Since 2020 the BMW Group and other companies, associations, unions, NGOs and initiatives have been collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in the Automotive Industry Sector Dialogue to develop potential ways of improving the human rights situation along the global supply chain and value chains of the German automotive industry.
In 2022 this cooperation delivered its first results, with the publication of Instructions for the Five Core Elements of human rights due diligence: policy, risk analysis, measures, reporting and the complaints procedure. These Instructions form the framework for the BMW Group’s due diligence programme and the content and contractual requirements of our suppliers. They are self-contained and address the requirements of the German government’s NAP (national action plan for business and human rights – Nationaler Aktionsplan Wirtschaft und Menschenrechte). They also integrate and specifically highlight the requirements of the Act on Corporate Due Diligence in Supply Chains.
The BMW Group was a key contributor to these Instructions and follows their recommendations. They outline standardised procedures such as the Drive Sustainability initiative’s Online Assessment, which we use ourselves. We also train our suppliers on the Instructions of the Sector Dialogue.
Since mid-2025 the Sector Dialogue has continued in the non-profit UN Global Compact Netzwerk Deutschland e.V. Here the BMW Group is involved in a range of collaborative measures focused on mitigating human rights and environmental violations that have been identified. By collaborating with other companies and stakeholders, we intend to increase our influence and enable measures to be implemented in a way that is compliant with efficacy criteria.