
German trade association, VDA, has issued recommendations for guiding principles in the automotive supply chain sector.
Germany's automotive industry has a global presence including production facilities in many countries, manufacturing around 15m passenger cars every year, plus a large number of commercial vehicles.
Manufacturers and suppliers in the VDA have drawn up a common, non-binding 'Recommendation for guiding principles in the automotive industry for improving sustainability in the supply chain,' with the aim these should form the basis for corporate social responsibility.
They cover areas of corporate ethics, environmental standards, working conditions, human rights, wages, social benefits, as well as occupational health and safety.
"This recommendation is the latest example resulting from the cooperation between the manufacturer groups in the VDA, showing despite tough competition in our industry, manufacturers and suppliers cooperate under the VDA umbrella to create added value and optimise the value chain," said VDA president, Matthias Wissmann.
"As part of this process, the VDA also recommends applying a standardised questionnaire for evaluating sustainability in the supply chain.

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataA group of European vehicle manufacturers has been working under the umbrella of 'The European Business Network for Corporate Social Responsibility' to compile a questionnaire for evaluating sustainability in the supply chain.
The guiding principles are published on the VDA's website: https://www.vda.de/de/services/Publikationen/leitprinzipien-zur-verbesserung-der-nachhaltigkeit.html