We are committed to respecting and upholding human rights wherever we operate, in respect of activities under the full, direct control of the Company.

 

Committed to human rights


We're committed to conducting business responsibly and to maintaining and improving systems and processes to reduce the risk of slavery and human trafficking in our business and our supply chain. Our Code of Conduct, together with other global policies and processes, supports our commitment to human rights and is regularly reviewed. This results in, for example, due diligence being carried out during the supplier evaluation stage against non-financial risks.

 

Our approach to human rights is based on:


 
Maintaining high ethical standards and acting in a socially responsible manner in accordance with applicable laws
 
Respecting and supporting the communities in which our businesses are located
 
Maintaining and improving global policies and processes which relate to human rights wherever we operate, in respect of activities under our full, direct control
 
Respecting the labour and workplace rights of our employees in accordance with national laws
 
Responsible product development
 
Appointing and working with suppliers and business partners who are expected to adopt high standards of ethical behaviour and business conduct, consistent with our own, in accordance with applicable national laws

Human rights statement


Our Human Rights Statement outlines our approach to responsible business behaviour divided into the following areas:
 
  • Human rights in the workplace - which states that we are committed to maintaining workplaces that are free from discrimination and harassment on the basis of any protected characteristic.
  • Human rights and anti-corruption - which states that we do not tolerate bribery and corruption in any form.
  • Human rights and environment - which states that our goal is to develop and implement a long-term strategy that reduces the impact of our activities, supply chain and products on the climate, whilst progressing our ambition of net zero greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 2030. 
  • Human rights in our supply chain - which states that we have defined principles to clarify what we expect from our business partners, suppliers and their supply chains and what they can expect from us.
  • Human rights in our local communities - which states that we work to support the communities in which we operate and that we collaborate with organisations that can demonstrate a positive impact and encourage our employees to volunteer in support of their work.
  • Human rights and our products - which states that we engage with organisations who have a focus on business or defence or security issues to understand factors that can impact our business and how we operate.
 
 
As of 2021, BAE Systems received an MSCI ESG Rating of AA. | MSCI Disclaimer