order to strengthen, and not undermine, our suppliers’ ability to deliver on our requirements related to people, society and the environment. We strive towards lasting supplier relationships with suppliers who show a particular willingness and ability to create positive developments in the supply chain.

Freedom of association and worker representation

Active Brands supports the right to freedom of association and other forms of democratically elected worker representation. We shall involve worker representatives and other relevant stakeholders in our work with responsible business conduct.

Supplier development and partnership

In dialogue with suppliers we will consider, if needed, to contribute with capacity building or resources that enable our suppliers to comply with Active Brands requirements related to responsible business conduct. This way we lay the foundation for collaboration with suppliers that show the willingness and ability to work on positive development for people, society and the environment in the supply chain.

Anti-corruption

Active Brands is strongly opposed to all forms of corruption. Corruption undermines legitimate business activities, distorts competition, ruins reputations and exposes companies and individuals to risk. Active Brands makes active efforts to ensure that corruption does not occur in its business activities.

Correct information

Active Brands requires that all employees are truthful in their dealings with one another, our customers, suppliers and other business partners. In our interaction with each other and our intermediaries, Active Brands will always be honest and fair in terms of how we act in processes and “only promise what we can deliver”. Active Brands’ business information will be communicated accurately and fully, both internally and externally. All accounting information must be correctly registered and reproduced in accordance with laws and regulations, including relevant accounting standards. Any intentional act that results in material misstatements in financial statements will be treated as fraud.

Fair Competition

Active Brands will compete in a fair and ethically justifiable manner within the framework of the antitrust and competition rules in the markets in which the company operates.

Corruption and Sanction

In accordance with Active Brands Corruption and Sanction list policy, corruption in any form is not accepted, including bribery, extortion, kickbacks and improper private or professional benefits to customers, agents, contractors, suppliers or employees of any such party or government officials. We comply with all applicable sanctions and export laws, and do not have business or dealings with jurisdictions subject to country wide sanctions programs, or with blacklisted organisations or individuals. We also ensure ongoing monitoring of all our partners and third parties in international sanctions lists and regulations

Requirements – conditions in the supply chain

We expect our suppliers and partners to work focused and systematically to comply with our guidelines for suppliers, that covers fundamental requirements on human rights, labour rights, anti-corruption, animal welfare and the environment. Our suppliers shall:

• Follow our guidelines for suppliers, hereunder the supplier code of conduct.
• Conduct due diligence for responsible business conduct. This involves; conducting risk assessments to identify potential negative impact on people, society and the environment and to stop, prevent and reduce such impact. The measures put in place must be monitored and their effect evaluated. The measures taken must be communicated to those affected by your actions. If the supplier is responsible for the negative impact/damage, they are responsible for providing remedy.[2]
• Show willingness and ability to continuous improvement for people, society and the environment through collaboration.
• At the request of Active Brands be able to document how they, and potential subcontractors, work to comply with the guidelines.

If the supplier, after several requests by Active Brands, does not show the willingness or ability to comply with the guidelines for suppliers, the contract may be cancelled.

Principles for responsible business conduct (Supplier Code of Conduct)

1. Forced and compulsory labour (ILO Conventions Nos. 29 and 105)

1.1. There shall be no forced, bonded or involuntary prison labour.

1.2. Workers shall not be required to lodge deposits or identity papers with their employer and shall be free to leave their employer after reasonable notice.

1. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining (ILO Conventions Nos. 87, 98, 135 and 154)

2.1. Workers, without distinction, shall have the right to join or form trade unions of their own choosing and to bargain collectively. The employer shall not interfere with, obstruct, the formation of unions or collective bargaining.

2.2 Workers’ representatives shall not be discriminated and shall have access to carry out their representative functions in the workplace.

2.3 Where the right to freedom of association and/or collective bargaining is restricted under law, the employer shall facilitate, and not hinder, the development of alternative forms of independent and free workers representation and negotiations.

1. Child Labour (UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ILO Conventions Nos. 138, 182 and 79, and ILO Recommendation No. 146)

3.1. The minimum age for workers shall not be less than 15 and comply with the national minimum age for employment, or; the age of completion of compulsory education, whichever of these is higher. If local minimum is set at 14 years in accordance with developing country exceptions under ILO Convention 138, this lower age may apply.

3.3. There shall be no recruitment of child labour defined as any work performed by a child younger than the age(s) specified above.

3.4. No person under the age of 18 shall be engaged in labour that is hazardous to their health, safety or morals, including night work.

3.5. Policies and procedures for remediation of child labour prohibited by ILO conventions no. 138 and 182, shall be established, documented, and communicated to personnel and other interested parties. Adequate support shall be provided to enable such children to attend and complete compulsory education.

1. Discrimination (ILO Conventions Nos. 100 and 111 and the UN Convention on Discrimination Against Women)

4.1. There shall be no discrimination at the workplace in hiring, compensation, access to training, promotion, termination or retirement based on ethnic background, caste, religion, age, disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, union membership or political affiliation.

4.2. Measures shall be established to protect workers from sexually intrusive, threatening, insulting or exploitative behavior, and from discrimination or termination of employment on unjustifiable grounds, e.g. marriage, pregnancy, parenthood or HIV status.

1. Harsh or Inhumane Treatment

5.1. Physical abuse or punishment, or threats of physical abuse, sexual or other harassment and verbal abuse, as well as other forms of intimidation, is prohibited.

1. Health and Safety (ILO Convention No. 155 and ILO Recommendation No. 164)

6.1. The working environment shall be safe and hygienic, bearing in mind the prevailing knowledge of the industry and of any specific hazards. Hazardous chemicals and other substances shall be carefully managed. Adequate steps shall be taken to prevent accidents and injury to health arising out of, associated with, or occurring in, the course of work, by minimising, so far as is reasonably practicable, the causes of hazards inherent in the working environment.

6.2. Workers shall receive regular and documented health and safety training, and such training shall be repeated for new or reassigned workers.

6.3. Access to clean toilet facilities and to potable water, and, if appropriate, sanitary facilities for food storage shall be provided.

6.4. Accommodation, where provided, shall be clean, safe and adequately ventilated, and shall have access to clean toilet facilities and potable water.

1. Wages (ILO Convention No. 131)

7.1. Wages and benefits paid for a standard working week shall as minimum meet national legal standards or industry benchmark standards, whichever is higher. Wages should always be enough to meet basic needs, including some discretionary income.

7.2. All workers shall be provided with a written and comprehensible contract outlining their wage conditions and method of payments before entering employment.

1. Working Hours (ILO Convention No. 1 and 14)

8.1. Working hours shall comply with national laws and benchmark industry standards, and not more than prevailing international standards. Weekly working hours should not on a regular basis be more than 48 hours.

8.2. Workers shall be provided with at least one day off for every 7 day period

8.3. Overtime shall be limited and voluntary. Recommended maximum overtime is 12 hours per week, i.e. that the total working week including overtime shall not exceed 60 hours. Exceptions to this are accepted when regulated by a collective bargaining agreement.

8.4. Workers shall always receive overtime pay for all hours worked over and above the normal working hours (see 8.1 above), minimum in accordance with relevant legislation.

1. Regular Employment (ILO Convention No. 95, 158, 175, 177 and 181)

9.1. Obligations to employees under international conventions, national law and regulations concerning regular employment shall not be avoided through the use of short term contracting (such as contract labour, casual labour or day labour), sub-contractors or other labour relationships.

9.2. All workers are entitled to a contract of employment in a language they understand.

9.3. The duration and content of apprenticeship programs shall be clearly defined.

1. Marginalized Populations (UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, art. 1 and 2)

10.1. Production and the use of natural resources shall not contribute to the destruction and/or degradation of the resources and income base for marginalized populations, such as in claiming large land areas, use of water or other natural resources on which these populations are dependent.

1. Environment

11.1 Measures to minimize adverse impacts on human health and the environment shall be taken throughout the value chain. This includes minimizing pollution, promoting an efficient and sustainable use of resources, including energy and water, and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions in production and transport. The local environment at the production site shall not be exploited or degraded.

11.2. National and international environmental legislation and regulations shall be respected, and relevant discharge permits obtained.

1. Corruption

12.1. Corruption in any form is not accepted, including bribery, extortion, kickbacks and improper private or professional benefits to customers, agents, contractors, suppliers or employees of any such party or government officials.

1. Animal welfare

13.1 Active Brands AS will only use synthetic fur in our products

13.2 Active Brands AS will not use mulesing wool.

13.3 Active Brands AS strongly oppose to force-feeding in the goose /down industries and will not accept this method being used in the making of our products.

13.4 Active Brands AS does not accept Live plucking down to be used in our products.

[1] The Brundtland commission, «Our Common Future», 1987

[2] OECD, «Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct», 2018.