Bergner’s System of governance and sustainability ensures its purpose and values are implemented and that is business aims and objectives are achieved, in addition to the company's reason and way of being. It is, therefore, an internal code, developed as an organisational tool and to guarantee its project, identity and independence.
Decalogue of environmental, social and corporate governance criteria (ESC) which guides the company's decision-making process.
Strategy and basic principles of action regarding CSR.
At Bergner, we have a strong commitment to regulatory compliance, of our internal regulations. If you believe there has been any irregular behaviour or behaviour contrary to these regulations, you can inform us confidentially via our complaints channel.
The Complaints channel’s aim is to receive, retain and handle complaints about irregularities or breaches of regulations, committed by employees or companies belonging to the group. It is a confidential channel of communication between customers, suppliers, shareholders, etc., linked to Bergner.
It is possible to report any potential irregularity or breach related to poor financial, accounting, commercial practices or regarding regulatory compliance committed by employees or companies belonging to the group.
Suggestion box: by using a box at the central headquarters, writing "SPT Manager" on the envelope.
Email: by sending an email stating the incident you want to report: canaldenuncias@bergnereurope.com
Only the director of the company performance team who leads the SA8000 will have access to the complaints, and will guarantee the following rights are respected.
Confidentiality
The duty of secrecy will be kept regarding the existence of the complaint.
Anonymity
The complainant will not be forced to identify themselves.
Reprisals
No individual will be subject to any type of reprisal as a result of reporting any incident.
Bergner’s course of action to improve its internal processes.
It confirms and ratifies the commitments already expressed by Bergner to reach the highest ethical standards, in accordance with the applicable legal provisions and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations and the Conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Bergner Europe has documented, implemented and certified the FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®) Chain of Custody. Bergner Europe promotes environmental protection and the circular economy, advocating the implementation and maintenance of good forest management practices.
We pay particular attention to human rights issues and working conditions in its supply chain in countries with the highest risk of human rights violations. In assessing the risk of supplier countries, we use amfori's Country Risk Classification, based on the World Governance indicators published by the World Bank.
In assessing suppliers from high-risk countries, we use global social responsibility auditing and certification systems, primarily the amfori BSCI audits. We also accept other social responsibility assessment systems if their criteria correspond to those of the amfori BSCI audit and if the audit is conducted by an independent party. Social responsibility audits and certificates assess, for example, the safety of working conditions in factories, workers' remuneration and working hours, as well as freedom of association and bargaining rights. Child labor and bonded labor are strictly prohibited.
Our principle in high-risk countries is to collaborate only with suppliers who are already included in the scope of social responsibility audits or who initiate the process when cooperation begins.
In accordance with Bergner guidelines, a contractual clause of the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct must be added to supplier agreements.
It is a top level committee, reporting to the Management Committee, and undertakes the duties related to the Environment, Social and Governance.
It is responsible for approving Bergner’s sustainability strategy and practices, and for monitoring them. It is also in charge of proposing and submitting to the governing bodies for approval the general policies for sustainability management. Its mission is to contribute to Bergner becoming recognised for its excellent sustainability management.
The Sustainability Committee is a delegated body and reports to the Management Committee. It reports directly to the Management Committee.
Based on the basic principles of action, Bergner has established four objectives. The supervision of these objectives is the responsibility of the Sustainability Committee and will be undertaken with the appropriate monitoring indicators:
The main role of the Committee is to improve the decision-making process in such a way that it ensures the cross-cutting compliance of the Sustainability Policy, specifically in terms of the performance of the following roles:
Understanding quality and social commitment as attributes that define the company's DNA, at Bergner we are already undergoing the certification process for the ISO 9001-2015 standard, which regulates quality management systems, promoting the adoption of a process-based approach. We are also undergoing the certification process for the SA 8000 standard, the main standard of social certification for factories and organisations internationally providing a general framework to help certified organisations to demonstrate their dedication to the fair treatment of workers in all sectors and in any country.
At Bergner, we are committed to the quality of our product. That’s why we strive to improve each day, complying with regulations, international standards, and adapting to the present and future needs of our customers.
Our vision is to be recognised as leaders in the quality of our products, basing ourselves on our commitment shared with a culture of compliance and continuous improvement of our processes, which highlights the value for the customer as well as for other stakeholders.
This certification reflects our company’s commitment to continue to improve through the monitoring of the management processes we have implemented and drives us to continue working on quality management with the utmost importance, with the aim of a continuous improvement which is customer focussed.
Bergner has obtained the SA8000 Certification the world's leading corporate social certification standard. With this certification, Bergner ratifies the commitment and compliance with ethical working conditions, labor rights, corporate social responsibility, and social dialogue.
The SA8000 certification is one of the most demanding international accreditations in relation to the international rights of workers, including all Bergner suppliers. This certification reflects our company's commitment to continue to achieve a safe work environment, with the ultimate goal of continuous employee-oriented improvement.
Bergner Europe has documented, implemented and certified the FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®) Chain of Custody.
Bergner Europe promotes environmental protection and circular economy, advocating the implementation and maintenance of good practices in forest management.
We are committed to contribute to responsible forest management through the choice and use of FSC ® (Forest Stewardship Council) certified sources and products for the products we distribute and market.
It is for this reason that we want to share with our stakeholders that we are an FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) certified company.
The Better Cotton system was developed to develop better global cotton production standards, encompassing the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic. Bergner collaborates with Better Cotton to improve cotton production globally by helping to use water efficiently, care for soil health and natural habitats, reduce the use of the most harmful chemicals and respect workers' rights and welfare.
Better Cotton uses a mass balance chain of custody system.
Therefore, through Better Cotton, our customers are supporting responsible cotton production when they choose Bergner cotton products.
OEKO-TEX® MADE in GREEN is a combination of the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certificate, which confirms the chemical safety of the product, and the OEKO-TEX STeP certificate, which additionally verifies and confirms environmental and social aspects.
Each MADE IN GREEN labelled item can be tracked using a unique product ID or QR code. The label gives access to information on the production facilities where the textile or leather item was produced, the stage of production to which the facility belongs and the countries in which the manufacturing took place.
Bergner obtains the right to use the certification through relabeling with a compliant supplier.
At Bergner, we are members and we take part in a wide variety of associations where we contribute to promoting progress in different spheres. These include sustainability, research and innovation, among others.
Our efforts not only seek to improve well-being and sustainable economic growth, but also to strengthen society as a whole.
We take part in numerous initiatives which cover all areas of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance), to move forward together in issues of sustainability and in the exchange of good practices.
Since 2022, Bergner has committed to the corporate responsibility initiative of the United Nations Global Compact and its principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.
In today's environment, marked by technological change, internationalization processes, sector concentrations and regulatory changes, the answer to the challenges comes from sector alliances.
