greenhouse gas emissions. They should transparently report their emissions and progress in reducing them, using standardized measurement methods and reporting frameworks such as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. Suppliers should set emission reduction targets based on science and regularly report on their progress.
Energy efficiency
Suppliers are required to promote energy efficiency in their operations by systematically monitoring energy consumption and implementing measures to reduce it. This may include improving building insulation, optimising manufacturing processes and using energy efficient technologies and equipment.
Renewable energies
Suppliers should promote the use of renewable energy and invest in renewable energy technologies such as solar, wind, hydropower or biomass to meet their energy needs and reduce their carbon footprint. In addition, they should inform their employees about the benefits of renewable energy and encourage them to use environmentally friendly energy sources.
Decarbonization
Suppliers must strive to reduce their carbon footprint and decarbonise their operations in line with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. This can be achieved by switching to renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, reducing material and production waste and using low-carbon transport.
Water quality, consumption and management
Suppliers must responsibly manage water use in their operations by monitoring consumption and implementing water-saving technologies and practices. They should also protect water quality by preventing the discharge of wastewater and pollutants into waterways and operating wastewater treatment plants.
Air quality
Suppliers must monitor air quality in their operations and take measures to reduce air pollution and harmful emissions. This can be achieved by using low-emission technologies, improving production processes, reducing Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and minimizing dust and particle emissions.
Responsible chemical management
Suppliers must responsibly manage the use of chemicals in their operations by identifying hazardous substances, conducting risk assessments, and taking appropriate safety and protection measures for employees and the environment. This may include implementing chemical inventories, training employees in handling and storing chemicals and using less hazardous alternatives. Suppliers should also ensure that chemicals are disposed of in accordance with applicable regulations and best practices to avoid environmental pollution.
Sustainable resource management
Suppliers should promote sustainable resource management and the use of environ-mentally friendly materials to reduce resource scarcity and environmental impacts. This can be achieved by using recycled or renewable materials, minimizing production waste and implementing circular economy principles in their operations.
Waste management and reduction
Suppliers are required to promote waste prevention and reduction in their operations. They should implement waste separation, recycling and reuse procedures and en-courage their employees to participate in waste reduction initiatives. Suppliers should also ensure that hazardous waste is disposed of in accordance with applicable regulations and best practices.
Biodiversity and ecosystem protection
Suppliers must protect biodiversity and natural ecosystems affected by their business activities. They should take measures to prevent habitat loss, ecosystem degradation and damage to wildlife. Suppliers should also promote sustainable sourcing practices and avoid the use of materials and raw materials that have a negative impact on the environment and biodiversity.
Environmental certifications and standards
Suppliers should seek and adhere to environmental certifications and standards such as ISO 14001, EMAS, FSC or PEFC to improve and demonstrate their environmental performance. These certifications can help continuously improve suppliers’ environ-mental management practices and communicate their sustainability performance to customers, investors and other stakeholders.
Awareness and training
Suppliers should educate their employees about environmental issues and the importance of sustainable business practices. They should implement training pro-grams and awareness-raising initiatives to increase employees’ awareness and skills on environmental and sustainability issues and encourage them to actively participate in environmental improvement activities.
Adaptation to climate change
Suppliers should proactively take climate adaptation measures to make their operations and supply chains more resilient to the impacts of climate change. This may include identifying climate risks, developing adaptation plans and implementing adaptation measures such as flood protection, improved water management practices and the adoption of heat-resistant materials and technologies.
Environmentally friendly packaging
Suppliers should use environmentally friendly packaging materials and designs to reduce packaging waste and increase the recyclability of their products. They should minimize the use of single-use plastics and other environmentally harmful materials and develop packaging that is easily recyclable, reusable, or compostable.
Sustainable purchasing
Suppliers should apply sustainable procurement practices by considering environ-mental and social criteria in their procurement decisions. They should give preference to suppliers and products that have a proven lower environmental and social footprint and they should review their supply chains for sustainable and ethical practices.
Environmentally friendly transport
Suppliers should consider the environmental impact of their transport and logistics activities and take measures to reduce them. This may include using environmentally friendly means of transport such as electric vehicles, optimising routes and delivery schedules, reducing empty runs and promoting intermodal transport solutions.
Local environmental commitment
Suppliers should actively participate in local environmental initiatives and enter into partnerships with environmental organizations, authorities and other stakeholders to achieve common environmental goals. They should also help promote environmental awareness in their community and support local environmental projects such as re-forestation or nature conservation initiatives.
Continuous improvement
Suppliers should commit to continuously monitoring, evaluating and improving their environmental performance. They should regularly conduct internal and external environmental audits to track their progress towards achieving their environmental objectives and identify areas for further improvement.
Overall, suppliers should recognize that environmental protection and sustainability are an integral part of their business strategy and their commitment to their customers, employees and society by following and continuously implementing this comprehensive Code of Conduct.
Waste prevention
Suppliers should strive to minimize the generation of waste by applying efficient production methods, using resources effectively and considering waste reduction in the planning and development phases of projects. They should also implement procedures to identify and eliminate waste sources in their operations.
Reuse and recycling
Suppliers should actively promote the reuse and recycling of materials and products. They should implement systems for the collection, separation and further processing of reusable or recyclable materials and provide their employees with training and incentives to participate in recycling programs. Suppliers should also promote the use of recycled materials in their products and packaging.
Animal Welfare
Suppliers are obliged to ensure animal welfare and avoid cruel practices in their sup-ply chain. They should implement policies and procedures to ensure that animals are treated and kept according to ethical and legal standards and that animal products come from responsible and certified sources.
Biodiversity, land use and deforestation
Suppliers must pay attention to the conservation of biodiversity and natural habitats by promoting sustainable land use practices and the protection of ecosystems. They should avoid the use of raw materials that lead to deforestation, land grabbing or habitat destruction and ensure the procurement of certified and sustainably managed materials. Suppliers should also participate in reforestation and habitat restoration initiatives.
Ground quality
Suppliers should take steps to protect and improve soil quality in their operations and in areas affected by their business activities. This may include implementing soil protection and management practices, minimizing soil pollution and erosion, and promoting sustainable farming and forestry practices.
Noise emissions
Suppliers must control and minimize noise emissions in their operations to avoid negative impacts on the environment and human health. They should implement noise reduction measures such as soundproofing barriers, the use of quiet machinery and equipment, and the planning of work processes and transport routes to reduce noise exposure.
Compliance with the Code of Conduct
Sustainability requirements for suppliers
Definition, implementation and dissemination of standards along the supply chain
As a responsible organization, we at Iprotex GmbH & Co. KG attach great importance to sustainability and ethical conduct. To ensure this throughout our entire value chain, we impose certain sustainability requirements on our suppliers. These requirements relate to the definition and implementation of similar standards by our Tier 1 suppliers as well as the mandatory passing on of these standards along the supply chain.
Definition and implementation of similar standards by Tier 1 suppliers
As part of our sustainability initiative, we require our immediate Tier 1 suppliers to adhere to similar sustainability standards. These standards include environmental protection, working conditions and human rights, occupational health and safety, economic performance and governance. By clearly defining these standards, our suppliers can set their own sustainability goals and take appropriate measures to implement these goals. Iprotex GmbH & Co. KG actively supports and accompanies its sup-pliers in integrating sustainability aspects into their business practices.
Mandatory requirements for Tier 1 suppliers to pass on standards along the supply chain.
In order to promote sustainability throughout our supply chain, Iprotex GmbH & Co. KG requires its Tier 1 suppliers to pass on the established standards along the supply chain. This is ensured through binding contractual clauses, training and regular audits. Our suppliers are required to oblige their own suppliers (Tier 2, Tier 3, etc.) to comply with the standards and to work towards their implementation.
With these requirements, Iprotex GmbH & Co. KG is actively contributing to the creation of a sustainable and responsible supply chain. We are proud to work with sup-pliers who share our values and are committed to implementing sustainability standards. Together we can make a positive contribution to our environment, society and economy.
A violation of this code of conduct constitutes an impairment of the business relationship between Iprotex GmbH & Co. KG and the supplier. Without prejudice to other rights, Iprotex GmbH & Co. KG reserves the right in this case to demand clarification of the facts and initiation of countermeasures from its supplier.
If the supplier demonstrably fails to initiate suitable improvement measures within a reasonable period of time or if the violation is so serious that a continuation of the business relationship becomes unreasonable for Iprotex GmbH & Co. KG, Iprotex GmbH & Co. KG reserves the right, without prejudice to other rights, to terminate the contractual relationship in question without notice or to withdraw from the contract in question.
Monitoring
Iprotex GmbH & Co. KG reserves the right to monitor compliance with this Code of Conduct for Suppliers. For this purpose, Iprotex GmbH & Co. KG is granted the right to request information or confirmation/proof of compliance with the above provisions by regularly sending the supplier questionnaires in which he is asked to provide in-formation.