Policies and Positions

Ecolab is committed to continuous efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in its own operations. Ecolab addresses climate change impact as criteria in its innovation process and actively works with customers on their climate change mitigation strategies by providing products, services and data to support these efforts.

Ecolab supports programs and initiatives that protect and serve people and the environment in the communities where our employees live and work. Through corporate giving, grants from the Ecolab Foundation, product donations and employee volunteerism, Ecolab is advancing its goals to enable communities around the world to thrive as well as support vital ecosystems.

Our Global Privacy Policy outlines how Ecolab uses and safeguards personal data, periodically reviews security measures and ensures that we are compliant with the data privacy laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which we operate, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Ecolab is committed to advancing environmental justice in the communities where we operate. We actively seek to ensure our operations and products involve fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all community stakeholders, regardless of racial, socioeconomic, or geographic factors, and intend to accelerate our progress beyond what is required by regulatory bodies.

Ecolab is committed to transparency and has chosen to publicly share our Employer Information Report (EEO-1) — a compliance survey mandated by U.S. federal statute and submitted to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Our purpose — to make the world cleaner, safer and healthier — is rooted in a fundamental belief in working together to integrate diverse perspectives, challenging ourselves and doing what’s right. As we continue to make progress toward both our short- and long-term goals to increase the number of women and people of color in management and above roles, the EEO-1 Report will serve as a snapshot of our U.S. workforce demographics based on standardized race/ethnicity, gender and job categories.

Ecolab’s products and operations are regulated by numerous different laws globally, including the European Union (EU) Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) regulations in our European products and operations. In addition to eliminating SVHC listed chemicals in current products, Ecolab’s chemical ingredient policy prohibits developing new products containing SVHCs.

Ecolab respects the principles of freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining in accordance with applicable national law. We adhere to applicable national laws that govern employee rights to exercise freedom of association and collective bargaining.

Ecolab requires that business decisions be made based on fair and objective criteria and not on an offer or request to improperly influence a business decision. This position statement sets forth Ecolab’s requirements around giving and receiving gifts, travel, entertainment, and meals in accordance with the Code of Conduct.

Ecolab is committed to upholding human rights globally. We believe in enhancing the well-being of people and communities around the world. The human rights of our employees and those that we do business with are respected across Ecolab’s global operations and we are committed to respecting the international human rights standards defined by the United Nations Global Compact and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Ecolab’s Code of Conduct is the foundation of our success. We are committed to upholding the highest legal and ethical standards, regardless of when and where we conduct business. We expect all employees to make good decisions on behalf of Ecolab and do their jobs ethically and in compliance with the Code and the laws of the countries where we do business. And the supplier code of conduct sets the expectations for Ecolab suppliers to do business with Ecolab.

Certain state and local jurisdictions permit corporations to make direct contributions to candidates, party committees and ballot measures. The Ecolab Political Contribution Policy provides for an approval process for such contributions by a committee of executives and annual review of the policy and political contributions by the Governance Committee of the Ecolab Board of Directors.

We are committed to safety in our operations and developing products that are safe for our customers and their intended application. Ecolab’s product safety and stewardship program is foundational to the commitment to developing products and solutions that solve customer problems, while protecting the environment and promoting human health.

Ecolab is committed to excellence in safety, health and environmental (SH&E) practices and performance across our global operations. Our commitment extends past our own operations to our suppliers, our contractors and is foundational to our work with our customers. We seek to do business with customers, suppliers, vendors, contractors and other business associates and partners who share our high standards of ethical business behavior and SH&E best practices. Ecolab is committed to developing, setting and achieving time-bound safety, health and environmental related targets or goals.

We believe that the best partners are diverse and inclusive, helping us solve complex problems and support the demands of our business. Additionally, driving our partner Marketplace to equitably reflect our diverse society benefits the communities in which we live, work and serve.

Sustainability is at the core of our business strategy. Ecolab is committed to delivering innovative solutions that help companies around the world achieve exceptional business results while minimizing environmental and social impact.

The tax we pay is an integral part of our positive economic and social impact and supports the advancement of the countries in which we operate. We are committed to complying with tax laws and regulations in each jurisdiction in which we do business and are guided by appropriate international standards.

Ecolab aims to conduct business with the utmost integrity, and to act in all circumstances as a responsible global corporate citizen. As a global company Ecolab is committed to comply with all export, import, economic sanctions, and antiboycott laws of the United States, and similar laws in countries outside the United States where Ecolab conducts business.

Ecolab believes the right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy and that voting should be safe and accessible for all voters. In accordance with this philosophy, Ecolab encourages employees to fulfill their civic responsibilities by exercising the privilege of voting in elections.

This policy establishes minimum waste management requirements and ensure responsible and legal practices while reducing risk to Ecolab.

Ecolab’s ability to attract and retain the world’s most capable talent, while deepening our relationship with existing employees, is critical to managing our operations efficiently and effectively and delivering innovative solutions for customers. We invest in professional training and development, help our employees create personal development plans to achieve their career goals and conduct regular employee engagement surveys.