Ethical Conduct and Our Values

Ethical business conduct is a core element of our strategy for growth and success and incorporated in our company values: We Aim High, We Own It, and We Do it Right.

High expectations

We expect each employee to learn and comply with all company policies, laws and the guiding ethical principles outlined in our Code of Business Conduct & Ethics. Similarly, we have high business partner expectations and them to adopt ethical and conscientious business practices. Our robust Governance and Risk management capabilities form the core of our operations.

Emphasis on Ethics & Employee Awareness

We have regular employee communication on ethics through quarterly newsletters covering topics such as updates on respectful conduct, lessons learned, ethical behaviours and compliance with relevant company policies and procedures. We help ensure that our employees understand their obligation for ethical conduct – for example, our Code of Business Conduct & Ethics is available in several places on our Intranet and on this website, with links to our policy portal, helpful guidance on avoiding potential conflicts of interest, and an email contact for further questions and information on our SpeakUp! ethics hotline, which allows employees to confidentially report unethical conduct 24-7 in any of 30 languages.

Highlights

Speak up! Ethics hotline and Non-Retaliation Policy

100% of our in-scope employees completed mandatory Compliance trainings

Conflict-minerals policy, risk assessment, and due diligence.

Modern-slavery and forced-labor risk assessment.

Shortlisted for Compliance Department of the Year in 2022 by The American Lawyer Industry Awards

Encouraging Everyone to SpeakUp!

We thrive on a culture of high performance, which includes always acting with integrity and embodying ethical business practices. All employees complete several mandatory compliance trainings on ethical business conduct and our Code each year. We also continuously scrutinize our internal practices through internal and external assessments and have procedures for taking immediate action when we identify conduct that falls below our high standard.

When it comes to reporting any kind of concern, Nouryon employees, suppliers, customers, and other business partners can report all suspected policy violations, inappropriate behavior, and illegal or unethical practices through SpeakUp!, our global reporting hotline.

SpeakUp! is available 24-hours per day in 30 different languages. We also have a Non-Retaliation Policy (whistleblower protection) for good faith reporting of concerns, which applies to all employees. We will not tolerate retaliation against any employee who makes such a report.

In 2022, all SpeakUp! concerns were registered and resolved within an average of 30 days.

Ethics hotline

High business partner expectations

A good reputation is essential in the global marketplace. Our customers are increasingly concerned with the ethical standards of their suppliers and partners, and when companies decide to begin or expand a business relationship, the reputation of a company is an important factor.

Similarly, we expect our business partners to adopt ethical and conscientious business practices, and we hold them accountable if they fail to live up to their obligations. We expect business partners to adhere to all applicable laws, regulations and industry standards, as well as ethical requirements such as fair labor practices, employee safety and sustainable practices outlined in our Business Partner Code of Conduct & Ethics. We continuously monitor the conduct of our third parties for any potential bribery, corruption, environmental, labor or other regulatory compliance issues, taking appropriate action where necessary.

We have a formal process to evaluate suppliers, vendors and other business partners for unethical conduct, corruption, sanctions and other risks.  We screen these third parties both through our payment system as well as through questionnaires and a separate continuous-monitoring platform that provides real-time alerts to any risks or adverse media that may develop.

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Ethical supply chain practices

We are committed responsible, transparent and ethical practices throughout our supply chain.  Our suppliers are required to agree to our Business Partner Code of Conduct.

We promote sustainable sourcing practices, and the ethical conduct of our suppliers is assessed e.g. through Conflict Minerals and Modern Slavery/Forced Labor due diligence processes for in-scope suppliers. More information is outlined in our Conflict Minerals Policy.

Nouryon’s compliance program and Code are essential elements of our day-to-day business operations to ensure the safety of our employees.

Sustainable sourcing Position statements

Inclusion and diversity

Inclusion is a core element of our culture and necessary to support our diverse, global workforce and business success. We believe that having a commitment from all of our employees to maintain our inclusive culture is essential for a respectful and safe workplace environment. 

Our Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) Approach helps us achieve strategic priorities, such as fostering innovation and attracting and retaining top talent. We have also identified key learning institutions and universities around the world with which we collaborate and connect for internships, talent acquisition (including diverse talent), and research, in addition to learning and development opportunities for our current employees.

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Corporate Social Responsibility

Our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) framework is a fundamental element of our ‘Commitment and contribution to a Sustainable Future,’ in which we strive to ENGAGE with our people, communities and society to drive progress together. Practical in nature and based on volunteerism, engagement, and corporate giving, it allows us to support community engagement initiatives.

CSR framework

Related resources

Inclusion and diversity

Inclusion is a core element of our culture and necessary to support our diverse, global workforce and business success.

EthicsPoint

Welcome to the Nouryon SpeakUp! reporting website

Company Position Statements

Company position statements with regards to human rights, resource scarcity, ethical animal testing, zero tolerance approach to modern slavery and more

Code of Conduct

Download page for our Code of Conduct. The personal integrity, shared values and ethical business conduct of every Nouryon employee form the basis of Nouryon’s reputation around the world.

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