Our goal is to ensure that our partners along the supply chain also respect with social and environmental standards and thus support our sustainability efforts. In order to fulfill our due diligence obligations in the supply chain, direct suppliers of production materials and non-production materials are regularly checked for human rights risks in order to identify these and, if necessary, address them effectively with measures. Thereby, we rely on a concept of binding requirements, screenings and audits, as well as information and qualification measures for suppliers. When necessary, we collaborate with suppliers to develop plans for risk mitigation and remediation. The risk management for suppliers (supplier due diligence) is an integral part of our Human Rights CMS.

In our Business Partner Standards, we define requirements for our business partners in terms of respect for and support for human rights, good working conditions, environmental protection, and compliance with legal requirements.

In addition, we are involved in various initiatives and projects to improve social and environmental performance and address human rights risks in our value chain. For instance, we can highlight our memberships in the European industry sustainability initiatives, Drive Sustainability and Responsible Trucking, which operate under the CSR Europe network.

Regarding the supply chain for production materials, we place a particular focus on raw materials, which’s extraction and processing is potentially associated with negative impacts on people and the environment. With suppliers of these raw materials, we carry out reviews in the form of supply chain assessments. The main objective is to establish the necessary transparency, identify risk hotspots and define suitable measures. Currently, a particular focus is on suppliers who supply us with batteries for our battery-electric vehicles, which also contain critical raw materials.

Special due diligence obligations apply to tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold. These minerals (or 3TG for short, after their English initials) are known as conflict minerals. We rely on international standards and initiatives. We are part of the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI), which is committed to due diligence along the supply chains of 3TG and other human rights critical minerals. The focus is on smelting and refining, as there is a mix of materials from different sources at this point in the supply chain. It is therefore important to ensure that the due diligence obligations in the supply chain are met before smelting takes place.