Sustainability, values, and compliance

Our responsibility

For the Bosch Group, sustainability means securing the company’s long-term success while at the same time protecting the natural environment for future generations. We aim to make renewable energy more affordable and mobility even safer, cleaner, and more economical, and to develop eco-friendly products across the board.

I strongly believe that the world of business can make a major contribution to solving the challenges society faces.

Dr. Volkmar Denner, chairman of the board of management

More about sustainability at Bosch

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Our values — what we build on

Our values reflect the manner in which we run our business: our professional ethics in dealing with our business partners, investors, employees, and society.

Future and result focus

Our actions are result-focused. This allows us to secure our future. It also creates a sound basis for the social initiatives of the company and the foundation.

Responsibility and sustainability

We act prudently and responsibly for the benefit of society and the environment.

Initiative and determination

We act on our own initiative, take entrepreneurial responsibility, and pursue our goals with determination.

Openness and trust

We communicate important company matters in a timely and open fashion. This is the best foundation for a relationship built on trust.

Fairness

We deal fairly with our colleagues and business partners, and view this fairness as a cornerstone of our corporate success.

Reliability, credibility, legality

We promise only what we can deliver, accept agreements as binding, and respect and observe the law in all our business transactions.

Diversity

We appreciate and encourage diversity for the enrichment it brings, and see it as essential for our success.

In the long term, an honest and fair approach to doing business will always be the most profitable.

Robert Bosch, 1921

We are Bosch

Our mission statement explains what drives us, what we have in common, and what we stand for. We want to leave a lasting trace in the world — achieved by a unique outstanding team.

See our mission statement “We are Bosch”

Compliance

At Bosch, compliance with the law is an integral part of the company’s values.

The aim of our globally applicable rules of business conduct is to protect our associates and company as well as our customers and partners.

As our “We are Bosch” mission statement says, “We promise only what we can deliver, accept agreements as binding, and respect and observe the law in all our business transactions.” To underscore the importance of this principle, we have summed up our position with regard to legal requirements and ethical issues in our globally applicable Code of Business Conduct. The Code of Business Conduct serves as a guideline for how to do business.

Bosch has a global compliance system headed by a chief compliance officer who reports directly to the board of management. There is also a corporate compliance department and compliance officers in all divisions and regions.

Prevention and inspection measures including the dual-control principle, job rotation in sensitive areas, as well as regular audits are designed to support our values-based compliance system. We also have a mandatory compliance training program for our associates. In addition, we have established a “Compliance Dialog,” which allows compliance-related topics and experience to be discussed among our executives, associates, and compliance officers.

The compliance system also includes a reporting hotline, which associates, business partners, and third parties can use to report irregularities at any time. Responsible and legally compliant behavior does not stop at company boundaries. With this in mind, we have established a Code of Conduct for suppliers, which defines the principles and requirements for collaborating with Bosch. We conduct regular audits to ensure that our suppliers comply with these principles. In such a fast moving environment, we continuously review our compliance system to be able to quickly adapt our rules and processes to new legal and technical developments.

Bosch has been the first corporate member of Transparency International Germany since 1995.

Report a compliance case directly

Bosch Compliance hotline

Downloads

Code of Business Conduct

Download PDF

Code of Conduct for suppliers

Download PDF

Frequently asked questions

What do we mean by compliance?

Compliance means observing laws and company regulations. In other words, all business activities of the Bosch Group and its associates must comply with all legal requirements, the Code of Business Conduct, and any applicable guidelines and central directives that relate to this topic in any way (“compliance principle”).

The topic of compliance is one that concerns all associates, as everyone is affected — directly or indirectly — by violations: on the one hand, violations of the law may lead to criminal prosecution, depending on the seriousness of the case. On the other hand, violations of the compliance principle can cause the company pecuniary harm, as well as damaging its reputation. The result is a deterioration in the company’s business efficiency, and thus in its success. Compliance also concerns business relations between Bosch and third parties: Bosch does not want to be involved in other parties’ violations of the compliance principle.

What should be done if the Compliance requirement is violated?

Who can report violations of the compliance principle?

What violations should be reported?

Suspicion, but no proof — should a report be made?

Do people who report violations have to fear repercussions?

Is it possible to submit anonymous reports?

What exactly happens to a report?

Documentation and transparency

Every report of possible violations as well as the measures subsequently taken must be documented by the compliance officer. Taking into account the legitimate interests of the parties involved, the person reporting the matter may inquire about the status of the investigation. If the investigation of a matter is dropped because no relevant misconduct has been found, the individual concerned will be informed accordingly, provided they were asked to comment in the course of the investigation or requested such information.

Data privacy

Any report of possible compliance violations will normally involve the disclosure of personal data. The receipt and processing of such reports therefore requires that the people making reports confirm they have been informed of their rights under data privacy laws, and consent to their personal data being used in the course of the investigation of the compliance matter. In the case of a report submitted anonymously, this does not apply.