Ensuring the highest environmental and social standards:

Taking account of environmental and social aspects is an integral element of our procurement strategy. In 2010, DZ BANK updated the existing standards to include new minimum social and environmental standards and integrated them into its purchasing processes. These standards form a framework for sustainable supplier relationships for all DZ BANK Group companies.

Since 2010, we have also been using a sustainability agreement that requires all suppliers to comply with DZ BANK’s minimum standards, the principles of the United Nations Global Compact, and the requirements of the International Labour Organization.

All of our suppliers must fulfill the following requirements:

• Every supplier must comply with all applicable standards concerning the protection of human rights and the fight against corruption. Compliance with these standards must also be guaranteed along the procurement chain of the supplier.
• Suppliers must accept the principles of being an equal opportunities employer and acknowledge the rights of employees to collective pay bargaining, a minimum wage, and employee benefits.
• Our suppliers must guarantee that their employees work in a safe and healthy environment (prohibition of child labor, forced labor, etc.).
• We require our suppliers to minimize their impact on the environment and to improve their environmental protection measures on an ongoing basis.

Proactive supplier management provides the basis for DZ BANK’s sustainable procurement operations. For example, we classify our suppliers according to their sustainability relevance for DZ BANK. A breach of the environmental and social standards stipulated in the sustainability agreement may ultimately lead to a supplier being suspended.