Novozymes believes that a basic part of a company's social responsibility is adherence to basic human rights principles. We have a long-established commitment to support the UN Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UNDHR) and a signatory to the UN Global Compact. These principles are not Western standards, but accepted as universal rights by almost every country in the world. Novozymes operates in very different business climates, e.g. China, Brazil and the USA, and we know it is possible to uphold these basic standards in a variety of different settings.

Key human rights issues

Novozymes' commitment covers all human rights principles included in the UNDHR. However, not all human rights issues affect companies, and any company must assess the issues most relevant to its current geographical locations, sector and business activities. As a global company with significant production activities, Novozymes' current human rights focus areas are those relating to core labour standards. Further, we have an internal set of Minimum Standards based on international conventions, to which every employee and every business unit must comply.

The principles of Novozymes' Minimum Standards are:

Freedom of Association 
The right to form and join associations, and to bargain collectively

Non-discrimination 
Prohibit discrimination in all employment related processes

Working hours
The right to leisure, and to avoid excessive overtime and to paid overtime

Wages and benefits 
Guarantee of a wage exceeding national minimum wage

Disciplinary measures 
Prohibit harassment or abuse by co-workers or managers

Child Labour 
Prohibit employment of under 15-year olds and under 18-year olds working at night or under hazardous conditions

Forced Labour 
Prohibit any type of forced or bonded labour

Guaranteering a heallthy and safe working environment is a part of upholding the right to life. This human rights aspect is integrated in Novozymes' People Policy.

Spheres of influence

Novozymes' internal standards on Human Rights cover all employees worldwide. In addition, all key suppliers are asked to a ccount for their adherence and performance against the principles, and we strive to promote the standards by making them known to other business partners. To the best of our knowledge, we do not have our products with applications which go against our commitments to human rights. We will not sell products which to our knowledge will be used in a way that violate safety and regulatory requirements.

Involvement in human rights violating countries

Novozymes will not refrain from investing or doing business in human rights violating countries. We believe that we can set an example, by promoting and documenting our adherence to the principles of the UNDHR.

Managing human rights

Although human rights are universal and Novozymes' standards are global, there are vast differences as to the relevance of the various issues. Therefore, all initiatives are anchored at site level, and local management is given responsibility for implementation. To support implementation, a support group at head quarters is available to assist local sites in developing programmes, communicating and training. In addition, the Sustainability Development Strategy Group - a group of top level Novozymes executives - meet at least 2 times a year to ensure that a proactive approach is taken and that standards are adhered to in all business units.

Activities to support Novozymes' human rights position

• Training of managers at all major sites
• Annual assessment in all personnel areas against minimum standards
• Key suppliers assessed against minimum standards
• Standards incorporated in quality management systems
• Ongoing internal communication via intraweb, employee magazine and reporting
• Executive Management reviews KPI on implementation every quarter