2.3 Partnerships and collaborations for sustainability 2.3 Partnerships and collaborations for sustainability – Close collaborations with our stakeholders non-financial reporting legislation, trade policy, and con- – Partnerships are key to long­term sustainable nected and automated mobility for rail and road. business success – Siemens is an active member of numerous business Our political involvement is guided by strong principles: associations and organizations → We are politically neutral and take a zero-tolerance approach to corruption, violations of fair competition Siemens operates in nearly every country in the world. We principles, and other breaches of applicable law and work with our customers to find innovative solutions to internal regulations. some of the world’s most pressing issues. We believe that → Siemens does not make political donations or contributions close collaboration with our stakeholders enables us to make to politicians, political parties, or political organizations. serious progress on complex sustainability challenges. We → Any contributions that support purely political purposes maintain a consistent dialog with all our stakeholders, or the representation of political interests – for example, including customers, investors, suppliers, our people, election events for political campaigns – are prohibited by communities, policymakers, media, non-governmental our internal guidelines. organizations, business organizations, and academia. In addition, our DEGREE sustainability framework is also based Engagement in associations and organizations on a 360-degree stakeholder approach. Siemens is a member of numerous business associations and other organizations, some of which advocate for their mem- In dialog with politics and society bers’ interests in the political arena. Selected examples of Our Managing Board, CEOs, and governance departments in the most important memberships are: our business units oversee stakeholder engagement. The overall responsibility for Siemens’ dialog with policymakers → The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) lies with our Managing Board, which has given the Govern- → The German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association ment Affairs department a mandate for company-wide (VDMA) coordination tasks and the corresponding governance → The German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ responsibilities. Within the business units, the unit’s CEO is Association (ZVEI) responsible for a coordinated dialog with the policymakers. → The European Round Table for Industry (ERT) → The U.S. Chamber of Commerce The way that regulations and legislation are shaped has in → The European Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC) many cases impacted Siemens and our products and solu- tions. Therefore, we believe that maintaining an ongoing More information on political activities at Siemens can be dialog with political decision-makers is crucial for our found on our GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS website. company’s success and for our commitment to sustainability. We have joined forces with leading companies from around We prioritize our activities based on our business strategies the world to establish the Charter of Trust, which aims to and innovation fields. As a result, our advocacy activities make the digital world safer and more secure. focus on but are not limited to the following topics: cyber- WWW.CHARTEROFTRUST.COM security, digitalization, climate protection, energy, R&D, SIEMENS SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2023 26