Targets for Preventing and Mitigating Negative Impacts

The procedure for setting the targets and tracking their attainment provides for the indirect inclusion of workers in the value chain. United   Internet uses findings from the established whistleblower system to determine, supplement, and adapt the targets.

In fiscal year   2024, United   Internet set the following targets for preventing potential negative impacts in relation to working conditions and human rights issues in the value chain: 

  • With effect from fiscal year   2024, United   Internet will analyze 90   % of direct suppliers in relation to environmental, social, and ethical risks with the aim of identifying potential risks with respect to ESG criteria. By 2030, more than 96   % of direct suppliers in the gross risk assessment will have been included in the EcoVadis IQ system.

  • With effect from fiscal year   2024, United   Internet will invite 100   % of identified gross risk suppliers with a purchasing volume in excess of €100,000   to take part in a comprehensive ESG assessment and will systematically track their participation. The goal is to obtain a detailed picture of the concrete risks to which the suppliers determined are exposed, and to derive the relevant actions from this.

  • United   Internet is planning to expand the group of gross risk suppliers. Starting in fiscal year   2025, the radius of gross risk suppliers from the abovementioned abstract gross risk assessment is to be expanded to category 4 (medium-high).

  • From fiscal year   2026 onwards, United   Internet will perform a comprehensive ESG assessment for more than 35   % of its purchasing volume. It is planned to increase the assessment to more than 50   % by fiscal year   2030. In particular, strategic business partners will be assessed using an EcoVadis rating.

  • United   Internet is planning to train 90   % of employees in purchasing-related functions in sustainable procurement by the end of 2026 using an online course hosted by the EcoVadis platform. The target for fiscal year   2027 is to be increased to 100   %. The goal of the training course is to raise employee awareness for sustainability matters in purchasing and to enable them to identify risks in the value chain early on. Participation rates will be tracked by the central Human Rights Coordinator together with United   Internet’s Human Rights Officers.