Volvo 2006 Annual Report Download - page 48

Volvo Group in society
The Volvo Group is extensively involved in social
issues, which are important because the Group
is a major employer in many communities and is
active in areas of considerable public interest.
The Group’s social involvement is based on
issues such as safety and environmental care.
The Volvo Group aims to function as an active
partner in society and to contribute in various
ways to positive social development in cooper-
ation with local authorities, voluntary organiza-
tions and private citizens.
The Volvo Group respects suppliers’ and
customers’ right to integrity and privacy and fol-
lows prevailing laws, regulations and recog-
nized industrial standards for marketing, PR
and sponsorship. No known transgressions
occurred in these areas during the year.
The Volvo Group does not contribute funds
to political parties or religious organizations.
The Volvo Group has occasionally engaged
in discussions about providing funding for vari-
ous infrastructure projects. So far, the Group
has decided against providing such funding.
Human rights
The Volvo Group’s Code of Conduct regulates
the company’s views on human rights, which
are based on the UN declarations. The Volvo
Group tolerates no form of child labor or forced
labor, and works for equal rights, fairness and
diversity. The minimum age for employment is
the age at which compulsory schooling ends.
The Volvo Group’s business partners are also
expected to follow these principles, regardless
of where in the world they operate.
Training on the Code of Conduct
The Volvo Group has well-established, strong,
valuable brands. It is vitally important for the
Volvo Group to familiarize all employees with
the Group’s Code of Conduct and ensure that
they follow its principles.
The Volvo Group has approximately 6,500
managers worldwide. Of these, 5,358 have
received training on the Code of Conduct. One
of the steps involves online training, which is
available in eleven languages. This online train-
ing was rated as good or excellent by 5,347
managers. The training also encompassed the
Volvo Group’s website and press articles. Some
88% of the managers responded that they had
asked their staff to report behavior that violated
the principles in the Code of Conduct. Further
training will be organized for the approximately
1,300 people who have not yet reported how
they work with the Code of Conduct. The man-
agers are responsible for ensuring that the
other employees are familiar with the Code of
Conduct’s content. A full 74% of employees
report that they have received information on
the Code of Conduct.
In November 2006, an online training pro-
gram on corruption was launched for all man-
agers, 5,491 of whom had completed the train-
ing by year-end. All salaried employees will
receive this training in 2007.
Cooperation in trade associations
The Volvo Group is a member of several employ-
ers’ organizations including the Confederation
of Swedish Enterprise (Svenskt Näringsliv),
and trade associations including the Euro -
pean Automobile Manufacturers Association
(ACEA).
The Volvo Group also works together with
the European Commission to improve legisla-
tion for the control of emissions from vehicles
that are in use and are required to comply with
the emission standards in Euro 4 and the com-
ing Euro 5.
The Volvo Group is involved in various auto-
motive research programs in Sweden, France,
the US and other countries. One example is
Green Car, an initiative for advanced automo-
tive technology focusing on environment and
growth for a sustainable society.
Collaboration with universities
and colleges
Sharing knowledge with other stakeholders is
one of the principal objectives of the Volvo
Group’s projects and partnerships, as
exemplified by the Future Urban
Transport Foundation, in
which the company
exchanges knowledge
with universities and
research insti-
44 Sustainable development 2006