Business ethics

Our core values – responsibility, respect and excellence – should define everything we do. Our Code of Conduct helps us to convert this into practice, for example, in relation to business ethics and anti-corruption. Our SCA Supplier Standard is to be used to drive shared values and priorities throughout the supply chain.

Anti-corruption

Corruption entails the use of your position to achieve an unfair advantage for your own gain or the gain of another person. This includes bribery. SCA conducts all activities in accordance with applicable laws and regulations and does not tolerate any form of corruption. We have an instruction that establishes rules to prevent corruption in the Group’s operations, regardless of country.

All of SCA’s employees are trained in our Code of Conduct, which includes a section dealing with business ethics. Employees in a senior position or with external contacts are given additional training in anti-corruption. Management teams and other relevant individuals also receive training in the form of mini-seminars.

Anti-trust

SCA complies with competition laws and strives to combat anti-trust, price fixing, etc. In addition to the training provided to all employees in the Code of Conduct, SCA has a program for employees with market-related contact with competitors. The program aims to broaden knowledge concerning competition law. We also hold regular seminars to discuss issues and news in the area.

Relationship to suppliers and business partners

It is important that our suppliers share our values. This is why we have a Supplier Standard that is based on SCA’s Code of Conduct and international standards. The standard also minimizes risk in the supply chain.

Before we initiate a collaboration with a potential business partner, we perform an evaluation using our Supplier Standard. The evaluation comprises both business issues and issues concerning existing policies and processes regarding, for example, the work environment and business ethics. We use an external system to evaluate sustainability work by suppliers. Audits are also conducted on-site on the basis of risk assessments.

The Supplier Standard ensures that our customers and consumers receive safe and high-quality goods and services, produced and delivered with respect for people and nature.

Evaluation of suppliers’ sustainability

As part of our efforts to scrutinize sustainability work by our suppliers, we use EcoVadis, a world-leading and trusted provider of business and supply chain assessments and sustainability criteria. EcoVadis considers sustainability practices in four areas: environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.

The evaluation provides a high degree of transparency and an opportunity to assess suppliers in a uniform manner. The results clearly show that suppliers are ambitious on sustainability matters.