German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act
What is the goal of this law? To protect human rights and the environment, which has already been an integral part of our ESG strategy and codes of conduct.
Information for our suppliers
Germany is setting new international standards by requiring companies to be more socially responsible. The German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, known in German as the Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz (LkSG), requires German companies which meet certain criteria to complete human rights and environmental due diligence and risk management. The law went into effect on January 1, 2023.
DB Schenker must comply with the law, both as 100% daughter of DB and in our own right.
Because DB Schenker is headquartered in Germany, this German law also has a global impact. You need to be aware that all our international locations must comply with the law, which will impact all our suppliers globally. We must identify and address human rights issues and environmental risks in our operations and supply chains so that together, we can make the world a better place.
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The measures included / © Schenker AG
The law requires the following measures:
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Internal and external publication of a declaration of principles – including our human rights and environmental risks, priorities, and how we plan to manage them moving forward.
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Understand where we might be at risk of contributing to human rights or environmental violations, either through our own business operations or within our supply chain.
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Ensure we have a good system in place to work through risks when we find them, including embedding this into all relevant business processes (e.g. supplier sourcing).
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Make sure we take the right actions to prevent any risks from becoming violations.
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When we do find violations or imminent violations, make sure we act right away to prevent, end or minimize these violations.
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Provide a way for human rights and environmental risks to be reported to us so that we can act on them.
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Keep good records of the risks we find, how we handle them, and how effective our actions are – and once per year, report on our compliance to the government.
What does this mean for our suppliers?
We will continue to engage with you to ensure good information sharing. An important part is knowing what to expect – and how this law will impact you as our business partner.
Please stay informed on this page as we share our latest activities and what to expect. You are encouraged to visit often to read the most up-to-date news and answers to frequently asked questions.
A few important topics will include:
- Publication of our "Declaration of Principles" (Grundsatzerklärung) so that you can understand what is important to us in how we do business
- Updates to our supplier documents to ensure that we have a shared understanding of the human and environmental rights that must be protected
- Active engagement with you to address any identified risks and how we can work together to resolve them