Ford has outlined specific conduct guidelines for its suppliers since 2003; this code expands and publicly formalizes supplier accountabilities for responsible business practices.

“Caring for each other is a core tenet of the Ford plan and that includes safeguarding human rights, protecting the environment and requiring responsible sourcing and ethical practices,” said Jonathan Jennings, vice president, Global Commodity Purchasing and Supplier Technical Assistance. “We hold our suppliers to the same high standards we require of ourselves, and this code formalizes the standards we’ll work together to achieve.”

As a member of the UN Global Compact and signatory to the UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs), Ford expects suppliers to help the company and its supply chain be responsible, eco-friendly, and transparent.

Under the new, mandatory code, each supplier must, in part:

• Protect and respect human rights: This includes treating their workforce humanely and with dignity, following ethical recruiting practices – providing a healthy and safe working environment and refusing to tolerate child labor, modern slavery, forced labor or harassment of any kind.
• Protect the environment: This includes complying with Ford’s environmental requirements and policies, comprising all relevant national, regional, environmental, and chemical legislation; minimizing their impact on climate change, aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement; striving toward carbon neutrality; using recycled and renewable materials in packaging; and utilizing materials with reduced toxicity in their manufacturing processes.
• Responsibly source materials: This includes providing information upon request to verify that materials in the products supplied to Ford have been sourced responsibly in accordance with Ford’s Responsible Materials Sourcing Policy, and conducting due diligence and increasing transparency related to raw materials, especially materials sourced from conflict-affected or high- risk areas.
• Maintain responsible business practices: This includes conducting business free from bribery and corruption, maintaining effective privacy and cyber-security practices, and complying with applicable trade and custom rules.

“At Ford, we’re not just doing business, we’re helping to build a better world,” said Jennings. “Our suppliers are a key part of that process.”