Corporate Compliance
The companies of the CURRENTA Group demand of themselves, their board members and their employees that they be modern and open companies in all respects. We strive to deliver the best possible performance for our customers every day, supported by a culture of fairness, tolerance and mutual respect.
The Code of Conduct
of the companies in the Currenta Group
The CURRENTA Group regards corporate compliance as an essential part of its corporate culture. Particular attention is paid to protecting human rights and complying with environmental due diligence obligations. The Code of Conduct is based on the proven principles that shape our business activities. It applies to all companies in the CURRENTA Group and their employees.
Principles and rules of conduct
Conduct within the company and interaction with each other
- Fair and respectful working conditions in a non-discriminatory environment
- Promotion of diversity and inclusion in everyday working life
- Protection of the property of the CURRENTA Group and the operating resources provided
Integrity and conduct for the CURRENTA Group in business dealings and beyond
- Fair competition, no prohibited cartel agreements
- Integrity in business dealings, no corruption – especially towards customers and public officials
- Dealing with public statements relating to the CURRENTA Group
Social and environmental responsibility in the CURRENTA Group and its supply chains
- Compliance with and protection of human rights and environmental due diligence
- Prevention of accidents and injuries and protection of our employees’ health
- Negative impacts on nature and the climate must be reduced as far as possible
Protection of company interests, confidential information and personal data
- Decisions free from conflicts of interest and made solely in the interests of the CURRENTA Group
- CURRENTA Group documents and information must be protected against unauthorised access and loss
- Business processes must be designed in compliance with data protection regulations
Dealing with authorities
- Constructive cooperation with authorities
- Safeguarding the legal positions and interests of the CURRENTA Group
- Dealing with and conduct in the event of a search
Implementation
- Chemion appoints a Compliance Officer. The same applies to the Compliance Officers of the subsidiaries.
- Chemion ensures the effectiveness of the Code of Conduct by implementing the necessary framework conditions and providing the necessary resources.
- Its functionality and effectiveness are reviewed regularly. Permanent monitoring with continuous evaluation and reporting is intended to ensure the ongoing improvement of the Code of Conduct. In addition, the audit department can review the effectiveness of the Code of Conduct at regular intervals on behalf of the management.
Policy statement on human rights and environmental due diligence
The CURRENTA Group is committed to respecting internationally recognised human rights within its own business activities and along the value chain. We base our commitment to respecting human rights on international standards, in particular the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards on fundamental principles and rights at work.
Our understanding of values
The CURRENTA Group regards corporate compliance as an essential part of its corporate culture. Particular attention is paid to the protection of human rights and compliance with environmental due diligence obligations.
This responsibility is set out in particular in the Code of Conduct (for our own employees) and the Code of Conduct for Suppliers. In these documents, the CURRENTA Group has committed itself to legal and ethical principles that go beyond the legal requirements. The expectations set out herein apply equally to the management and all executives and employees of the CURRENTA Group.
The CURRENTA Group is committed to respecting internationally recognised human rights in its own business activities and along the value chain. We base our commitment to respecting human rights on international standards, in particular the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards on fundamental principles and rights at work.
When it comes to environmental due diligence, there are particular risks in the chemical industry. The CURRENTA Group is aware of these risks and sets itself high standards in terms of environmental integrity and protection.
It is the responsibility of all employees
What are the duties of care?
Respect for and protection of human rights and compliance with environmental due diligence obligations are an integral part of the CURRENTA Group’s corporate values.
This includes, in particular, the prohibition of child labour and forced labour, the prohibition of all forms of slavery and discrimination, and the strengthening of freedom of association.
We are also committed to complying with occupational health and safety regulations, paying fair wages, prohibiting forced evictions and prohibiting the use of security forces that violate human rights.
We strive to reduce negative impacts on the environment and climate.
This understanding of values extends to our employees, the employees of our supply chain and business partners, as well as the neighbourhood, and is applied in particular through the following principles
and instruments.
We reject child labor in the CURRENTA Group, in our supply chain, and among our business partners. We do not tolerate slavery, servitude, forced labor—in any form—or human trafficking. Debt bondage, indentured servitude, and involuntary prison labor are also unacceptable. Practices such as withholding personal property, passports, wages, training certificates, work permits, or other documents for unreasonable reasons are unacceptable.
Protecting the health and safety of our employees, our supply chain partners, visitors, and everyone in the vicinity of CHEMPARK is a top priority for the CURRENTA Group.
This includes implementing high safety standards to prevent accidents. In this context, we pursue a “zero accident vision,” which requires everyone to comply with the prescribed safety regulations and instructions, report unsafe situations, learn from incidents, and look out for one another. Safety-related regulations are defined in the CURRENTA Group's safety management system. These are continuously monitored by internal and external bodies and are subject to effectiveness reviews.
In addition, the CURRENTA Group is committed to providing a comprehensive range of health services for its employees. For example, there are occupational health measures and corresponding counseling centers to promote and maintain health.
We promote diversity and inclusion in our everyday work, support people with disabilities or limitations, and create working conditions in a non-discriminatory environment characterized by respect and collegial appreciation. As a sign of this, the CURRENTA Group has signed the Diversity Charter.
Wir achten auf eine faire Vergütung, flexible Arbeitszeit- und Teilzeitmodelle, die Vereinbarkeit von Familie und Beruf und wettbewerbsfähige Leistungen sowie die Einhaltung allgemeiner Arbeitsstandards.
We guarantee our employees' rights to form unions, respect the exercise of collective bargaining, and involve employee representatives in decision-making processes in the spirit of active and proven social partnership.
We pursue a comprehensive strategy of responsible procurement, which aims not only to prevent environmental damage and human rights violations within the supply chain, but also to encourage our contractual partners to actively implement our standards for sustainable business management. To this end, we adapt our contractual terms, have our own processes and those of our suppliers assessed for their sustainability performance, and incorporate the results into our decisions, e.g., when selecting and awarding contracts to suppliers.
We are aware that companies in the chemical industry pose risks to the environment, the climate, and natural resources. Against this backdrop, our actions are guided by the desire to reduce negative impacts, for example by protecting our natural resources and reducing greenhouse gases. We strive to minimize the impairment and consumption of natural resources for the benefit of all, including future generations. “No environmental damage” as part of our vision for safety, health, and environmental protection underpins this aspect.
For example, the CURRENTA Group organizes its energy supply and waste disposal in a sustainable manner, minimizes environmental risks, and, as the manager and operator of CHEMPARK, works with the companies located there to ensure an efficient network. We promote this alliance with targeted investments in technology, infrastructure, and logistics.
As manager and operator of CHEMPARK, the CURRENTA Group particularly promotes dialogue with the local community. To this end, the CURRENTA Group offers dialogue opportunities as well as other projects and collaborations at its sites. In addition, promoting social and sustainable engagement in the communities surrounding our sites is a high priority.
How do we fulfill our duty of care?
The management of the CURRENTA Group is responsible for the guiding principles set out in the policy statement and for ensuring compliance with them. In this context, it has appointed a human rights officer for the CURRENTA Group.
In line with the guiding principles mentioned above, the CURRENTA Group has implemented a risk management system to identify human rights and environmental risks.
The CURRENTA Group has implemented a risk management system based on the aforementioned guiding principles to identify human rights and environmental risks. Based on a risk analysis, effective and appropriate preventive and remedial measures are taken to protect human rights and prevent, end, or at least minimize violations of environmental due diligence obligations.
The CURRENTA Group’s management is responsible for the guiding principles set out in the policy statement and for ensuring compliance with them. In this context, it has appointed a human rights representative for the CURRENTA Group.
Based on the guiding principles mentioned above, the CURRENTA Group has implemented a risk management system to identify human rights and environmental risks. Based on a risk analysis, effective and appropriate preventive and remedial measures are taken to protect human rights and prevent, end, or at least minimize violations of environmental due diligence obligations.
The CURRENTA Group conducts regular and ad hoc risk analyses for its own business area and supply chain. Risk analysis for its own business area and supply chain is carried out across functions, involving the relevant organizational units and specialist departments, and is based on the identification, assessment, and prioritization of risks.
The risk analysis is updated regularly—at least once a year or as needed—in cooperation with those responsible for risk management and reviewed for appropriateness and effectiveness with regard to the preventive and remedial measures taken. In this way, our risk management is continuously developed.
Based on the risk analysis, the CURRENTA Group has defined preventive and remedial measures to counteract human rights and environmental risks. In addition, measures are taken in the event of violations of corresponding duties of care. Preventive and remedial measures are coordinated and form a consistent system. In some cases, the same action can constitute both a preventive and a remedial measure.
Within this framework, we raise awareness, inform, and train our employees, suppliers, and other business partners on human rights and environmental due diligence obligations in general and on specific topic-related due diligence obligations.
Our Human Rights Officer is responsible for ensuring compliance with the human rights obligations set out here. The Human Rights Officer is in regular contact with senior management and reports at least once a year, and as needed, on human rights risks, measures, and activities.
One of the Human Rights Officer's key tasks is to monitor the CURRENTA Group's risk management with regard to possible violations of human rights or environmental due diligence obligations. In this context, the Human Rights Officer monitors the annual or event-driven risk analysis, the effectiveness of preventive and remedial measures, and the effectiveness and efficiency of the systems and reporting channels established for risk identification.
The respective specialist departments are responsible for operational implementation.
The CURRENTA Group has established a group-wide system for reporting violations of legal regulations and codes of conduct, which is also open to customers, suppliers, and the neighborhood. This enables us to ensure that any violations are identified at an early stage and that effective measures can be taken. The complaint procedure that has been implemented is an integral part of the CURRENTA Group's compliance management system.
We take all suggestions and complaints very seriously, follow them up and implement solutions. Further details are set out in the CURRENTA Group's rules of procedure for dealing with complaints and suspected compliance violations, which are available on the Internet.
Compliance
Projects and measures to fulfill applicable due diligence obligations and the results of risk management are documented on an ongoing basis. The CURRENTA Group provides information on the implementation of this policy statement and the further development of risk management in an annual report.
In this way, we ensure the necessary transparency as a basis for exchange and dialogue—in accordance with this guideline—with all stakeholders mentioned.
Find out more here.
Report violations
If violations of legal or internal regulations or our principles, which are set out in particular in the Code of Conduct of the Currenta Group, are identified, these must be reported immediately to a compliance officer or another appropriate body (e.g. supervisor or employee representative).
Reports can also be made anonymously via the EQS Integrity Line reporting portal. It is possible to report a violation in writing using an online form. In addition, whistleblowers are free to use the voice recording function within the form, which distorts or alters the voice to protect their identity.
When reporting a violation, both the privacy policy for the use of EQS Integrity Line and the rules of procedure for handling complaints and suspected compliance violations apply.
The reporting system must not be used for false accusations – knowingly reporting false information is prohibited.
In addition, we refer to the possibility of reporting to the external federal reporting office at the Federal Office of Justice.