Business Ethics
Our purpose of Enhancing Society Together guides our actions and decisions. We conduct our business responsibly, ethically and transparently. We respect local laws, international regulations, and cultural norms while adhering to our own ethical standards. Our independence, as an independent and partly employee-owned company, is reflected in our work and the choices we make. Integrity and decent behaviour are integral to our culture and rooted in our vision, mission and core values. These principles are communicated through our Code of Conduct. They are supported by our Compliance Integrity Management System and Compliance Programme, which define and ensure ethical conduct.
Governance
Our Corporate Governance structure upholds our principles as an independent private limited company. This framework provides a sustainable platform to deliver value to our people, our clients and society at large.
The Executive Board holds ultimate responsibility for implementing and enforcing our Code of Conduct, together with our Compliance Integrity Management System (CIMS) and Compliance Programme. The Compliance Department and management teams of the business lines, corporate groups and operating entities are responsible for ensuring all employees are familiar with and adhere to the CIMS. Directors and controllers sign an annual letter of representation acknowledging their responsibility for the Code of Conduct for their respective business line, corporate group or operating entity.
The Compliance Department consists of the Group Compliance Officer and Local Compliance Officers. A Local Compliance Officer is appointed in each country where we have one or more offices. The Group Compliance Officer provides monthly reports to the Executive Board on developments, challenges, and concerns raised about integrity and non-compliance cases. The Supervisory Board receives quarterly updates on the compliance programme and high-risk integrity cases. Once a year, the Group Compliance Officer attends a Supervisory Board meeting to discuss the Compliance Programme. The Group Compliance Officer has a reporting line to the CEO and the Chair of the Supervisory Board if there are concerns that need to be escalated.
Royal HaskoningDHV has a Risk Assessment Board that evaluates potential projects with a high-risk profile. The board ensures all aspects of these proposals are reviewed, experts from corporate groups are consulted, and specific risk elements are identified, evaluated, mitigated, or considered acceptable.
The Internal Audit team provides further assurance. Its priorities, which may include integrity and compliance-related risks, are outlined in an annual audit plan approved by the Audit Committee.
Code of Conduct
Our Code of Conduct (PDF) outlines how we conduct our global business, what we stand for, and our expectations from our business partners. The Code sets out 12 ethical principles for responsible business conduct, and our four values, which are the simplest statement of how we aspire to behave. These strong values and high ethical standards are brought to life through our people. While clear-cut answers may not always be at hand, we engage in discussions to navigate dilemmas and find appropriate solutions.
12 Ethical Principles
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We behave appropriately and treat each other with respect
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We promote equality, diversity, and inclusion
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We speak up and do not retaliate
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We do not accept any form of corruption such as bribery, fraud or money laundering
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We never influence a result by offering or accepting gifts, hospitality or other benefits
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We compete fairly and within the law
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We respect human rights and local labour and employment legislation
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We are committed to quality, health, safety and the environment
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We avoid conflicts of interest
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We follow privacy legislation
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We are committed to the highest standard of information security relevant for our industry
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We respect and protect intellectual property and confidential information
Core Values
We are a people company, independent and partly employee-owned. We care about our colleagues, clients and society. We cherish the freedom to make long-term choices striving to find solutions to improve the lives of people all around the globe. We foster a culture of respect, safety and inclusion, where we actively listen, discuss and embrace new perspectives, because we believe this is the basis for a successful and sustainable company.
We go the extra mile to solve our clients’ most pressing challenges and enhance society. We act today while thinking about tomorrow. We challenge the status quo and embrace change. We zoom out and address the question behind the question to truly understand what problem needs to be solved. We combine data and digital technologies with our deep domain knowledge. We experiment and learn from past experiences to find the best solutions.
Our clients’ success is our success. We invest in building trusted partnerships. We team up to unite talent and expertise across our company and beyond. We take charge of our personal and professional growth and motivate others to do the same.
We act with integrity and in compliance with our Code of Conduct. We take responsibility for our own behaviour, provide feedback and hold each other accountable. We seek clarity on what is expected of us and prioritise wisely to add the best value for our clients and our company.
Integrity Management
We believe that integrity is founded on shared expectations and an open and honest culture. Our integrity policy is embedded throughout the company. Our Compliance Integrity Management System has been audited and certified since 2010. Since 2020, our Anti-Bribery Management System has been certified against the ISO 37001 standard and our Compliance Integrity Management System against the ISO 37301 standard.
Training and raising awareness are crucial components of the compliance programme. We use guidance documents, knowledge shares, integrity moments, training sessions and e-learning modules to ensure awareness and understanding of compliance-related matters. An annual integrity and compliance risk assessment, enriched by contributions from our Local Compliance Officers, is integral to our prevent-detect-and-remediate cycle.
We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for bribery and corruption and strive to meet international best practice standards in anti-corruption compliance and business ethics.
Our Code of Conduct is embedded in our standard contract templates ensuring that we share our ethical principles on integrity and compliance with our clients, suppliers and subcontractors and seek their commitment as well. Potential new clients undergo a third-party assessment (TPA) during the proposal phase, conducted by Group Compliance. The assessment includes a review of ultimate beneficial owners, directors, sanctions and any negative media exposure. Based on the outcome, specific procedures may apply such as determining mitigating measures and/or ultimate approval from the Corporate Risk Assessment Board. Potential suppliers are reviewed based on a risk assessment, enhancing control over our value chain.
Further information on our Integrity and Ethical Performance in 2024 is available in the Integrity and Ethical Performance section.
UN Global Compact and Human Rights
We joined the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) in 2008 supporting its Ten Principles on human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption. Our progress in implementing the principles is reported on our company page on the UNGC website. To affirm our commitment to respecting human rights in our operations and business relationships, we published a Human Rights Policy in 2023. This version was renewed in January 2025 and is available on our website.
When there is a potential challenge between a project and our core purpose and beliefs, we are by the: Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact, UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, ISO 26000 Guidance on Social Responsibility and the International Labour Organization (ILO) standards.
Our goal is to be transparent and accountable, resolving conflicting issues through dialogue and working towards acceptable solutions. We offer a multi-lingual third-party speak-up platform (whistle-blower) for those who seek greater confidentiality or anonymity. This service is accessible internally through our intranet and externally on our website.