Sustainability Report 2024

6.2 Fellow humans at our partner companies

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6.1 Fellow humans | People at SUPERNOVA Imprint

Fundamental workers and human rights are non-negotiable.

Respecting workers and human rights across our supply chain is not a nice-to-have—it is a non-negotiable prerequisite. As an innovative manufacturer of high-quality bicycle lighting, we want to ensure that not only our products, but also the conditions under which they are made, are fair and dignified for everyone involved. We align our efforts with internationally recognized standards such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN human rights covenants, and the core labor standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Particularly in electronics manufacturing—such as in the production of our headlights—many components are sourced from globally structured supply chains. These environments can involve risks to workers’ rights, including excessive working hours, inadequate occupational safety, or restrictions on freedom of association and assembly. At the same time, our supply chain holds opportunities: through long-term and cooperative relationships with our suppliers, we can learn from one another and drive improvements together.

We are convinced that economic success must go hand in hand with fair and decent working conditions. Products are only truly sustainable when the conditions of their production are sustainable too. That’s why upholding fundamental labor standards and protecting human rights throughout our value chain is essential to everything we do.

Our Ambition

Fair, safe, and decent working conditions for all

Our vision is a value chain in which all workers are employed under fair, safe, and decent conditions. We aim to ensure that all individuals working along our supply chain—regardless of their location or role—enjoy fundamental and internationally recognized human and labor rights.*

This includes in particular:

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Protection from forced and child labor

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The right to fair wages

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Safe working conditions

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Participation and co-determination

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Freedom of association and assembly

Our ambition requires more than acknowledging these rights as fundamental—it means systematically monitoring their implementation and working with our partners to find solutions in cases of risk or violations.

In the long term, we aim to establish a Human Rights Due Diligence process based on internationally recognized principles—particularly those outlined in the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).

With our existing Code of Conduct, we’ve already taken a first important step. Moving forward, we will continue developing this framework based on industry-wide standards. We also plan to introduce processes to identify risks early, take relevant reports seriously, and address violations effectively—in cooperation with our partners.

Because anyone who wants to manufacture high-quality products responsibly also needs a supply chain built on respect, fairness, and accountability.

* Including: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

To the Institute of Human Rights To the International Labor Organization

If you want to produce high-quality products responsibly, you also need a supply chain based on respect, fairness and responsibility.

Where We Stand

As of 2024, Supernova did not yet have a formalized policy on labor and human rights in the supply chain. Nonetheless, several foundational elements are already in place that we can build upon.

Code of Conduct

Code of Conduct

A central component is our Code of Conduct, which has been signed by all our direct (Tier-1) suppliers. It commits them to comply with internationally recognized labor standards—particularly the prohibition of forced and child labor, protection against discrimination, and adherence to legal requirements for working hours, occupational safety, and minimum wages.

Ansehen

A central component is our Code of Conduct, which has been signed by all our direct (Tier-1) suppliers. It commits them to comply with internationally recognized labor standards—particularly the prohibition of forced and child labor, protection against discrimination, and adherence to legal requirements for working hours, occupational safety, and minimum wages.

Ansehen

Traceability

Traceability

Our supply chain is highly international—especially in the area of electronic components, which are predominantly sourced from Asia. Full traceability beyond Tier-1 and Tier-2 suppliers is not yet consistently ensured. However, for core product groups like our headlights, we are increasingly documenting origins and production paths in more detail.

Human Rights Due Diligence

Human Rights Due Diligence

As of 2024, no systematic approach was in place to identify and address potential labor and human rights violations in the supply chain. The development of a formal Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) process is planned for 2025.

Where We’re Going

Our vision of a fair and responsible value chain requires a clear framework—one that provides guidance for us and our partners, while upholding and promoting internationally recognized standards for decent work, labor rights, and human rights.

Our plans for 2025

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1. Policy on labor and human rights in the value chain

That’s why we plan to develop a binding policy on labor and human rights in the value chain in 2025. This policy will translate our ambition into concrete terms and will be based on internationally recognized frameworks—particularly the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), the ILO core labor standards, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The aim is to clearly define Supernova’s responsibility for identifying, managing, and mitigating human rights risks across our supply chain. This includes expectations for our business partners, assigned internal responsibilities, and structured processes for implementation, monitoring, and continuous improvement.

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2. Revision of the Code of Conduct

A central part of this approach will be the revision of our current Code of Conduct, which will be integrated into a broader human rights due diligence framework. We will align this framework with findings and recommendations from relevant industry initiatives.

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3. Preventing, mitigating, and, if necessary, remediating violations of labor and human rights

In addition, clearly defined processes will be established for preventing, mitigating, and, if necessary, remediating violations of labor and human rights—based on European and international human rights due diligence standards.

In the long term, we aim to work with our partners to ensure that labor and human rights are not only formally respected across our shared value chains, but are also effectively protected in practice.

Our Actions

1

2

3

Past

In 2024, we continued to respond to due diligence inquiries from our business partners regarding labor and human rights within our shared supply chain.

Present

At the same time, we focused on laying the foundation for fulfilling our own due diligence obligations: we defined our level of ambition, developed initial frameworks such as our Code of Conduct, and aligned them with our partners.

Future

For 2025, we are planning to develop a binding human rights policy, accompanied by structural measures to support its implementation—such as the enhancement of our supplier management processes and the introduction of risk-based monitoring mechanisms.

Learning points for the future

Increasing human rights due diligence requirements across global supply chains are also challenging us. When it comes to labor and human rights in the supply chain, we are still at the beginning. Although our Code of Conduct provides initial guidance, we currently lack binding processes to systematically identify risks and respond effectively. As a medium-sized company with direct relationships primarily at the Tier 1 level, we often lack the resources to systematically detect risks at deeper levels such as Tier 2 and Tier 3. Voluntary self-disclosures from our partners offer valuable initial insights—but they are no substitute for robust, regularly updated audit processes. Access to independent, local information is also limited.

We see potential for improvement particularly in the following areas:

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Standards and transparency

Aligning collaboration with customers and partners more closely around shared industry standards and transparency

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Due diligence processes

Embedding binding due diligence processes into supplier management to identify social risks early

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Collaboration

Strengthening collaboration with customers and industry partners—for example, through platforms such as the VERSO Supply Chain Hub

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Supply chain

Gradually integrating deeper supply chain tiers (Tier 2 and 3)

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Stay in conversation

Expanding supplier dialogues, where necessary, to include labor and human rights topics

A transparent and trust-based partnership on equal footing remains our key approach—and we acknowledge: when it comes to managing social risks in the supply chain, aspiration and reality are still far apart. We, too, must continue to work on closing that gap.