Ethics and integrity are significant components of entrepreneurial practice at the Lufthansa Group. It is a matter of fact for the Group to adhere to current laws and voluntary commitments, and to consciously respect ethical principles. An important consideration is that business conduct characterized by integrity is a key prerequisite for the Company’s long-term success. The Lufthansa Group takes its orientation from the United Nations’ Global Compact in particular, but also from the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the four core work standards of the International Labor Organization (ILO).
A Code of Conduct, which is binding for all Lufthansa Group employees, documents the values, principles and standards of conduct of the Lufthansa Group as a basis for fair competition.
Corporate Governance
The Lufthansa Group pays particular attention to realizing exemplary company management in the sense of effective corporate governance. It expresses this approach by means of company management and control aligned with responsible and sustainable methods of increasing the Company‘s value. This approach to management meets high international standards and is of central importance to maintain transparency in the relationship with shareholders and to increase trust in the Company’s management on a continuous basis. Significant foundations in this respect are the German Stock Corporation Act and the German Corporate Governance Code. The compliance declaration concerning the German Corporate Governance Code can be viewed here:
Compliance and anti-corruption
Compliance describes all measures that ensure the lawful conduct of companies, their executive bodies and employees. The Lufthansa Group Compliance Program, established in 2004, aims at helping its employees adhere to current legal norms and keeping them from breaking the law. It comprises the modules Competition, Integrity, Capital Market and Embargo Compliance.
Respect for Human Rights
As UN Global Compact participant and signatory of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Resolution against Trafficking in Persons, it is important to the Lufthansa Group to bring its actions in line with internationally recognized principles and to actively anchor respect for human rights in its day-to-day business. This is evident in several aspects, like in fair working conditions, the freedom of assembly and association, gender equality regulations and the inclusion of minorities as a matter of course.
The Lufthansa Group formulates its explicit positioning on the recognition of and respect for human rights in its Code of Conduct, which is obligatory for all executive bodies, managers, and employees of the Lufthansa Group. An overview of established measures is available in the annual report.
In implementing measures of human rights due diligence, the Lufthansa Group was initially guided by the recommendations of the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAP) adopted by the German government in December 2016. Now, the Lufthansa Group implements due diligence required by the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, which entered into force on January 1, 2023. This law demands the following due diligence obligations for some group companies:
Sustainability in the purchasing processes
When selecting suppliers, Deutsche Lufthansa AG and its respective Group companies (Lufthansa Group) concentrate on total costs, quality, environmental awareness and compliance with the requirements of its Supplier Code of Conduct. The Lufthansa Group expects that its suppliers including their employees, agents and subcontractors respect and adhere to the standards of the Supplier Code of Conduct when conduction business with, for or in relation with the Lufthansa Group.