2022 Communication on Progress

AMEX Export - Import GmbH

Published date

June 27, 2022

No. of questions

58

Supplemental files

CEO Statement

Signed

  • Governance

    Policies and Responsibilities

    1. Does the Board / highest governance body or most senior executive of the company:

    2. Does the company have a publicly stated commitment regarding the following sustainability topics?

    No, this is not a current priority

    No, but we plan to have a commitment within 2 years

    Yes, and the commitment is focused on our own operations

    Yes, and the commitment includes our own operations and the value chain

    Yes, and the commitment includes our own operations and the value chain along with communities and society

    Human Rights

    Labour Rights / Decent Work

    Environment

    Anti-Corruption

    Optional comment
    Our leadership publicly supports SDG in our media and website, and issues a formal statement in support of the SDGs annually for our global compact commitment

    3. Does the company have in place a code of conduct regarding each of the following sustainability topics?

    No, this is not a current priority

    No, but we plan to have a code of conduct within two years

    Yes, focused on employee conduct

    Yes, focused on employees and suppliers

    Yes, focused on employees, suppliers, and other business relationships

    Human Rights

    Labour Rights / Decent Work

    Environment

    Anti-Corruption

    Optional comment
    We have an employee code of conduct that covers these topics.

    4. Has the company appointed an individual or group responsible for each of the following sustainability topics?

    No one is specifically responsible for this topic

    Yes, with limited influence on outcomes (e.g., limited access to internal information, limited decision-making authority)

    Yes, with moderate influence on outcomes (e.g., has access to relevant information, reports to senior manager)

    Yes, with direct influence of some outcomes (e.g., has access to relevant information, includes one or more senior manager with decision making rights

    Yes, with direct influence at the highest levels of the organization (e.g., has access to relevant information, includes most senior members of organization)

    Human Rights

    Labour Rights / Decent Work

    Environment

    Anti-Corruption

    Optional comment
    We have a colleague that is working on building our enviornmental program with a the goal of going CO2 negative. Other areas are under our quality assurance and office management personnel that report to the CEO

    5. Does the company have a formal structure(s) (such as a cross-functional committee) to address each of the following sustainability topics?

    No formal structure

    Yes, and with limited influence on outcomes (e.g., limited access to internal information necessary to understand risks, poor representation from relevant departments or functions)

    Yes, with moderate influence on outcomes (e.g., it includes representatives of some functions, departments, or business units most relevant for addressing the risks concerned, has access to relevant information, reports to senior manager)

    Yes, with direct influence on some outcomes (e.g., it includes representatives of functions, departments, or business units most relevant for addressing the risks concerned, has access to relevant information, it involves one or more members of senior management)

    Yes, and with direct influence at the highest level of the organization (e.g., full access to relevant information, it involves members at highest level of organization)

    Human Rights

    Labour Rights / Decent Work

    Environment

    Anti-Corruption

    Optional comment
    We are family-owned company of less than 100 employees. We do not yet have a a lot of formal processes, but executive leadership is involved in decision making covering all these topics

    Prevention

    6. Does the company have a process or processes to assess risk?

    No, this is not a current priority

    No, but we are planning to develop one in the next two years

    Yes, related to our own operations

    Yes, related to our own operations and entire value chain and other business relationships

    Human rights risks

    Labour rights risks

    Environmental risks

    Corruption risks

    7. Does the company have a due diligence process through which it identifies, prevents, mitigates, and accounts for actual and potential negative impacts on sustainability topics?

    No, this is not a current priority

    No, but we are planning to develop one in the next two years

    Yes, related to our own operations

    Yes, related to our own operations and entire value chain and other business relationships

    Human rights risks

    Labour rights risks

    Environmental risks

    Corruption risks

    Optional comment
    We are a SME and have not yet gotten to the point where we feel we need to a formal program to address these topics. These issues are covered by our code of conduct and by the values that we promote.

    Concerns and grievance mechanisms

    8. Are there any processes through which members of the company’s workforce can raise concerns about the company’s conduct related to human rights, labour rights, environment, or anti-corruption?

    8.1. Please provide additional detail regarding the process(es) the company has through which members of the company’s workforce can raise concerns about the company’s conduct.

    No

    Yes

    Is the process communicated to all employees/workers in local languages?

    Is the process available to non-employees (e.g., contractors, vendors, suppliers)?

    Is the process confidential (e.g., whistleblowing process)?

    Are there processes in place to avoid retaliation?

    Can concerns be raised about suppliers or other business relationships (e.g., clients, partners, etc.)

    Other (Please provide additional information)

    Optional comment
    We have informal process for raising these issues that are in accordance with Austrian law which protects whistle blowers.

    9. Does the company provide or enable access to effective remedy to right holders / stakeholders where it has caused or contributed to the adverse impact?

    No process to enable remedy to stakeholders

    Remedy available to some stakeholders (i.e., some geographies, employees only)

    Remedy is available to all affected stakeholders

    Remedy is available to all stakeholders, and suppliers are expected to have similar policies

    Human Rights

    Labour Rights / Decent Work

    Environment

    Anti-Corruption

    Lessons

    10. How does the company capture lessons regarding each of the following sustainability topics?

    No lessons are regularly captured

    Conducts root cause analyses/investigation of major incidents

    Conducts root cause analyses/investigation and changes organizational policies, processes, and practices accordingly

    Systematically conducts root cause analyses/investigation and leverages learnings to influence both internal and external affairs

    Human Rights

    Labour Rights / Decent Work

    Environment

    Anti-Corruption

    Executive Pay

    11. Is executive pay linked to performance on one or more of the following sustainability topics?

    No, and we have no intention to change

    No, but we plan to within two years

    Yes

    Human Rights

    Labour Rights / Decent Work

    Environment

    Anti-Corruption

    Optional comment
    We are a family owned SME where the executive leadership are our owners.

    Board Composition

    12. Percentage of individuals within the company’s Board / highest governance body by:

    Number/Percentage

    Not applicable (Please provide additional information)

    Total number of board members (#)

    9

    Male (%)

    5

    Female (%)

    4

    Non-binary (%)

    We do not ask this question of our employees

    Under 30 years old (%)

    0

    30-50 years old (%)

    100

    Above 50 years old (%)

    0

    From minority or vulnerable groups (%)

    0

    Executive (%)

    20

    Independent (%)

    80

    13. Do you produce sustainability reporting according to:

    Optional comment
    We are in the process of becoming a C02 negative company which will eventually include a reporting process after we finish building our systems for measurement

    Data Assurance

    14. Is the information disclosed in this questionnaire assured by a third-party?

  • Human Rights

    Materiality / Saliency

    1. Which of the following has the company identified as material human rights issues connected with its operations and/or value chain, whether based on their salience (i.e., the most severe potential negative impacts on people) or another basis?

    Response

    8. Briefly describe practical actions the company has taken during the reporting period and/or plans to take to implement the human rights principles, including any challenges faced and actions taken towards prevention and/or remediation.

    We are continuing to develop our quality assurance practices to identify human rights risks and address them as soon as possible. We have also strengthened our commitment to human rights by donating heavily to Ukrainian refugee assistance and doing projects at cost for their assistance.

  • Labour

    Commitment

    1. Does the company have a policy commitment in relation to the following labour rights principles?

    No, and we have no plans to develop a policy

    No, but we plan to in the next two years

    Yes, included within a broader policy

    Yes, articulated as a stand-alone policy

    Not applicable (Please provide additional information)

    Freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining

    2022

    Forced labour

    2022

    Child labour

    2022

    Non-discrimination in respect of employment and occupation

    2022

    Occupational safety and health

    2022

    Working conditions (wages, working hours)

    Optional comment
    We cover these issues in the "People" and "Human Rights " section of our code of conduct.

    1.1. For each labour rights policy, is it:

    Aligned with international labour standards?

    Publicly available?

    Approved at most senior level of the company?

    Applied to the company’s own operations?

    Applied to the company’s supply chain and/or other business relationships?

    Developed involving labour rights expertise from inside and outside the company?

    Other (Please provide additional information)

    Freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining

    Forced labour

    Child labour

    Non-discrimination in respect of employment and occupation

    Occupational safety and health

    Working conditions (wages, working hours)

    Prevention

    2. In the course of the reporting period, has the company engaged with affected stakeholders or their legitimate representatives in relation to the following labour rights issues?

    No engagement on this topic

    To better understand the risks/ impacts in question

    To discuss potential ways to prevent or mitigate the risks/ impacts in question

    To agree on a way to prevent/ mitigate the risks/ impacts in question

    To assess progress in preventing/ mitigating the risks /impacts in question

    To collaborate in the prevention/ mitigation of the risks/ impacts in question

    Other (Please provide additional information)

    Freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining

    Forced labour

    Child labour

    Non-discrimination in respect of employment and occupation

    Occupational safety and health

    Working conditions (wages, working hours)

    3. What type of action has the company taken in the reporting period with the aim of preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with this labour rights issue?

    Provided internal training/ capacity building for the direct workforce

    Building capacity among relevant business relationships (e.g., partners, suppliers, clients, etc.)

    Conducting an audit process and/or corrective action plan

    Collective Action with peers or other stakeholders, in particular workers' organizations, to address the issue

    Collaboration with governmental or regulatory bodies

    Other (Please provide additional information)

    No action within reporting period

    Freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining

    Forced labour

    Child labour

    Non-discrimination in respect of employment and occupation

    Occupational safety and health

    Working conditions (wages, working hours)

    Optional comment
    These topics are covered by our entry training and quality assurance training, which is primarily concerned with identifying risk factors among our suppliers and reporting indications of failures in these areas.

    4. Who receives training for the following labour rights issues?

    No training provided

    Select employees

    All employees

    Contractors

    Direct suppliers of the organization

    Indirect suppliers of the organization

    Other – such as partners, clients, etc.

    Freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining

    Forced labour

    Child labour

    Non-discrimination in respect of employment and occupation

    Occupational safety and health

    Working conditions (wages, working hours)

    5. How does the company assess progress in preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with the following labour rights issues?

    No monitoring of progress

    Review issues on ad-hoc basis

    Set annual targets/ goals, track progress over time (internal programs only)

    Set annual targets/ goals, track progress over time (internal and external programs)

    Other (Please provide additional information)

    Freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining

    Forced labour

    Child labour

    Non-discrimination in respect of employment and occupation

    Occupational safety and health

    Working conditions (wages, working hours)

    Performance

    6. What is the percentage of employees covered under collective bargaining agreements?

    Percent of employees (%)

    Unknown

    Employees covered under collective bargaining (%)

    100
    Optional comment
    Our employees are covered under the annual collective bargaining by the national trade union for commerce

    7. What is the percentage of employees in a trade union or other workers' organization?

    Percent of employees (%)

    Unknown

    Not applicable (Please provide additional information)

    Employees in a trade union or on a worker committee (%)

    100
    Optional comment
    All our employees are part of the Austrian worker's chamber

    8. In the course of the reporting period, what was the percentage of women in:

    Percent of women (%)

    Unknown

    Senior leadership level position

    50

    Non-executive board

    50

    9. What was the average ratio of the basic salary and remuneration of women to men (comparing jobs of equal value) during the reporting period?

    Salary ratio (%)

    Unknown

    Choose to not disclose

    Women / Men (%)

    10. In the course of the reporting period, how frequently were workers injured (injuries per hour worked)?

    Frequency of injury

    Unknown

    Choose to not disclose

    Frequency of injury

    0
    Optional comment
    There we no workplace injuries in the last year - we are office employees

    11. In the course of the reporting period, what was the company’s incident rate?

    Incident rate

    Unknown

    Choose to not disclose

    Incident rate

    Optional comment
    Unsure at this point, virtually all lost work days due to illness were because of the Covid-19 pandemic

    Response and Reporting

    12. In the course of the reporting period, has the company been involved in providing or enabling remedy where it has caused or contributed to the adverse impact associated with the following labour rights issues?

    Yes

    No

    Choose to not disclose

    Not applicable (Please provide additional information)

    Freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining

    Forced labour

    Child labour

    Non-discrimination in respect of employment and occupation

    Occupational safety and health

    Working conditions (wages, working hours)

    Optional comment
    We have contributed to adverse impacts on these issues in this reporting period.

    13. Briefly describe practical actions the company has taken during the reporting period and/or plans to take to implement the labour rights principles, including any challenges faced and actions taken towards prevention and/or remediation.

    We are located in Austria, which had robust labor protections that cover all workers regardless of race, creed, or gender. We fully support and follow the laws and guidance of the Austrian state. We have not needed to take further action.

  • Environment

    Commitment

    1. Does the company have a formal policy on the following environmental topics?

    No, and we have no plans to develop a policy

    No, but we plan to in the next two years

    Yes, included within a broader policy

    Yes, articulated as a stand-alone policy

    Not applicable (Please provide additional information)

    Climate Action

    2022

    Water

    Oceans

    Forests / Biodiversity / Land Use

    Air Pollution

    Waste (e.g., chemical spills, solid waste, hazardous, plastic, etc.)

    2022

    Energy & Resource Use

    Optional comment
    We are in process of building our environmental policies out, starting with being a C02 negative company which we are currently working on. More will follow as we build our systems in the coming year.

    1.1. For each environmental policy, is it:

    Aligned with international environmental standards?

    Publicly available?

    Approved at most senior level of the company?

    Applied to the company’s own operations?

    Applied to the company’s supply chain and/or other business relationships?

    Developed involving environmental expertise from inside and outside the company?

    Other (Please provide additional information)

    Climate Action

    Water

    Oceans

    Forests / Biodiversity / Land Use

    Air Pollution

    Waste (e.g., chemical spills, solid waste, hazardous, plastic, etc.)

    Energy & Resource Use

    Optional comment
    We are still building climate action policies in an effort to become C02 negative, and we have policies on waste and hazardous goods that are developed within Austrian an EU standards on handling these materials.

    Prevention

    2. In the course of the reporting period, has the company engaged with affected stakeholders or their legitimate representatives in relation to the following environmental issues?

    No engagement on this topic

    To better understand the risks/ impacts in question

    To discuss potential ways to prevent or mitigate the risks/ impacts in question

    To agree on a way to prevent/ mitigate the risks/ impacts in question

    To assess progress in preventing/ mitigating the risks/ impacts in question

    To collaborate in the prevention/ mitigation of the risks/ impacts in question

    Other (Please provide additional information)

    Climate Action

    Water

    Oceans

    Forests / Biodiversity / Land Use

    Air Pollution

    Waste (e.g., chemical spills, solid waste, hazardous, plastic, etc.)

    Energy & Resource Use

    Optional comment
    We are in process of building our environmental policies out, starting with being a C02 negative company which we are currently working on. As we build systems to manage and report our climate goals, we will increase our engagement with other stakeholders on these issues. We have a goal of creating a CO2 reporting system that we plan to use in our conversations with partners and customers to move on to mitigation strategies.

    3. What type of action has the company taken in the reporting period with the aim of preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with these environmental topics?

    Provided internal training/ capacity building for the direct workforce

    Building capacity among relevant business relationships (e.g., partners, suppliers, clients, etc.)

    Conducting an audit process and/or corrective action plan

    Collective Action with peers or other stakeholders to address the issue

    Collaboration with governmental or regulatory bodies

    Other (Please provide additional information)

    No action within reporting period

    Climate Action

    Water

    Oceans

    Forests / Biodiversity / Land Use

    Air Pollution

    Waste (e.g., chemical spills, solid waste, hazardous, plastic, etc.)

    Energy & Resource Use

    Optional comment
    As part of our CO2 initiative, we have had conversations with other stakeholders on strategies to build capacities and synergies in our tracking system and beyond. This will continue into the future.

    4. How does the company assess progress in preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with the following environmental topics?

    No monitoring of progress

    Review issues on ad-hoc basis

    Set annual targets/ goals, track progress over time (internal programs only)

    Set annual targets/ goals, track progress over time (internal and external programs)

    Other (Please provide additional information)

    Climate Action

    Water

    Oceans

    Forests / Biodiversity / Land Use

    Air Pollution

    Waste (e.g., chemical spills, solid waste, hazardous, plastic, etc.)

    Energy & Resource Use

    Optional comment
    We are focused on building our system for CO2 monitoring, but have also began taking measures that cover all environmental topics in our daily operations.

    5. In the course of the reporting period, has the company been involved in providing or enabling remedy for any actual impacts associated with the following environmental issue(s)?

    Yes

    No

    Choose to not disclose

    Not applicable (Please provide additional information)

    Climate Action

    Water

    Oceans

    Forests / Biodiversity / Land Use

    Air Pollution

    Waste (e.g., chemical spills, solid waste, hazardous, plastic, etc.)

    Energy & Resource Use

    Optional comment
    We are still developing our plans for the remedy and mediation of our environmental impact. We hope to have a mitigation program for CO2 installed later this year.

    Climate Action

    6. What were the company’s gross global greenhouse gas emissions for the reporting period?

    Scope 1 Emissions

    Emissions (tCO2e)

    Scope 2 Emissions

    Emissions (tCO2e)

    Scope 3 Emissions

    Emissions (tCO2e)

    Optional comment
    We are still building our system for scope 1 and 2 reporting at this time.

    7. What percentage of the company's revenue was invested in R&D of low-carbon products/services during this reporting period?

    Percent of revenue (%)

    We do not engage in our own R&D at this point

    8. Has the organization acted to support climate change adaptation and resilience?

    Optional comment
    We emphasize more sustainable options in our logistics chains./

    Energy / Resource Use

    9. Please report the company's renewable energy consumption as a percentage of total energy consumption in the reporting period.

    % of total energy consumption

    Technology

    10. What percent of the company's revenue came from environmentally friendly products / services during this reporting period?

    Percent of total revenue (%)

    Sector-specific Questions

    11. Which sector(s) does the company operate in? If diversified, choose top 3 by revenue.

    Optional comment
    Our company's core business is in laboratory and medical supplies.

    Sector-specific: Water

    12. Please provide details regarding the company's water withdrawal and consumption (own operations) during the reporting period.

    Water withdrawal (volume of water in megaliters):

    Mega-liters

    Unknown

    Not applicable (Please provide additional information)

    Total

    Groundwater:

    Surface water:

    Rainwater:

    Wastewater:

    Percentage of water withdrawn in regions with high or extremely high water stress (%)

    Water consumption (volume of water in megaliters):

    Mega-liters

    Unknown

    Not applicable (Please provide additional information)

    Total

    Groundwater:

    Surface water:

    Rainwater:

    Wastewater:

    Percentage of water consumed in regions with high or extremely high water stress (%)

    Optional comment
    For our business, the main water consumption is for our office. At this point our water company does not differentiate between sources and types of water, and we do not get any reports on wastewater volumes

    13. Please provide details about the company’s water intensity of products in regions with high or extremely high water stress.

    Water intensity of products (cubic meter/$):

    We do not have operations that manufacture products in areas that experience water scarcity, and our company is not in a water intensive sector.

    Sector-specific: Waste

    18. Please report the company's total weight of waste generated in metric tonnes during the reporting period.

    Waste Generated (t)

    19. Please report the percentage of the company's waste that was hazardous waste (i.e., hazardous waste ratio) during the reporting period.

    Hazardous Waste Ratio (%)

    20. Please report the company's estimated metric tonnes of single-use plastic consumed wherever material along the value chain during the reporting period.

    Single-use plastics (tonnes)

    Overall Environment

    21. Briefly describe practical actions the company has taken during the reporting period and/or plans to take to implement the environment principles, including any challenges faced and actions taken towards prevention and/or remediation.

    To reduce the impact on climate change AMEX has established the AMEX NET POSITIVE action plan 2025. Scope 1+ 2 CO2 reductions are implemented internally, as of 2023 AMEX will measure its CO2 footprint on Scope 3 level. Clients will be informed of the environmental impact of their orders. Mitigation potential will be highlighted: i.e. Rail/Sea freight instead of Air and remaining CO2 levels will be offset.

  • Anti-corruption

    Commitment

    1. Does the company have an anti-corruption compliance programme?

    Optional comment
    We have a code of conduct that covers this, as well as a quality management program that this falls under. As a SME we dont have a comprehensive program yet, but it will come in the future.

    2. Does your company have policies and recommendations for employees on how to act in case of doubt and/or in situations that may represent a conflict of interest, e.g. with regard to gifts and hospitality, donations, sponsorship, or interactions with public officials?

    Optional comment
    These issues are included in our Code of Conduct under Anti-Bribery and Corruption.

    Prevention

    3. Who receives training on anti-corruption and integrity?

    Optional comment
    Training is given to employees during onboarding, and then periodically throughout the year.

    3.1. How often is such training provided?

    One time only

    Every year

    Every two or more years

    We do not collect this data

    All employees

    Select employees

    Contractors

    Direct suppliers of the organization

    Other – such as partners, clients, etc.

    Indirect suppliers of the organization

    4. Does the company monitor its anti-corruption compliance programme?

    Response and Reporting

    5. Please report the company's total number and nature of incidents of corruption during the reporting year.

    Number of incident(s)

    Unknown

    Choose to not disclose

    Confirmed during the current year, but related to previous years

    Confirmed during the current year, and related to this year

    6. Within the reporting period, what measures has the company taken to address suspected incidents of corruption independently or in response to a dispute or investigation by a government regulator?

    Optional comment
    Suspected incidents of corruption are investigated by the company and adjudicated by the CEO and management team. We have not have investigations prompted by government regulators.

    7. Does your company engage in Collective Action against corruption?

    8. Briefly describe practical actions the company has taken during the reporting period and/or plans to take to implement the anti-corruption principle, including any challenges faced and actions taken towards prevention and/or remediation.

    We have continued with our anti-corruption training, and we also continue to instill values in our company that reinforce our integrity.