Supplier Code of Conduct

Preamble

Clearness of thought and action, entrepreneurial spirit and passion, and commitment to compliance and integrity is what characterizes Rentschler’s employees and drives our business. It builds the basis for our relationship with clients, business partners, stakeholders, communities and with each other. It is crucial for our success and maintaining our reputation as a world-class contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO).

Rentschler is committed to reliability and responsibility, to mutual trust and respect, and to a strong culture of ethics and integrity as well as social and environmental sustainability. In 2021, Rentschler participated for the first time in the prestigious ecovadis sustainability rating program and was awarded a silver medal.

As part of our commitment to the principles set out in the Rentschler Code of Conduct we expect from our suppliers to acknowledge and adhere to the principles embodied in this Supplier Code of Conduct, and to ensure that their own suppliers will also comply with these principles. Rentschler will monitor the adherence to these principles and assess their implementation in the provision of products and services in the selection and evaluation of its suppliers. We reserve the right to redetermine the continuation of commercial relationships if a supplier is in breach of these principles and cannot agree on an improvement plan or does not implement it.

This Supplier Code of Conduct is made available to our suppliers with the goal of strengthening our mutual understanding of the behaviors that we expect in day-to-day business.

I. Ethics

​​​​​​Suppliers shall conduct their business in an ethical manner and act with integrity. The ethics elements include the following aspects:

1. Business Integrity

All bribery, corruption, extortion, money laundering and embezzlement are prohibited. Suppliers shall not confer benefits, pay or accept bribes or other unlawful incentives (e.g. facilitation payments) or participate in other illegal inducements in business or government relationships. Suppliers shall conduct their business consistent with fair and vigorous competition and in compliance with all applicable anti-trust laws. Suppliers shall employ fair business practices including accurate and truthful advertising.

Suppliers doing business with or seeking to do business with Rentschler should not provide any gift, gratuities, hospitality, meal or entertainment to a Rentschler employee, government/regulatory official or any other business partner in any situation in which it might influence, or appear to influence, the employee’s or regulator’s decision in relation to the business partner.

2. Privacy and Intellectual Property

Suppliers shall safeguard and make only appropriate use of confidential information and ensure that all employees’ and business partners’ privacy and valid intellectual property rights are protected.

3. Identification of Concerns

All workers shall be encouraged to report concerns or illegal activities in the workplace without threat of reprisal, intimidation or harassment. Suppliers shall investigate and take corrective action if needed.

4. Conflict of Interest

Suppliers shall disclose to Rentschler any situation that could constitute a conflict of interest, such as Rentschler employees having professional, private and/or significant financial advantages or interests in any of the supplier’s businesses.

5. Animal Welfare

If applicable to the supplier’s business, animals shall be treated humanely with pain and stress minimized. Animal testing should be performed after efforts have been made to reduce the numbers of animals used and to refine procedures to minimize distress. Alternatives to animals should be used wherever these are scientifically valid and acceptable to regulators.

6. Conflict Minerals

Suppliers shall ensure that products supplied to Rentschler do not contain metals derived from minerals or their derivatives originated from conflict regions that directly or indirectly finance or benefit armed groups that commit serious human rights abuses.

II. People and Labor

Suppliers shall be committed to uphold the human rights of workers and to treat them with dignity and respect. The labor elements include:

1. Freely Chosen Employment

We do not tolerate forced, bonded or indentured labor or involuntary prison labor or other kind of forced labor in our supply chain. Practices such as withholding personal property, passports, wages, training certificates, work or any other document for inappropriate reasons are not acceptable.

2. Child Labor

Suppliers must forbid all kinds of child labor. The applicable definition of child labor shall be that in the regulations of the United Nations or the locally applicable laws and regulations, whichever is stricter.

3. Non-Discrimination

Suppliers shall provide a workplace free of harassment and discrimination. Discrimination for reasons such as color, age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability, religion, political affiliation, union membership or marital status is not tolerated.

4. Fair Treatment

We expect our suppliers to treat their employees with dignity and respect. Suppliers will provide a workplace free of harsh and inhumane treatment, including any sexual harassment, sexual abuse, corporal punishment, mental or physical coercion or verbal abuse of workers and with no threat of any such treatment.

5. Wages, Benefits and Working Hours

Suppliers shall pay workers according to applicable wage laws, including minimum wages, overtime hours and mandated benefits. Compensation and benefits should aim at providing an adequate standard of living for employees and their families. Suppliers shall communicate with the worker the basis on which they are being compensated in a timely manner. Suppliers are also expected to communicate with the worker whether overtime is required and the wages to be paid for such overtime.

6. Freedom of Association

Open communication and direct engagement with workers to resolve workplace and compensation issues is encouraged. Suppliers shall respect the rights of workers, as set forth in local laws, to associate freely, join or not join labor unions, seek representation and join workers’ councils. Where the right of association is restricted by law, the suppliers may offer appropriate alternatives of cooperation with their workforce. Workers shall be able to communicate openly with management regarding working conditions without threat of reprisal, intimidation or harassment.

III. Health and Safety

Suppliers shall make adequate provision for a safe and healthy working environment. This comprises the following aspects:

1. Health and safety at the workplace

Suppliers are expected to offer their employees a safe work environment and active occupational health protection. A health and safety program shall be in place and measures must be taken to prevent accidents and health injuries that may occur in connection with or during their work. Our service providers and contractors working on our sites are expected to actively participate in our safety programs.

Suppliers shall provide appropriate controls, safe work procedures, preventive maintenance, and technical protective measures to mitigate health and safety risks in the workplace and in any company-provided living quarters. When applicable, suppliers shall provide employees with appropriate personal protective equipment. A continuous improvement program to identify, measure and take actions to prevent accidents/incidents shall be in place.

2. Process Safety

Suppliers shall have programs in place to prevent or mitigate unintended releases of chemical or biological agents associated with operations and processes. Programs shall be appropriate to facility and process risks and sufficient to prevent damage or harm to employees, the environment or the facility itself.

3. Emergency Preparedness & Response

Suppliers shall identify and assess emergency situations in the workplace and any company provided living quarters, and minimize their impact by implementing appropriate fire protection, effective business continuity and emergency plans, regular drills and response procedures.

4. Product Safety

Suppliers must comply with product safety regulations, label products properly and communicate product-handling requirements. They shall provide to Rentschler and relevant parties the applicable documentation containing all necessary safety-relevant information for all hazardous substances in case of a legitimate need. This includes product information, safety data sheets, notification, or registration confirmations, uses and exposure scenarios. Suppliers proactively and transparently share information about the health, safety, and environmental aspects of their products with Rentschler and all relevant parties.

IV. Environment

We care for our planet and thus, in our facilities, not only focus on significantly reducing waste, but also on employing the most energy-efficient appliances.

Suppliers shall operate in an environmentally responsible and efficient manner, and they shall minimize adverse impacts on the environment. Suppliers are encouraged to conserve natural resources, to avoid the use of hazardous materials where possible and to engage in activities that reuse and recycle. The environmental elements include:

1. Environmental and Legal Authorizations

Suppliers shall comply with all applicable environmental and legal regulations. The requirements of the Minamata, Stockholm and Basel Convention must be observed. All required environmental permits, licenses, information registrations and restrictions shall be obtained, and their operational and reporting requirements followed.

2. Waste and Emissions

Suppliers shall have systems in place to ensure the safe handling, movement, storage, recycling, reuse or management of waste, air emissions and wastewater discharges. Any waste, wastewater or emissions with the potential to adversely impact human or environmental health shall be appropriately managed, controlled and treated prior to release into the environment.

3. Spills and Releases

Suppliers shall design their facilities so that releases of hazardous substances to the environment will be prevented and shall have systems in place to mitigate accidental spills and releases to the environment.

4. Natural Resource Conservation and Climate Protection

Suppliers shall use natural resources (e.g. water, sources of energy, raw materials) in an economical way and preserve them. To ensure the conservation of renewable natural resources, suppliers shall promote the application of recognized sustainability standards and certifications. Negative impacts on the environment and climate caused by the suppliers or in their supply chain shall be minimized or eliminated.

Practices are encouraged to comply with circular economy principles such as material reduction, substitution, collection, sharing, maintenance, reuse, redistribution, refurbishment, remanufacturing, and recycling. Suppliers shall engage in the development and use of environmentally and climate-friendly products, processes, and technologies.

Suppliers shall ensure and demonstrate continuous environmental improvements, including a reduction in raw materials, energy, emissions, discharges, noise, waste, hazardous substances, and reliance on natural resources.

Engagement, active participation, and certification with EHS initiatives or agencies e.g., Ecovadis, PSCI, etc. is highly recommended.

V. Quality

Quality is an overarching principle at Rentschler Biopharma. Irrespective of the stage of the project, whether in the consulting stage, in design, ready for implementation or during production of drug substance, the highest quality is our guiding principle.

We expect our suppliers to follow generally recognized or contractually agreed high-quality standards within their internal processes and their team in order to provide goods and services that consistently meet Rentschler’s and its customers’ needs, perform as warranted and are safe for their intended use. Suppliers shall have in place comprehensive quality management and precise, as well as reliable quality control mechanisms, which should be continuously monitored and regularly adapted as needed.

VI. Management Systems

Suppliers shall use management systems to facilitate continual improvement and compliance with all applicable laws and promote continuous improvement with respect to the expectations set forth in this Supplier Code of Conduct. This includes the following aspects:

1. Commitment and Accountability

Suppliers shall demonstrate commitment to the concepts described in this document by allocating appropriate resources.

2. Legal and Customer Requirements

Suppliers shall identify and comply with applicable laws, regulations, standards and relevant customer requirements.

3. Risk Management

Suppliers shall have mechanisms to appropriately determine and manage risks in all areas addressed by this document and with respect to all applicable requirements.

4. Documentation

Suppliers shall maintain documentation necessary to demonstrate conformance with these expectations and compliance with applicable regulations.

5. Training and Competency

Suppliers shall have a training program that achieves an appropriate level of knowledge, skills and abilities in management and workers to address the applicable principles of this Supplier Code of Conduct as well as the applicable laws, regulations and generally recognized standards.

6. Continuous Improvement

Suppliers shall demonstrate their commitment to continuous improvement by setting performance objectives, executing implementation plans and taking necessary corrective actions for deficiencies identified by internal or external assessments, inspections and management reviews.

7. Communication

Suppliers are expected to have effective systems to communicate the principles set forth in this Supplier Code of Conduct to workers, contractors, and suppliers further down the supply chain.

VII. Implementation of the Supplier Code of Conduct principles

Suppliers’ implementation of and adherence to these principles can be demonstrated by reference to their own code of conduct or corporate policy which contains comparable standards. Should a supplier not have such standards in place, the supplier is expected to undertake compliance with this Supplier Code of Conduct.

VIII. Raising Questions or Concerns

Employees of suppliers should contact their own legal/compliance department to resolve internal ethics and compliance concerns. In case this concern might also affect Rentschler as the contract partner of the supplier, Rentschler must be informed immediately by the supplier.

If you need to raise a question regarding this Code in particular or compliance in general or if you want to report a potential misconduct, we offer the following channels:

Our Whistleblowing Web Intake (anonymous reporting system)

Web Intake: https://rentschler-biopharma-se.eqs-integrity.org