Our DE&I agenda is leader-owned and part of our Leadership Expectations. We provide equal access to opportunity and have zero-tolerance for discriminatory behaviours and harassments.
A diverse and inclusive environment creates a sense of belonging among employees and a trust in our culture. The actions we take in connection with equity are important and send strong signals of our genuine commitment to DE&I. This means creating consistent, fair, and transparent policies and practices, and zero tolerance for harassment and any form of discrimination, with a clear set of consequences for incompliance.
Inclusive leadership behaviours are the foundation for an inclusive culture and a global mindset. Leaders are at the core of our culture – driving and role modelling inclusive behavior. We are embedding inclusive leadership as a core trait in our Leadership Capability programmes and are delivering dedicated ‘Unconscious Bias’ and ‘Leading Inclusively’ training for our people leaders.
Diversity is of high priority for the Supervisory Board, and it has laid down the following specific objectives in relation to international experience and gender:
Since 2020, our diversity, equity and inclusion commitments have been guided and governed by the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council. The Council is made up of eight senior leaders representing each of the business areas across our three regions of operation, with governance responsibility across the entire value chain.
The Council is tasked with supporting key initiatives within the strategic DE&I programme, as well as promoting and nurturing the DE&I culture in their specific business areas and turning policy into practice. Issues salient to the DE&I strategy, including gender equity and female empowerment, are addressed by an area-specific leader, tracked, managed and advocated in all areas of the business. Our regions also have active DE&I communities that meet every three months to exchange best practices across markets.
We are committed to gender equality and have integrated gender equality and women’s empowerment into our business strategy. Brewing is an historically male-dominated industry, and we feel a significant responsibility to advance our commitment to gender equity and women’s empowerment at Carlsberg.
We believe that getting the gender balance right will pave the way for more diverse representation, and we set time-bound targets for the share of women in senior leadership roles.
Our target is to reach a share of 30% women in senior leadership roles overall by the end of 2024, and a minimum of 40% over time.
We are committed to the UN Women's Empowerment Principles and we undertake regular gender equality self-assessments, including those on equal pay for equal work, and our DE&I maturity assessment.
Our Code of Conduct, Human Rights Policy and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy reinforce our stance on gender equity and equality of opportunity. They provide clear guidance for all employees on our zero-tolerance approach to any form of harassment or discrimination, including gender-based harassment and sexual harassment. In 2023 we introduced mandatory Preventing Sexual Harassment training for all employees globally to reinforce our commitment to a safe and inclusive workplace for all.
We encourage any employee who is concerned that our policies may have been breached to raise their concerns with their manager or their compliance or HR representative – or anonymously via our independent third-party SpeakUp platform.
We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and diverse work environment that embraces individuals of all abilities. Our commitment to disability equality is rooted in the belief that every person, regardless of their physical or cognitive differences, should have the same opportunities to thrive within our organisation.
We strive to create a culture that values and respects the unique perspectives and contributions of employees with disabilities or long-term health conditions.
Through our Diversity, Equality & Inclusion (DE&I) initiatives, we actively promote flexible working and open communication. We work tirelessly to remove barriers, both physical and attitudinal, that may hinder the full participation and advancement of individuals with disabilities. At Carlsberg, we firmly believe that disability equality is not just a responsibility but an essential pillar of our success, fostering innovation, creativity, and a sense of belonging for all members of our diverse team.
When our brews and our values combine, good things happen.
At Carlsberg Group, respect for people is an essential part of how we do business. As a signatory of the UN Global Compact, we are committed to its 10 principles, which include human rights, and we are also committed to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) and conduct continuous due diligence against its criteria.
Live by our Compass is our approach to create a winning culture by defining common ethical behaviour that applies to all our employees.
As a company, we influence consumer decisions and behaviours, and we work with suppliers, customers and partner organisations in wider ESG and philanthropic initiatives that impact consumer and community members' lives.