Code of Conduct
Sustainability - Our core value
If we are to leave a healthy planet for future generations, we must be more sustainable in everything we do.
Working with customers and suppliers to develop leading solutions that do more with fewer resources. It also means continuously developing ourselves and our colleagues. We each play our part in creating an engaging place to work and contributing to the company's sustainability success. We care about our environment, our colleagues, our business partners and the communities we operate in.
Important to know
- We recognize human rights and treat people with dignity and respect
- We recruit and manage employees fairly
- We reduce the environmental impact of what we do
- We address the concerns of those affected by our operations
- We give back to communities we operate in
- We work with business partners who share our principles
We recognize the human rights of all people as outlined in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. We take responsibility for avoiding infringement of human rights and for remediating the impact on human rights resulting from our activities and our products and from the activities that our business partners conduct for us. We expect our business partners to apply equivalent principles and actively support them in their implementation where needed.
We hire the best people for the job based on equality of opportunity and encourage them to develop personally and professionally. We provide the right conditions for our colleagues to thrive and develop, and we each commit to our own continuous personal development.
We apply the principles of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. We do not employ people against their will or deprive them of their rights. We adhere to the legal minimum age requirements as outlined in the relevant ILO conventions and the laws of the countries we operate in, and we do not employ children under the age of 16.
We treat people with dignity and respect, and we support diversity. We don’t harass or discriminate, whether through culture, nationality, race, religion, gender, disability, association, sexual orientation or age.
We ensure that working hours and remuneration comply with laws and are fair and just. We respect individual rights to freedom of opinion and association, and we recognize the right to collective bargaining.
We are committed to comply with all environmental laws and regulations in every country we operate in. We focus on reducing our environmental footprint by lowering our carbon emissions, using less energy and creating less waste in our activities. We develop environmentally friendly technologies and work closely with our business partners to do more with less in an environmentally responsible way.
We fully understand our role and responsibilities when it comes to society and contributing to the communities we operate in. Whenever possible, we make a positive difference to the world around us, engaging with people and organizations to help bring the AkzoNobel brand to life while supporting deserving and sustainable projects and causes, using our products when appropriate. We are each encouraged to get involved in community activities, as long it doesn’t lead to a conflict of interest.
We engage with our customers to understand their markets and needs. We have a transparent and unbiased dialog with our key financial, social and environmental stakeholders and use knowledge from this dialog to develop leading sustainability solutions.
We wish to do business with partners whose ethical, social and environmental standards are consistent with our own. We use these standards to decide whether to enter or continue relationships with business partners. We expect our business partners to confirm that they conduct their business in accordance with our Business Partner Code of Conduct. For further guidance, please refer to:
