Ensure ethical business practices

A global reach and a direct impact on the world.

Ensure ethical business practices

Saint-Gobain is proud to share strong values with its employees around its code of ethical conduct for a fair and responsible practice of the business. Featuring 9 Principles of Conduct and Action, translated into 33 languages, this code of conduct is a condition for belonging to the Group, a common basis for all employees to adhere to.

5 Principles of Conduct unite our managers and employees:

professional commitment,
respect for others,
integrity,
loyalty,
solidarity.

4 Principles of Action govern their actions:

Respect for the law,
Caring for the environment,
Worker health and safety,
Employee rights.

These Principles are reflected in our relationships with our partners. It is with the same high standards in mind that we collaborate with those who share our environmental, social and societal commitments.

To guarantee the respect of human rights

The respect of human rights is at the heart of Saint-Gobain's DNA.

Our Principles of Conduct and Action explicitly refers to the relevant International Labour Organisation conventions, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and the International Bill of Human Rights. Saint-Gobain has been a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact since 2003 and we are committed to respecting the United Nations guiding principles on business and human rights.

In order to ensure our progress, a human rights risk map has been drawn up following the standards recommended by the UN. The Group has therefore defined salient risks and established corresponding action plans. For more information, please consult the Group's human rights policy and our duty of vigilance plan.

With a demanding compliance program

Our compliance program is embedded in our code of ethical conduct and is currently structured around 3 main themes:

prevention of corruption
compliance with competition law rules
compliance with the rules on economic sanctions and export controls.

In constant evolution according to current events, it allows us to achieve best practices and stand as a permanent obligation for all our employees.

For more information, please consult the purchasers and suppliers charters

With our alert system

Our alert system is open to all: employees of Saint-Gobain, temporary workers, and subcontractors, but also stakeholders such as individuals, suppliers, clients, unions, NGOs or public bodies. This system is operated through a highly secure platform and can be used to report (including anonymously) breaches of our code of ethical conduct (General Principles of Conduct and Action), of the law and of our internal Group policies, procedures, and commitments.

Alerts issued in good faith are systematically investigated by a dedicated group of Saint-Gobain employees who have been specially trained in the matter and are bound by enhanced confidentiality obligations.

The Group is committed to protecting issuers who acted in good faith via :

No disciplinary action
No legal proceedings
No retaliation

For more information, please watch this video:

To issue an alert, please visit: https://www.bkms-system.com/saint-gobain

To secure a responsible purchasing policy

With an overall annual amount of around 29 billion euros from more than 250,000 suppliers, purchasing is a major factor in our responsibility. Our purchasing program is aimed at managing the environmental, social and societal risks related to our supply chain through the development of a purchasing process that incorporates CSR criteria. Particular attention is paid to human rights issues, labour, health and safety standards and the environmental impact of the supply chain.

Our purchasing employees receive specific and regular training to enable them to strive for behavioural excellence in their daily practice.

For more information, please consult the purchasers and suppliers charters

Not to mention...

The Saint-Gobain Group acts in accordance with the tax laws of the countries in which it operates and has not set up a structure whose purpose would be tax evasion. We apply tax laws and regulations with honesty and integrity.
Saint-Gobain is committed to respecting privacy and ensures the security and confidentiality of the personal data of the users of its services. Each processing of personal data must be legal and fall within one of the authorised cases (consent of the individual, performance of a contract, compliance with a legal obligation or justified by a legitimate interest). An educational guide dealing with data protection has been issued internally to raise awareness among our partners and employees on this subject.

Key figures

96 % of our managers were trained to the Principles of Conduct and Action during their year of integration of the Group in 2018
95 % of our managers were trained to anticorruption during their year of integration of the Group for 2018
83 % of purchases are covered by the signature of the supplier charter