Markus Tacke, CEO of Siemens Gamesa, and IndustriALL’s (the global trade union that encompasses Siemens Gamesa’s industrial activity) General Secretary, Valter Sanches have signed the Global Framework Agreement on Social Responsibility, the only agreement of its kind in the renewable energy industry. Alongside them at the signing of the agreement were International Labour Organization (ILO) representative, Joaquín Nieto, and a high-level representation of the Spanish Trade Unions and Federations headed by Agustín Martín general secretary of CC.OO. Industry, and José Antonio Guerra, sectorial secretary of FICA-UGT.
The framework agreement represents a clear step forward over its predecessor signed by the former Gamesa in 2015. Its content is fully aligned with Objective 12 ‘Responsible Consumption and Production’ of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and with ILO guidelines for a Just Transition.
Markus Tacke, CEO of Siemens Gamesa, said: “This is a significant step in terms of establishing positive and transparent frameworks for Siemens Gamesa and all the people working throughout the business. We´ll share this responsibility with the employees’ representatives, in order to become a benchmark for the whole industry.”
The aim of the agreement is to share and strengthen social, labour and environmental aspects that form part of the Siemens Gamesa Conduct Business Guidelines, ensuring their proper implementation, while fostering the conditions for a responsible social dialogue at a global level, and securing respect for fundamental human and social rights.
As well as covering an increase in the size and complexity of the company, the new agreement reinforces the previous commitments for more substantial areas, such as Labour Rights; Social Dialogue; Health and Safety; Sustainable Working Environment, relationships with suppliers, contractors and business parties; and rejection of corruption and bribery.
The commitment to personal safety and development is the foundation on which this global agreement between Siemens Gamesa, its Labour Representatives and IndustriALL, is based and covers key action lines such as occupational health and safety, labour conditions, non-discrimination and promotion of equal opportunities in the workplace environment across all the company’s activities. Siemens Gamesa will also be responsible to communicate and promote the implementation of this agreement among its suppliers, subcontractors and business partners.
The agreement also makes a reference to the recently signed new Convention 190 concerning the elimination of violence and harassment and includes a more operational approach with regards to the Global Framework Agreement implementation and monitoring by establishing a follow-up team with representatives from all concerned parties worldwide.
Siemens Gamesa`s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy conceives global development to be underpinned by economic growth, social welfare and environmental protection. The company is committed to driving this global process forward and contributing to the achievement of SDGs and related objectives. We create scalable technology solutions for solving global problems and generate benefits while benefiting society as a whole.
With over 95 GW of installed wind capacity, Siemens Gamesa contributes to cutting emissions of CO₂ by 247 million tons per year, the equivalent of planting 4 billion trees. The company also supports global climate protection goals and has adopted the global initiative to decarbonise economies. It has committed to be carbon-neutral by 2025, by replacing conventional emission-intensive power sources with renewable energies in its operations.
Siemens Gamesa is a member of prestigious international sustainability indices, such as Dow Jones Sustainability Indices®, FTSE4Good® and Ethibel Sustainability Index®.
