CYPRUS INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE

ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
EASC PROJECT GROUP 1
22328975
DERIC KONDONGA
 DHL GROUP 2024 Annual report (ethics and corporate social responsibility)

•Ethics and corporate social responsibility

In the Dhl 2024 annual report, the company has emphasized ethical business
practices that we will quote below.
We use our Supplier Code of Conduct to implement our ethical, social and
environmental standards in the upstream value chain with the goal of facilitating
ethical business practices and positively impacting business conduct in general. The
Supplier Code of Conduct sets forth clear requirements for working conditions
(adequate wages and a healthy and safe workplace) and for the prevention of
violence and harassment in the workplace as well as the avoidance of child labor.
Our corporate culture provides our employees with a foundation for cooperating
with each other in an atmosphere of trust, thus cultivating an environment in which
business can be conducted in a transparent, legally compliant and ethical manner
that can positively impact the upstream value chain.
The rules for ethical conduct set forth in our codes of conduct are further specified
in our Human Rights Policy Statement as well as in our Anti-Corruption and Business
Ethics Standards Policy. Our focus at all times is on preventing potential violations
of legal requirements or internal guidelines.
Women in top management roles Top management roles are the most senior level
of leadership within DHL Group. For internal management purposes, we also
incorporate middle management in order to factor in the size of our Group and to
reflect the responsibility held by middle management leaders while promoting
diversity on a broad scale. We continue to focus on raising the share of women in
middle and upper management. Our goal is for women to occupy at least 30% of
the Group’s middle and upper management positions by 2025; the target is at least
34% by 2030. We specifically empower female talent to take the next step in their
career journeys on the way to becoming middle- or upper-level executives through
various methods such as coaching, mentoring and online training.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) Our organization brings together
people with a variety of cultural backgrounds who possess a wide range of
experiences, abilities and perspectives. We consider the diversity of our employees
to be not only an asset to the company but one of its major strengths. We expressly
reject any form of discrimination. Our actions around DEIB are aimed at creating an
inclusive work culture with a focus on belonging that can foster employee retention
and make management positions more attractive for women.
Occupational health and safety The health and safety of our employees in the
workplace is a high priority for us, which is why we place great importance on
occupational health and safety.
We create a work environment that promotes health and raises awareness about
healthy lifestyles among our employees through such health initiatives and other
local projects.
Respect for human rights as a signatory to the UN Global Compact, we uphold its
ten principles in operating our business. These principles are embedded in our Code
of Conduct, as are the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the
OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the International Labor
Organization’s (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and
the principle of social partnership. Our Human Rights Policy Statement goes into
more detail on the topic of respect for human rights.
Adequate wages (ESRS S1-10) We did not identify any employees being paid below
the applicable benchmarks in the year under review.
Business conduct policies and corporate culture (ESRS G1-1) We are committed to
upholding all relevant international anti-corruption standards and statutes, including
the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, and we are a member of the
Partnering Against Corruption Initiative of the World Economic Forum. We provide
all of our services in compliance with current legislation and our corporate values as
defined in the applicable Group policies.
Responsibility of the Board of Management departments and committees for
sustainability The chairperson of the Board of Management is responsible for setting
the Group’s strategic direction, for stakeholder dialog and the implementation of
decarburization and occupational safety policies as well as for the Group’s corporate
citizenship program and its cybersecurity standards. Sustainability matters are
further developed in the corporate strategy and were reviewed at three meetings of
the Sustainability Steering Board (SSB) in the reporting year. The SSB is composed
of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and the Chief
Human Resources Offices as well as executives from central and divisional specialist
departments.
Policies related to climate change mitigation and adaptation (ESRS E1-2) Our
approach to climate change mitigation and environmental protection is set out in
our Code of Conduct and our Supplier Code of Conduct and is described in detail in
our Environmental and Energy Policy. Additional internal policies and guidelines are
available to our employees to assist them in the use of sustainable fuels and in the
purchasing process. All policies are subject to approval by the Board of
Management, and findings from dialog with stakeholder groups are also taken into
account.
Environment (ESRS E1) The main environmental impact of our business activities is
caused by the emission of logistics-related greenhouse gases (GHG), which are
directly related to our transport business and contribute to climate change. This
entity-specific consideration accounts for Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions as well as
Scope 3 emissions in GHG Protocol categories 3 “Fuel and Energy-Related
Activities”, 4 “Upstream Transportation and Distribution” and 6 “Business Travel.”
We intend to reduce our GHG emissions and our dependency on fossil fuels and
thereby mitigate the impact of our business activities on the global climate.
Diversity metrics (ESRS S1-9) Diversity, inclusion and freedom from discrimination
are anchored throughout the Group in the form of our Code of Conduct. We
expressly reject any form of discrimination. We take an equal-opportunity approach
to new hiring, both internally and externally, and look exclusively to a candidate’s
qualifications when deciding on their suitability.
We create a work environment that promotes health and raises awareness about
healthy lifestyles among our employees through such health initiatives and other
local projects.
The rules for ethical conduct set forth in our codes of conduct are further specified
in our Human Rights Policy Statement as well as in our Anti-Corruption and Business
Ethics Standards Policy. Our focus at all times is on preventing potential violations
of legal requirements or internal guidelines.