German Supply Chain Act
Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains, according to the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG)
GARDENA and the German Supply Chain Act (LkSG)
GARDENA commits to respecting, protecting, and upholding the human rights of individuals. In doing so, GARDENA refers to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the UN, and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
GARDENA is committed to conducting business in an ethical and responsible manner. In the expansion of business activities and collaboration with suppliers, both domestically and internationally, it is crucial to uphold the global commitment to human rights, children rights, workplace practices, the environment and the safety of employees.
Effective January 1st, 2024, the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz or LkSG) will come into force for GARDENA, with its German business entity Gardena Manufacturing GmbH.
Risk Management and Transparency in Our Supply Chains
GARDENA has established a risk management system to identify, analyze, monitor, avoid, address and mitigate environmental violations and violations of human rights, within the supply chain, through timely risk assessments. Key risks in global supply chains include occupational health and safety, environmental concerns, freedom of association, the right of collective bargaining by independent trade unions and employee organizations, compliance with working hours and working conditions, protecting the rights of children, as well as workplace discrimination.
Prevention and Remedial Measures
GARDENA has implemented prevention measures and has defined remedial measures, in order to ensure and continuously improve compliance with human rights and environmental protection within the supply chain. This includes GARDENA's commitment to influencing appropriate working conditions, on-site at suppliers, in the supply chain. This is to be achieved through the establishment of long-term partnerships with suppliers and the integration of sustainability aspects into business processes. This also includes prevention trainings for employees (internal) and direct suppliers (external).
If a business partner fails to adhere to these principles or other applicable laws or regulations, GARDENA will demand appropriate remedial measures, support implementation and evaluate the effectiveness of such measures. Before, if necessary, terminating the business relationship.
Complaints Procedure
Ethical values and integrity are of utmost importance to GARDENA. Through targeted training for employees and raising awareness among external partners, the conscious perception of violations against the aforementioned principles is supported.
In case of suspicion of a violation, in accordance with the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG), this can be reported and processed through a systematically supported process, in order to derive suitable measures for the operation. This also applies to third-party reports. The systematic complaints procedure according to the LkSG can be accessed over the following link, supported by the independent external service provider EthicsPoint:
The information provided will be transmitted to GARDENA by EthicsPoint, treated as absolutely confidential and anonymized upon request.
Please see EthicsPoint FAQ for further information.
Group Policies and Contractual Framework Agreements with Suppliers
Being a member of the Husqvarna Group, GARDENA adheres to Husqvarna Group’s global group policies. These include, amongst others, the behavioral principles of the Husqvarna Group, described and freely accessible through the Code of Conduct, as well as the Supplier Code of Business Ethics. Access to these documents and additional information can be obtained over the following link:
General requirements | Husqvarna Purchase (husqvarnagroup.com)
These documents form the foundation for the manner of collaboration and apply to all employees, executives, and business partners alike. GARDENA expects all suppliers to comply with all applicable international and local laws, rules, and regulations in the manufacturing and distribution of products, components, and materials.
LkSG Policy Declaration, Documentation & Reporting
GARDENA maintains ongoing internal documentation on the fulfillment of due diligence obligations. An annual report on the fulfillment of due diligence obligations is submitted and published. GARDENA thus complies with the legal reporting requirements, as per the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (§ 10 Abs. 2 LkSG). The annual report to the public is accessible free of charge, from the first reporting year and will be published for at least 7 years.
The GARDENA LkSG policy can be accessed, following the link below:
Human rights policy declaration, according to the
German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG)
