1.2 About the report and Kverneland Group
The obligations under the Norwegian Transparency Act (Åpenhetsloven) (the “Transparency Act”) apply to the activities of Kverneland AS (“KvAS”) and Kverneland Group Operations Norway AS (“KGON, “KGON AS”). Kverneland AS is the Holding Company that owns all entities within Kverneland Group. Since 2012, it has been a fully owned subsidiary of Kubota Group. Kverneland Group is one of the leading international companies for developing, producing and distributing agricultural machinery, most notably for tillage, sowing and spreading, as well as grass care equipment. This report was prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Transparency Act and covers the period from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024. The report is predominantly based on the activities of KGON (owned by KvAS), due to it having the highest number of suppliers and potentially higher risk in comparison to other entities. The management of KvAS holds the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that our work under the Norwegian Transparency Act is carried out in accordance with legal requirements and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. For information about our organisational structure and general supplier follow-up, please refer to last year’s statement. 2. Policies and Governance of Kverneland Group To support our commitment to responsible business conduct, KGON has developed its own supplier code of conduct which is shared with all new suppliers during procurement. The code outlines our expectations regarding labour rights, human rights, environmental responsibility, and ethical business practices. This document provides a clear framework for suppliers to understand the standards we require and reflects our aim to promote transparency and integrity across our supply chain. While several companies within the Kverneland Group have developed similar guidelines, there is now a shared intention to harmonise these into a standardised document, ensuring a consistent approach group-wide. All suppliers working with KGON are expected to comply with the principles outlined in the Code. Where a supplier already follows an equivalent set of standards, these may be accepted after review to ensure alignment with our expectations. The goal is not simply to enforce a uniform document, but to foster a shared understanding of ethical conduct and human rights due diligence across all entities we work with. This initiative is part of our compliance with the Norwegian Transparency Act and aligned with the broader Kubota Group Human Rights Policy, which affirms our commitment to international human rights frameworks and outlines how we aim to integrate these standards into our operations and business relationships. A summary of KGON and Kubota Group policies, which was used as the background for conducting our risk assessment, follows.
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2.1 Policies
Child labour KGON deeply respects children’s right to development and education. Suppliers shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that no child labour occurs at their own place of production or operations or at their sub-supplier’ sites of production or operations. Child labour is defined as work done by children younger than 15 years of age or younger than the age of completing local compulsory school. However, the local legal minimum age for employment must never be violated. Young workers (15-18 years of age) shall not be employed in work that put their health or safety in danger, including night shifts. The supplier shall have a certified copy of an official document which shows the worker’s date of birth. In countries where this is not possible, the factory shall implement an appropriate method for evaluating the age of its workers.
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