Anti-Slavery & Human Trafficking Statement
AVEVA GROUP PLC
Anti-Slavery & Human Trafficking Statement
The Modern Slavery Act 2015 is a UK law focused on the prevention and prosecution of all forms of ‘modern slavery’, including human trafficking and forced, or compulsory, labor. Section 54 of the Act requires certain business organisations to prepare and publish a statement regarding the steps they have taken during the preceding financial year to ensure that modern slavery is not taking place in any part of their business or supply chains.
The AVEVA Group is a leading global provider of engineering and industrial software. It consists of a parent company, AVEVA Group plc, incorporated in the U.K., and a number of subsidiaries held directly or indirectly by AVEVA Group plc, which are incorporated in various jurisdictions around the world (including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, the U.A.E., the U.K. and the U.S.), each contributing to the Group’s profits, assets and cash flows. On 1st March 2018, AVEVA Group plc completed the combination with the Schneider Electric Industrial Software Business, creating a global leader in engineering and industrial software.
This statement is prepared in connection with the financial year ended 31st March 2020, in respect of AVEVA Group plc and its subsidiary AVEVA Solutions Limited.
Slavery and human trafficking are serious crimes and human rights violations, and AVEVA strongly condemns them in all of their forms.
AVEVA Group plc maintains a group-level Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy (‘the Policy’) which states AVEVA’s zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery. This commitment is further affirmed in AVEVA’s Business Conduct Guidelines.
The Policy applies to all persons working for AVEVA, or on AVEVA’s behalf, in any capacity, including employees at all levels, directors, officers, agency workers, seconded workers, volunteers, interns, agents, contractors, external consultants, third-party representatives and business partners, and states that breaches of the Policy may result in disciplinary action (and potentially dismissal) against employees and termination of AVEVA’s relationships with other parties.
AVEVA maintains a central procurement function, which is primarily responsible for procurement in relation to customer contracts. Other procurement within the AVEVA Group is handled directly by individual business units and subsidiaries.
In light of the nature of AVEVA’s business and its supply chains, which are generally comprised of office space, office-related supplies, IT and other technology, personnel, facilities, transportation, recruitment, legal and financial services and sourced primarily from within the United Kingdom, AVEVA believes the risks of slavery and human trafficking taking place in any part of its business or supply chains are relatively low.
AVEVA is not aware of any instance in which a modern slavery concern has been raised with AVEVA by an AVEVA employee or third party in either its business or its supply chains, and AVEVA has not, to date, otherwise identified any instances of modern slavery in either its business or its supply chains. AVEVA maintains a Speak Up Policy, in respect of which mandatory staff training is delivered annually.
Notwithstanding the above, AVEVA remains committed to taking steps to prevent modern slavery arising in any part of its business or supply chains. During AVEVA’s last financial year, it has taken the following steps:
- AVEVA has continued to consider the risks of slavery and human trafficking taking place in any part of its business or supply chains. In particular, AVEVA Legal (acting on advice and guidance of external counsel) have continued to review its existing procurement arrangements with relevant members of staff, with a view to identifying any elements of those arrangements which give rise to heightened modern slavery risk.
- AVEVA has developed staff training on modern slavery risk, which was delivered in both 2019 and 2020, and is mandatory for all AVEVA Group plc staff to attend. The training addresses the provisions of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and AVEVA’s obligations under it, the supply chain, key issues relating to modern slavery risk for commercial organisations and what AVEVA personnel should do if they identify or suspect modern slavery. This training module forms part of the mandatory training on Corporate Ethics for all AVEVA staff, which is performed every year.
- AVEVA seeks to include in contracts with suppliers and contractors, on a rolling basis as existing contracts come up for renewal, or as new contracts are entered into, provisions requiring such suppliers and contractors, in the discharge of their contractual obligations to AVEVA: (i) to comply with all applicable laws in force from time to time, including the Modern Slavery Act 2015; (ii) to take steps to ensure that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in any part of its business; and (iii) to confirm the absence of historic offences, investigations, inquiries or other enforcement proceedings in connection with slavery or human trafficking. AVEVA has developed standard supplier contractual terms for use in procurement of goods and services, to include provision on compliance with applicable laws relating to modern slavery.
This statement was approved by the Board of Directors of AVEVA Group plc and AVEVA Solutions Limited on 7 September 2020, and is signed by James Kidd, a director of AVEVA Group plc and AVEVA Solutions Limited.
James Kidd
Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer
AVEVA Group plc