Billerud’s Code of Conduct sums up the company’s responsibilities, guidelines, procedures, values and targets. The aim is for it to serve as a guideline for all employees in their day to day work.

MANAGING WORK ON SUSTAINABILITY

The Code of Conduct, drawn up in 2009, states that Billerud’s core values are professionalism, effectiveness and creativity. Customers must be treated in a professional manner, characterised by competence, experience and good business ethics. What Billerud delivers must exceed the market’s expectations. Billerud must also launch in-itiatives and actively influence customers and other business partners in a positive direction. Billerud’s employees must always act ethically, legally and with respect for the local community and the environment.

The Code of Conduct is based on the UN Declaration on Human Rights and other international guidelines:

• The UN’s Global Compact on sustainable business practices
  www.unglobalcompact.org
• The OECD’s guidelines for multinational companies
  www.oecd.org
• The ILO’s fundamental conventions on human rights at work
  www.ilo.org

Billerud also complies with Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration on the Precautionary Approach, which means taking a preventive and risk-minimising approach to environmental issues throughout the business.

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Billerud’s Code of Conduct is a summary of responsibilities, guidelines, procedures, values and targets that have been developed by and for the business. The Code of Conduct shall influence our employees’ behaviour and their relationships with one another, the Company, external stakeholders and society at large, now and in the future.

CODE OF CONDUCT – A LIVING DOCUMENT

Billerud’s Code of Conduct is a summary of responsibilities, guidelines, procedures, values and targets that have been developed by and for the business (see www.billerud.com). The Code should guide the present and future behaviour of Billerud’s employees and their relations with each other, the company, third parties and society in general. The Code of Conduct was distributed to all employees in 2010. Managers at Billerud are responsible for ensuring that the code is complied with. The aim is to keep the Code of Conduct alive in day-to-day operations by means of focused activities in which it is explained and examined in depth. During the year training material has been drawn up and training courses commenced for different groups, e.g. purchasers. Issues brought up include corruption. Billerud’s employees are not permitted to give or receive gifts of more than a symbolic value or participate in activities which may affect their objectivity when making decisions.

BILLERUD’S ETHICS COUNCIL

All employees are to receive training on the Code of Conduct in the long term. Billerud’s Ethics Council was established in 2009 to monitor compliance with the code. The council comprises the Group’s Director of Human Resources and human resources managers at the mills. The council is to investigate and propose measures if it receives reports of breach of the Code of Conduct. Incidents can be reported to the Ethics Council or directly to the audit committee, via the company’s intranet. Reports may be made anonymously.

Compliance

• No corruption incidents were reported in 2010.
• Billerud has not had to investigate the different business units or its business partners on corruption grounds as no suspicions of irregularities have arisen.
• Billerud has not been the object of any legal measures for anti-competitive behaviour, or forming a cartel or a monopoly and has therefore not been ordered to pay any fines or other nonmonetary sanctions.

CSR COMMITTEE HEADS WORK ON SUSTAINABILITY

Billerud has had a CSR Committee since 2009, tasked with ensuring that sustainability work is as efficient, professional and integrated in the day-to-day work of the company as possible. A CSR manager is responsible for sustainability at overall level and reports directly to the CEO. The CSR Committee works on an ongoing basis to draft proposals, and draw up documentation for the management, propose targets and carry out monitoring.

GOVERNANCE VIA POLICIES

Billerud’s Board has laid down the Code of Conduct and a number of policies that act as guiding documents for employees. Each policy incorporates a varying number of practical guidelines adopted by the senior management team. These are supplemented by rules and regulations at local level. All policy documents are available on the intranet and are revised at regular intervals.

On the basis of the policy documents, the senior management has formulated overall sustainability targets at Group level. These are to be achieved by 2013. Work towards these targets will be measured and reported annually in the Sustainability Report.

SYSTEMS IMPROVE THE BUSINESS

Various management systems are in place at the mills to ensure that their operations are carried out systematically and effectively. All the mills have certified quality and environmental management systems (ISO 9001 and ISO 14001). The Swedish mills and the purchasing company Billerud Skog are traceability certified under FSC and PEFC. The Swedish mills also use certified energy management systems.

Billerud Beetham has certified its health and safety work under the occupational health and safety management system OHSAS 18001.

The management systems are audited regularly. To guarantee that Billerud complies with the requirements, any deviations must be corrected within the time agreed.

These management systems help Billerud to develop as many of them feature constant improvements as a set requirement.