We improve oil spill preparedness through continuous technology development. NOFO has extensive oil spill response resources at its disposal to reduce environmental damage in the event of oil spills from the petroleum industry. In addition, we raise the level of knowledge and expertise in coastal and beach zone preparedness and we strengthen local environmental efforts and oil spill response through active cooperation with inter-municipal committees against acute pollution.
Our responsibility
We have drawn up and adopted ethical guidelines that form the basis for a good culture in the business with high ethical standards of conduct. The Code of Conduct builds on our core values of being open, responsible and solution-oriented, and is intended to ensure continuous improvement in financial, environmental and social performance. Among other things, the guidelines define NOFO’s expectations for high integrity and business ethics related to human rights, anti-corruption, impartiality and the environment.
NOFO is committed to ensuring respect for fundamental human rights and decent working conditions, both in our own operations, in our supply chain and with our business partners. We strive to ensure that our operations are fully compliant with internationally recognized human rights, including the 1966 UN Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the 1966 UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the ILO Core Conventions on Fundamental Rights and Principles at Work.
We are obliged under the Transparency Act (2021) to conduct due diligence, answer questions from stakeholders and publish a report. The law’s obligations are anchored in our Board of Directors, actively followed up administratively and implemented in our internal systems. Our Code of Conduct also regulates employees’ follow-up of the Transparency Act.
Expectations of our suppliers and business partners
We have clear expectations of our suppliers and our business partners. We have established procedures to ensure that our business partners comply with the principles set out in our guidelines for responsible business conduct. We expect our suppliers to have a strict anti-corruption policy and to comply with applicable sanctions and export control legislation. Furthermore, we expect our suppliers to comply with environmental requirements set out in national legislation and meet environmental targets set out in international agreements.
NOFO also requires that all suppliers conduct their business in line with internationally recognized human rights and labor rights. Suppliers are also required to carry out due diligence and implement appropriate measures for negative impacts. We can demand information from suppliers and we also have the opportunity to conduct on-site inspections and audits to ensure compliance. NOFO expects suppliers to establish systems for notification.
Our work and methodology
We conduct continuous and thorough due diligence, identifying and assessing actual and negative impacts that our business has either caused or contributed to, or that are directly linked to our services through supply chains or business partners.
The due diligence framework is based on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the OECD Due Diligence Model for Responsible Business Conduct. This means that the investigations are based on a risk-based approach, where we work systematically and efficiently to identify which parts of our business activities are associated with the highest risk of negative impact. We initiate further investigations where the risk is deemed to be greatest at any given time.
NOFO has suitable routines and procedures for qualification, classification and follow-up of suppliers. There are various positions and groups internally in NOFO that follow up depending on which conditions require further assessment.
If violations or the risk of violations of fundamental human rights and decent working conditions are identified, appropriate measures must be taken to stop, prevent or limit negative consequences based on the company’s affiliation, priorities and assessments. In dialogue with the supplier, we will seek to improve conditions, and in extreme cases the supplier may be suspended on a temporary or permanent basis. We will continuously assess, monitor and report on our work and any measures that have been implemented.
At NOFO, health, safety and environment (HSE) is a high priority. We also expect our suppliers and business partners to comply with relevant HSE requirements for their operations. Our HSE work is designed to ensure that employees receive sufficient information and training to make them feel safe and well cared for in the workplace, and that the business has good procedures in place to avoid injury or illness.
Through our ethical guidelines, we have facilitated whistleblowing on internal misconduct. This may, for example, be experiences or observations that are not in line with our internal guidelines and instructions. Reports of misconduct can also be made anonymously, and management is responsible for ensuring that all inquiries are handled adequately.
We continuously assess whether our guidelines should be revised if our due diligence shows that this is necessary. The guidelines for responsible business conduct are in accordance with members’ expectations of NOFO and have been approved by CEO Rune Martinsen.