In its Vision and Values, Henkel has declared its dedication to sustainability and corporate social responsibility. We recognize the need to harmonize economic, ecological and social goals. Henkel is convinced that effective environmental protection and social balance are the foundation of lasting economic success. At the same time, only economically successful companies will be able to contribute to effective environmental protection and social progress. One single ‘reconciliation’ of interest cannot achieve sustainable development or a sustainable society. Only continuous reassessment and an open dialogue will lead to long-term viable solutions for the Company, society and the environment.

In all business areas and cultures in which Henkel operates, its Vision and the ten Values derived from it provide guidance for the behavior and actions of all Henkel employees. Henkel’s Vision and Values form the basis for a series of behavioral rules which Henkel has specified in a number of codes. The Code of Conduct is designed to help Henkel employees when faced with ethical or legal issues; the Code of Teamwork and Leadership provides guidance for the conduct of managerial staff and employees; and the Code of Corporate Sustainability defines the principles and expectations of sustainable business practices and corporate social responsibility. It is given concrete form by Company-wide standards. Besides the standards for safety, health and environment, these include social standards as well as purchasing standards.
Together, the Codes are the basis for Henkel’s implementation of the United Nations’ Global Compact initiative.

Henkel operates in a variety of markets and regions with diverse legal systems, social standards and customs. Attitudes toward granting and accepting incentives, gifts and favors, for example, vary widely from region to region. Many Henkel employees work in countries where, according to studies such as those carried out by Transparency International, there is a high risk of corruption.

Henkel strictly rejects all forms of corruption. In 2000, we therefore established a Code of Conduct, which helps employees worldwide to respond correctly and appropriately when faced with ethical or legal issues, and in their strategic decision-making processes. The Code clearly forbids Henkel employees from offering, granting or accepting inducements. We revised our Code of Conduct in 2004 to reflect the continuously changing legal and economic environment in which a global company operates. More detailed and precise requirements provide clear guidelines for dealings with or relating to customers, colleagues, shareholders, competitors, the environment and society. We introduced the revised Code of Conduct throughout the Company in 2005. It is binding for all employees.

As early as 1980, Henkel published management principles to provide guidance for the conduct of its managerial staff and employees. These were revised in 1995 and, as the Guidelines for Teamwork and Leadership, have since been an integral element of our corporate culture. In 2004, the principles were revised again and formulated more concisely. Henkel expects its managerial staff to implement the Code consistently and to be judged by their adherence to it. It expects its employees to provide active support, accept responsibility, continuously develop their knowledge and skills, and to insist on capable leadership.

In 1986, Henkel introduced the first corporate principles on environmental and consumer protection, which later became the “Principles and Objectives of Environmental Protection and Safety”. In 2004, these were expanded to include aspects of social responsibility. We introduced the revised principles throughout the Company as the Code of Corporate Sustainability in 2005. The Code defines the principles of sustainable business practice at Henkel. It expresses our view of corporate responsibility in specific terms and shall assist us in successfully managing our operations in a sustainable and socially responsible manner.

The Code of Corporate Sustainability is given concrete form by internal standards. The standards are based on the existing requirements for safety, health and the environment (SHE standards), which apply to all of our sites worldwide.

Since 2006, the extensively revised SHE standards are supplemented by company-wide Purchasing Standards and Social Standards. In these we have integrated central requirements derived from the Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Social Accountability Standard (SA 8000), and the guidelines of the International Labor Organization (ILO).

In developing the standards, one major focus was dealings with suppliers and business partners. We expect the conduct of our suppliers and other business partners to conform to our standards of corporate ethics.

To ensure the Company-wide implementation of the SHE standards, we carry out regular SHE audits at all production sites. These audits are a key element of risk management and document the progress achieved in implementing the integrated management systems throughout Henkel.

To download Henkel’s Codes and Standards click here.