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Generate solar power and use it effectively
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Store solar power and use it flexibly
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Sustainability management areas of action
Area of action: Governance & ethical business
Acting ethically, sustainably and with integrity at all times
The SMA Business principles represent the Code of Conduct of the SMA group. They set out our values and clear standards of conduct for all employees. Beyond the implementation of legal and regulatory requirements, we also undertake to act ethically, sustainably and with integrity at all times, to assume our corporate responsibility and to treat others with respect.
We are committed to internationally recognized values and principles. By signing the UN Global Compact in 2011, we committed ourselves to the ten principles covering human rights, labor standards, environmental protection and anti-corruption. As a global company, SMA ensures that respect for human rights and the core labor standards of the International Labor Organization (ILO) is guaranteed at all locations at all times.
Integrity & compliance
Our compliance management focuses on a value-based approach and promoting a culture of compliance. A high level of acceptance of the rules among employees and an understanding of the goals and values behind these rules are very important for effective compliance management.
All employees of the SMA group are obligated, in the context of their work for the company, to act ethically in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Regular compliance training ensures awareness of this and imparts the necessary knowledge. SMA does not tolerate corruption, neither internally nor among its business partners, and is actively committed to Transparency International’s “Business Principles for Countering Bribery”.
Sustainable supply chains
The SMA Code of Conduct for Business Partners formulates our standards and gives expression to what we expect of suppliers and other business partners with regard to social, ecological and ethical aspects. It is particularly important to us to protect human rights in our supply chain.
The key points of the code of conduct are a ban on child labor, forced labor, abuse and discrimination of employees, fighting against corruption, fair working conditions, occupational health and safety, environmental protection, and quality and product safety. It is binding for all suppliers as part of the general terms and conditions. Our suppliers also undertake to pass on this requirement in the supply chain, for example by not purchasing any goods or services where production or performance involves human trafficking, forced labor or child labor.
Making sustainability performance measurable
In 2017, we started to assess the sustainability performance of our direct A and B suppliers. We are thus initially focusing on the suppliers that account for the largest shares in terms of the value of goods. The assessment was performed using the sustainability software of an external partner. The sustainability performance covers the topics of the environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. The suppliers for which an assessment has already been performed show a largely positive picture and a steady improvement in their sustainability performance.
No products from Xinjiang or Russia
Since 2020, there have also been increased concerns due to indications of human rights violations against the ethnic group of Uighurs in the Xinjiang region in China. The SMA group shares these concerns and has consequently conducted a supplier analysis.
As a result, we can confirm that there are no business relationships with suppliers based in this region. In addition, we have implemented a process element in our global supplier selection to ensure that no products from the region are purchased in the future either. Following the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine, we also extended this process element to suppliers from Russia. Accordingly, we also confirm that we do not procure products from Russia.
