Code of Conduct for Business Partners
BREMER is committed to a sustainable procurement policy, which serves as the foundation for a trusting relationship with our business partners and as a guideline for our actions. Thanks to the excellent internal collaboration and the wealth of experience of our long-standing employees, BREMER is able to refine its products and processes to benefit our customers continuously. Quality is the cornerstone of our business practices. It starts with the selection of raw materials and semi-finished products, and the careful choice of suppliers and partner companies. All materials used must comply with the specific regulatory approvals in each country. Whenever possible, BREMER relies on local suppliers at its various locations.
The key principles of our cooperation with suppliers are trust, reliability, and the courage to embrace innovative and creative changes in order to ensure customer satisfaction in the future. In this spirit, BREMER places great emphasis on fair dealings both internally and with our business partners.
When it comes to international business relationships, we uphold a clear position: In addition to adhering to German regulations, we conduct our activities in compliance with applicable laws and regulations in the respective countries, while respecting the social norms and traditions of the local culture.
Human Rights and Working Conditions
BREMER’s business partners are required to respect the human rights of their employees, the local communities, and other relevant stakeholders, and must prevent and address any adverse impacts on human rights related to their business activities, in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Suppliers must comply with the minimum employment age as set out in the ILO Convention on Minimum Age and ensure that child labour is not tolerated in any form throughout their operations and entire supply chain.
Business partners must provide their employees with compensation that complies with applicable regulations and prevailing industry practices. This remuneration should be sufficient to cover basic needs and enable employees and their families to maintain a decent standard of living, which includes adherence to minimum wage requirements, overtime pay, sick leave, and statutory social benefits.
Business partners are required to comply with local laws and, where applicable, collective bargaining agreements regarding working hours. If no relevant local regulations exist, they should follow the ILO standards on working hours.
Health and Safety
BREMER’s business partners should provide their employees with a safe and healthy working environment that meets or exceeds applicable local laws and industry standards for occupational health and safety. When necessary, suppliers and partner companies should provide their employees with the required personal protective equipment (PPE) and ensure that they are trained on its proper use and application. Business partners should also adequately manage the health and safety of contractors as part of the broader supply chain of the company.
Environment
BREMER’s business partners are expected to comply with all applicable environmental laws and regulations. They are committed to exercising due care in the use of environmental resources and strive to reduce their direct and indirect ecological footprint by adhering to the following principles:
Business partners should aim for emissions reduction targets and renewable energy goals that align with the Paris Agreement and implement measures to advance decarbonisation across the entire value chain.
Business partners should minimise water consumption, effectively reuse and recycle water, treat wastewater responsibly, and prevent potential impacts of flooding from surface runoff as required by applicable laws and regulations.
Business partners should promote closed-loop systems by supporting the use of sustainable and renewable natural resources, reducing waste, and increasing the reuse and recycling of materials.
If the above requirements for performance improvement are not met and there is no willingness to address these issues, BREMER reserves the right to terminate the business relationship.
This statement is the foundation of our business relationship and applies to all BREMER suppliers and partner companies. They commit to allocating the necessary resources to ensure adherence to the principles outlined herein.
Paderborn, August 2024