Responsibility

• Annual Report 2021 (UN Global Compact Progress Report starting on page 12) 
• Progress Report 2021
• Code of Conduct
• Business Principles
• Guiding Principles­
• HSE Guideline
• Global Compact Principles
• Global Compact Letter of Commitment Freudenberg Group

The roll-out of management systems for occupational health and safety (OHSAS 18001 and conversion to ISO 45001) and environmental protection (ISO 14001) continued in the year under review.

Many facilities are introducing energy management systems in accordance with DIN EN ISO 50001 or EN 16246 to reduce energy consumption and thus the impact of their industrial activities on the environment. The Business Groups Freudenberg Sealing Technologies, Freudenberg Performance Materials, Freudenberg Filtration Technologies, EagleBurgmann and Vibracoustic have established management systems for this purpose at many of their German production sites. Other production sites run by EagleBurgmann in Austria, Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions in Sweden, and Freudenberg Performance Materials in France have followed their example.

Freudenberg feels obligated to protect the environment and takes responsibility to ensure that its actions are as environmentally friendly as possible. The goal is to continually reduce the company’s negative impact along the entire value chain, by using resources more efficiently, reducing emissions, saving energy, water and other materials while optimizing transportation processes.

A project at Klüber Lubrication, a Freudenberg company, is one example of the Group’s activities in this area. A multidisciplinary team was able to identify an alternative cleaning agent after comprehensive tests in labs and in manufacturing processes. It is less damaging to the climate than other options by a factor of 170 and even cleans more efficiently. In the medium-term, emissions will be reduced by the equivalent of up to 30,000 tons of CO2 per year. And customers will be avoiding additional emissions equivalent to about 60,000 tons of CO2 per year as soon as the solvent is replaced as a raw material starting in 2022.

Freudenberg’s Business Principles were used to create Guiding Principles, which apply to all interactions with employees, business partners, stakeholders and third parties. 

Business Principles
Guiding Principles

The Business Groups at Freudenberg have general autonomy when making business decisions. The Business Groups are generally responsible for compliance with laws and regulations. At the holding level, and thus the duty of the Freudenberg Compliance Management Council, the focus is on the most important compliance issues relevant to the Group and those with international implications and which may especially pose a threat to Freudenberg’s reputation.

The Code of Conduct is derived from the Business Principles and Guiding Principles, with a close focus on Responsibility. The Code of Conduct is the same everywhere around the world and is designed to ensure that respect for the law and proper conduct remain a cornerstone of how Freudenberg conducts business.

Code of Conduct

The Ethics Offices are an important part of Freudenberg’s Compliance Management System. The offices are a contact for any employees who – for whatever reason – feel they cannot turn to their superiors, HR team or their union representatives. The opportunity to confidentially and proactively report compliance violations or impending violations in a confidential environment helps create a culture of trust and protects Freudenberg’s internal values and principles.

• Corporate Ethics Office in Weinheim for Europe: CorporateEthicsOffice@freudenberg-compliance.com
• Regional Ethics Office North America: EthicsOfficeNorthAmerica@freudenberg-compliance.com 
• Regional Ethics Office South America: EthicsOfficeSouthAmerica@freudenberg-compliance.com 
• Regional Ethics Office India: EthicsOfficeIndia@freudenberg-compliance.com
• Regional Ethics Office Asia: EthicsOfficeAsia@freudenberg-compliance.com

Anti-corruption measures and evaluation of their effectiveness also remained a component of risk management and the work of the Corporate Audit team. The goal of the department is to uncover corrupt deals, evaluate the effectiveness of counter measures and improve as needed.

Internal audits examine compliance with the standards. Employees receive anti-corruption training in classroom sessions and e-learning programs. The Compliance Council, Corporate Audit and the Ethics Office work together to assess any incidents that may arise.