Corporate Social Responsibility

The term “Corporate Social Responsibility” (in the following “CSR”) describes the ecological, economic and social impact exerted by a business. CSR management aims at capturing this impact and controlling it in a way that it leads to a long-lasting impact that is socially accepted. In short: CSR is the voluntary extension of economic thinking by ecological (environmental protection), social and ethical aspects.

Circle Unlimited AG (in the following “CU”) is aware of the fact that their corporate action must exceed mere compliance with legal regulations. For this fact, CU acts in a resource-efficient as well as ecologically and socially responsible way.  Furthermore, CU is aware of global problems such as climate change, water shortage, poverty, deforestation and endangering of biodiversity and takes them as challenges.

Accordingly, CSR is an essential aspect of the corporate strategy of CU. In general, it comprises three dimensions:

• Economic responsibility
• Ecological responsibility
• Social and ethical responsibility

This statement of Corporate Social Responsibility describes the key principles and demands that CU expects of their business partners in relation with responsibility towards humans and the environment. CU expects of their business partners to take serious action in order to pass the requirements outlined below on to their respective business partner.

I. Economic responsibility 

CU aims for a fair and loyal relationship with their business partners.

II. Ecological responsibility

CU expects that the business partner...

• aims for implementing and optimizing better procedures in the corporal processes and technologies.
• considers environmental protection with regards to national legal guidelines and international standards.
• reduces strains on the environment to a minimum and works towards a continuous improvement of environmental protection.
• has established or is establishing a system for environmental protection and his / her business acts according to this system.

III. Social and ethical responsibility

• meets the basic rights and human rights.
• acts in line with and respects the current legal guidelines and international standards.
• Ensures fair working conditions according to the core labor standards defined in section 4 to 9 of ILO (International Labor Organization Conventions).
• meets the rights of their employees with regards to the occupational health and safety requirements and ensures safe working conditions.
• does not discriminate his / her employees or other persons due to their gender, their age, their descent, their race and color of skin, their language, their ethnic or social origin, their nationality, their faith, their religious or political conviction or their sexual orientation. CU does not tolerate discrimination on the grounds of disability.
• does not employ, employ on behalf of or tolerate the employment of people under the age of 15. Countries that fall under ILO convention 138 (minimum age for admission to employment), with the exception of developing countries, may reduce the admission age to 14 years.
• does not tolerate corruption or engages oneself in corruption in any way.
• does not support forced labor or physical punishment in any way.
• grants his / her employees freedom of assembly and the right for collective negotiations.

Adhering to these standards forms the basis for cooperation between CU and all of their business partners.