Human Rights

We respect the dignity and human rights of all people.

As stated in our Global Code of Ethics, we comply with all laws pertaining to freedom of association, privacy, collective bargaining, immigration, working time, and wages and hours in our operations throughout the world. We also uphold laws prohibiting forced, compulsory and child labor, human trafficking and employment discrimination.

We are committed to valuing differences among us in experience, perspective, background, race, age, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, culture, interests, geography and style. We strive for a collaborative environment in which everyone has a chance to succeed. (See the Diversity and Inclusion section.)

We base employment decisions on job qualifications and merit, which include education, experience, skills, ability and performance. We give equal employment opportunity to – and will not discriminate against – individuals on the basis of any status protected by applicable laws.

A key PPG value is to ensure our people return home safely each day. We are actively working toward a goal of zero injuries by engaging with our employees to improve our operating practices around the world, investing in a safe work environment and running our business with sound operating practices. (See the Health and Safety section).

This commitment extends into the communities where we operate. We dedicate financial contributions, apply our products and use the power of our employee volunteers to address the needs of our local communities and transform lives. (See the Community Overview section.)

We are also committed to preserving and protecting the environment in which we operate at all of our locations around the world. Minimizing the footprint of our operations is an ongoing focus, and our locations are guided by our sustainability goals. (See the Environment Overview section.)

Our vigorous product stewardship program aims to minimize the human health and environmental impacts of our products throughout their entire life cycle and to eliminate substances of concern from our products. We have standards and processes in place to help ensure our products are developed, used and disposed of safely. (See the Product Stewardship section.)

Our Business Partners

We expect all of our contractors, suppliers and other business partners to respect and uphold our commitment to human rights in their operations.

Our Global Supplier Code of Conduct clarifies our global expectations in the areas of business integrity, labor practices, associate health and safety, and environmental management. Specific requirements relating to human rights include:

• Treating employees fairly, including with respect to wages, working hours and benefits;
• Prohibiting all forms of forced or compulsory labor;
• Prohibiting the use of child labor;
• Respecting employees’ right to freedom of association and collective bargaining, consistent with local laws;
• Providing safe and healthy working conditions;
• Conducting operations with environmental diligence and comply with all applicable environmental laws and regulations; and
• Delivering products and services meeting applicable quality and health and safety standards.

We expect our suppliers to immediately report any suspected violations of our Global Supplier Code of Conduct through the PPG Ethics Helpline or other specified channels. In the event of any non-compliant activity or violation of the code, the supplier must provide a detailed corrective action plan to address the deficiency. We reserve the right to terminate any agreement with any supplier that cannot demonstrate compliance with the code.

Our Supplier Sustainability Policy builds upon our Global Supplier Code of Conduct by establishing expectations for sustainability within our supply chain. This policy reinforces our expectations that our suppliers, as well as their subcontractors, will comply fully with applicable laws and to adhere to internationally recognized environmental, social and corporate-governance standards.

Each supplier must evaluate and maintain sustainable processes and raw material sources throughout their supply chain and supplier base. We also encourage our suppliers to innovate and develop new products requiring less intensive material and energy consumption, along with leveraging their collective strengths to help us meet our sustainability goals. 

Suppliers are a focus of our human rights due diligence process. We evaluate their commitment and adherence to human rights through our supplier onboarding process, assessments of our top suppliers globally and annual audits of selected suppliers. (See the Supply Chain section.)

We are also an active member of the RESPONSIBLE MICA INITIATIVE^® (RMI), which aims to mobilize the supply chain to eradicate child labor in India’s mica mines through traceability efforts and community-building activities. RMI’s holistic approach implements three program pillars simultaneously:

• Mica supply chain mapping and workplace standards for mica collection and processing;
• Community empowerment, including improved educational resources and alternative means of livelihood, in villages that provide the mica workforce; and
• Legal frameworks for the mica sector.

See the Supply Chain section for additional information on our work with RMI.

Additional information about the steps we have taken to ensure human rights are respected in our own operations and within our supply chain can be found in our California Transparency in Supply Chains Act Statement and Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement.

Reporting Human Rights Violations

Employees, suppliers and other third parties can anonymously report suspected human rights violations within our operations and those of our suppliers through the PPG Ethics Helpline. The helpline is managed by an independent, third-party firm, and we investigate each allegation thoroughly and fairly.

Additional information on the helpline and our expectations for a high standard of integrity and professional conduct for employees and business partners can be found in the Governance Overview section.