EX-11 11 exhibit11.htm EXHIBIT 11 CODE OF CONDUCT exhibit11
Code of
Conduct
Dear Colleague,
Our vision for Equinor
 
is to be recognised
 
as a company that
 
is shaping the future
 
of energy. Our
innovative, open
 
and collaborative
 
culture is central
 
to realising this
 
vision. In Equinor, how we
 
deliver is as
important as what
 
we deliver. I strongly believe
 
that an ethical
 
business culture
 
is the cornerstone
 
of a
sustainable company.
 
This Code of Conduct
 
is your guide to
 
ethical business
 
practice. It reflects
 
our values and our
 
belief that
conducting business
 
in an ethical
 
and transparent
 
manner is not just
 
the
right
way to work, but
 
is the
only
way to work. The
 
Code of Conduct
 
includes mandatory
 
requirements for
 
everyone who works
 
on behalf of
Equinor. My expectation is
 
that the Code of
 
Conduct, together
 
with your good judgment,
 
will lead you to
the right decisions.
 
You should seek guidance from
 
your leader or other
 
internal resources
 
referred to in
the Code of Conduct
 
if you are uncertain
 
on how to proceed.
Fundamental changes
 
are happening in
 
our industry which has
 
a key role in
 
the energy transition
 
towards
a net zero society. From geopolitics
 
and energy markets
 
to our industry
 
and our climate,
 
we face new
realities. But our
 
commitment to high
 
ethical standards
 
in our business
 
operations stays
 
firm. It is more
important than ever
 
to earn the trust
 
of our stakeholders
 
– our people, our
 
owners, our business
 
partners
and our communities.
 
The Code of Conduct
 
will assist us in
 
earning and sustaining
 
this trust and in
building a prosperous
 
company for the
 
future. 
 
We must work together
 
to create our future
 
Equinor. I want Equinor
 
to continue to be
 
a leader in ethical
business conduct.
 
I expect that you
 
carefully consider
 
your business decisions
 
to ensure that
 
they are in
line with the Code
 
of Conduct. Only
 
then will we maintain
 
Equinor’s reputation
 
and continue
 
to earn the
trust that allows
 
the company to
 
succeed with our
 
vision – the Equinor
 
Way.
 
Anders Opedal
President and CEO
Table
 
of contents
1
 
The Equinor Way
 
5
1.1
 
Equinor’s Commitment
 
5
1.2
 
Our Code of Conduct
 
5
1.3
 
Your Responsibilities
 
6
1.4
 
Responsibilities for Leaders
 
6
1.5
 
Asking Questions and Reporting Concerns 7
1.6
 
Ethics Helpline
 
7
 
1.7
 
Non-Retaliation Policy
 
7
1.8
 
Consequences of Breaches
 
8
1.9
 
Ethics and Compliance in Equinor
 
8
2
 
Respecting our People
 
10
2.1
 
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
 
10
2.2
 
Bullying and Harassment
 
11
2.3
 
Safety and Security
 
12
2.4
 
Privacy and Data Protection
 
13
2.5
 
Drugs and Alcohol
 
14
2.6
 
Purchase of Sexual Services
 
15
 
3
 
Conducting our Operations
 
17
3.1
 
Anti-Corruption
 
17
3.2
 
Conflict of Interest
 
18
3.3
 
Directorships, Secondary Employment and Ownership Interests
 
19
3.4
 
International Trade Restrictions
 
20
3.5
 
Anti-Money Laundering and
 
 
Facilitation of Tax
 
Evasion
 
21
3.6
 
Financial and Business Records
 
 
and Reporting
 
22
3.7
 
Property and Assets
 
23
3.8
 
IT Solutions and IT Equipment
 
24
3.9
 
Information Management
 
 
and Confidentiality
 
25
3.10
 
Inside Information
 
26
4
 
Relating to our Business Partners
 
28
4.1
 
Suppliers and Business Partners
 
28
4.2
 
Intermediaries
 
29
4.3
 
Fair Competition
 
30
4.4
 
Gifts, Hospitality and Expenses
 
31
5
 
Communities and Environment
 
33
5.1
 
Local Stakeholder Engagement
 
33
 
5.2
 
Environment
 
34
5.3
 
Public Communication
 
35
5.4
 
Public Affairs
 
36
5.5
 
Public Officials
 
37
 
The Code of Conduct will be printed in updated versions when deemed necessary. However, any changes
 
will be updated in the
electronic version as and when required, and this will always represent the most recent edition. English and Norwegian are the
official versions.
1
 
The Equinor way
1.1
 
Equinor’s Commitment
Our ability to create value is dependent on applying high ethical
 
standards to create a trust-based relationship with
our people, our owners, our business partners and our
 
communities.
 
In our business activities, we will comply with applicable laws,
 
act in an ethical, sustainable and socially responsible
manner and practice good corporate governance. We
 
will conduct our business consistently with the United Nations
Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the ten
 
Principles of the Global Compact, in the manner as
set out in our Human Rights Policy.
 
We support the Paris Climate Agreement and
 
the UN Sustainable Development
Goals. We will maintain an open dialogue on ethical
 
issues, internally and externally.
 
1.2
 
Our Code of Conduct
The Code of Conduct (the Code) sets out our expectations,
 
commitments and requirements for ethical conduct.
 
The
Code applies to Equinor’s board members, employees and hired personnel.  
 
The Code reflects our values: Open, Collaborative, Courageous,
 
and Caring. The Code includes our most important
requirements, provides references to more detailed requirements
 
in our governing documents and refers to other
helpful resources. However,
 
the Code does not remove the need for you to exercise
 
good judgment.
 
The Code has been approved by the Equinor’s Board of Directors
 
and provided for in
The Equinor Book.
1.3
 
Your
 
Responsibilities
We set high ethical standards for everyone who acts
 
on Equinor’s behalf and in an Equinor capacity.
 
It is your
responsibility to comply with the Code, both in letter and
 
in spirit. You
 
are also responsible for complying with other
governing documents and applicable laws relevant to
 
your work.
 
What this means for you
 
Familiarise yourself with the Code as well as other governing
 
documents and applicable laws relevant to your work.
 
 
Act comfortably within our ethical standards and within the law.
 
Operating in a grey zone increases the risk
of things going wrong. When in doubt, disclose the issue to
 
your leader and discuss it openly.
 
Spend sufficient time on difficult decisions
 
and raise issues early.
 
The wrong decisions are often taken
when things have not been thought through properly and you
 
are pressured into taking a rash decision.
 
 
If there is a difference between a legal requirement
 
and the Code, apply the most stringent standard.
 
Participate in required ethics and compliance training
 
and confirm annually that you have familiarised
yourself and will comply with the Code.
 
1.4
 
Responsibilities for Leaders
We are committed to recruiting and continuously
 
developing the best leaders for our company.
 
We expect our
leaders to demonstrate ownership and commitment to our ethical
 
standards by what they say and do. As a leader
you must ensure that activities within your area of responsibility
 
are carried out in accordance with the Code, other
governing documents and applicable laws.
What this means for you
 
 
Be a role model for ethical leadership through promotion
 
of our values and ethical standards. Show by
behaviour what it means to act with integrity.
 
Communicate the requirements in the Code, give advice
 
on its interpretation and application, and follow up
concerns raised.
 
 
Facilitate a working environment free from harassment, bullying
 
and discrimination.
 
Create an environment where people feel comfortable speaking
 
up and asking questions without the risk of
retaliation.
 
 
Be consistent when enforcing our standards and holding people
 
accountable for their behaviour at work.
 
 
Make sure your team members participate in required
 
ethics and compliance training.
1.5
 
Asking Questions and Reporting
Concerns
 
The Code aims at being as clear and direct as possible,
 
but it cannot address every situation that may arise. We
have an open communications policy,
 
and you should raise questions or seek advice when you
 
are uncertain about
how to proceed in any given situation.
 
If you suspect a possible violation of the Code or other
 
unethical conduct, it is your duty to report it immediately.
This includes any attempts of corruption you may become aware
 
of. We recognise that raising a concern
 
is not
always easy and we have several channels for taking concerns
 
forward.
 
What this means for you
 
 
Inform your leader immediately if you become aware of any activity
 
that you think is a violation of the Code.
Alternatively, you can
 
contact your leader’s superior.
 
 
If you do not feel comfortable with those options, you can
 
contact your local people and organisation
representative, your local compliance officer or
 
the legal, ethics and compliance function.
 
 
If you are uncomfortable using any of these channels, you
 
can report your concern to the Ethics Helpline.
 
 
You may use
 
the same channels to ask any questions regarding compliance
 
with the Code.
1.6
 
The Ethics Helpline
 
The Ethics Helpline is a multi-language service available 24/7 providing phone service and a web portal. It is available to anyone
who has a legitimate concern. You may choose to remain anonymous, if permitted by law.
Additional
 
requirements
 
and helpful tools
WR1408 Ethics Helpline
1.7
 
Non-Retaliation Policy
 
We will not tolerate any form of retaliation against any person who has raised an ethical or legal concern in good faith, including
witnesses or any other persons who contribute to an investigation of a reported concern. Acting in good faith means that you
have made a sincere report in a responsible manner. This applies even if your report does not turn out to be an actual violation.
1.8
 
Consequences of Breaches
We will not tolerate any breaches of the Code or
 
the law. Potential misconduct
 
may be investigated by Corporate
Audit and Investigation, or other relevant internal or external
 
experts. We will pursue remedial measures or other
follow up of personnel if you breach the Code or laws.
 
The same applies to leaders who disregard or tolerate
 
such
breaches either through negligence or actual knowledge. The
 
remedial measures may include termination of your
employment contract and reporting to relevant authorities.
 
Incidents of ethical misconduct shall be registered and reported
 
in accordance with our governing documents.
 
1.9
 
Ethics and Compliance in Equinor
We work in a systematic manner to ensure compliance
 
with the Code and applicable laws. Our ethics and
compliance programmes apply to all parts of Equinor.
 
Our ethics and compliance function, headed by the Chief
Ethics and Compliance Officer,
 
is responsible for supervising Equinor’s ethics and compliance activities,
 
including
guidance on the Code and following up potential breaches.
 
The Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer will appoint
one compliance officer to assist in such work
 
for each business area and for selected corporate staff
 
functions. The
business areas and corporate functions shall appoint local compliance
 
officers where required.
 
The corporate executive committee constitutes Equinor’s ethics committee.
 
In addition, ethics committees have
been established in the business areas and most corporate functions,
 
comprising the respective management
teams. The committees will ensure a strong focus on,
 
common understanding of, and compliance with Equinor’s
ethical requirements.
• Corporate directive CD04-
 
Committees
• Corporate policy CP02-
 
Human rights policy
• FR16 People and organisation
• WR1408 Ethics Helpline
 
WR2417 Ethics incident reporting
 
• WR2595 The compliance officer role
2
 
Respecting our people
2.1
 
Equality,
 
Diversity and Inclusion
Every employee is an important member of the Equinor
 
team. We are committed to providing an inclusive
environment recognised for its equality and diversity,
 
and we will treat everyone with fairness, respect and
 
dignity.
 
We do not tolerate any discrimination of colleagues
 
or others affected by our operations. Discrimination
 
includes
exclusion, preference or illegal distinction based on ethnicity,
 
age, gender, gender identity,
 
disability, sexual
orientation, religion or belief, political views, or any other
 
characteristic that compromise the principle of equality.
 
What this means for you
 
 
Treat everyone with fairness, respect
 
and dignity.
 
Base your work-related decisions on merit and not on other characteristics
 
that result in compromising the
principle of equality.
2.2
 
Bullying and Harassment
Courtesy and respect
 
are important aspects
 
of a sound working
 
environment and
 
business dealings.
 
We expect
you to treat everyone
 
you meet through
 
work or work-related
 
activities in a
 
respectful manner.
 
We will not tolerate
any form of harassment
 
or other inappropriate,
 
intimidating or offensive
 
conduct,
 
including any form
 
of unwanted
and troublesome
 
attention of a se
 
xual nature.
What this means for you
 
 
Take
 
responsibility to create and maintain a good working environment.
 
 
Never engage in harassment, bullying, workplace violence
 
or other behaviour that colleagues or business
partners may regard as threatening or degrading.
 
 
Offensive messages, derogatory remarks and inappropriate
 
jokes are never acceptable.
 
 
Respect other people’s customs and culture.
 
 
Speak up if you observe or experience harassment or
 
bullying.
2.3
 
Safety and Security
Equinor’s safety and security vision is zero harm. We are committed
 
to providing a safe, healthy and secure
environment for all personnel at our facilities and job sites,
 
preventing accidents and incidents from affecting
 
people,
environment and our assets. To
 
build a culture that is Always Safe will require consistent
 
use of I am Safety
expectations, Security Rules, Life Saving Rules and a continued
 
focus on building a proactive safety culture
applying Human and Organizational Performance Principles.    
 
What this means for you
 
 
Safety and security is everyone’s responsibility.
 
You must
 
understand and act on your responsibilities to
contribute to a healthy,
 
safe and secure work environment.
 
 
Stop work immediately if you consider it unsafe.
 
 
Report any incident or unsafe condition as soon as possible.
 
If you see something, say something.
 
Know the relevant emergency procedures for your work.
2.4
 
Privacy and Data Protection
Privacy and data protection laws protect the integrity and confidentiality
 
of a person’s private information. We
 
are
committed to protecting the privacy rights of our employees
 
and everyone with whom we do business. We will
 
only
use personal data for appropriate purposes, and personal data
 
will be processed in accordance with applicable
laws, internal requirements and Equinor’s Binding Corporate Rules.
What this means for you
 
 
Respect everyone’s right to privacy.
 
Only process personal data for legitimate business purposes
 
and in
accordance with applicable requirements.
 
If your job includes handling personal data, make sure
 
you are sufficiently familiar with our external and
internal requirements for the processing of personal data,
 
and take appropriate training necessary to
perform your tasks.
2.5
 
Drugs and Alcohol
 
Equinor is a drug and alcohol-free workplace. We
 
will not tolerate anyone being under the influence of drugs
 
or
alcohol while at work for Equinor.
 
Limited amounts of alcohol may,
 
however, be consumed
 
when local custom and
occasion make it appropriate, and provided the consumption
 
is not combined with operating machinery,
 
driving or
any other incompatible activity.
 
Tests
 
for drugs and alcohol may be conducted whenever deemed
 
necessary and in
accordance with applicable laws.
What this means for you
 
 
Be conscious about work-related events where alcohol
 
is served and show moderation.
2.6
 
Purchase of Sexual Services
Purchase of sexual services may be illegal, support human
 
trafficking and pose a security risk.
 
Human trafficking is
a violation of human rights. Regardless of local rules, regulations
 
and customs, Equinor prohibits the purchase of
sexual services when on assignments or business trips
 
for Equinor. This also includes
 
any contribution to the
purchase of such services.
 
What this means for you
 
 
Never purchase sexual services when you are on business
 
trips or other assignments, including long-term
assignments.
 
Never influence others to purchase sexual services and never
 
accept to receive sexual services others
have paid for.
• FR10 Safety and security
 
• FR16 People and organisation
 
• WR1495 Processing of personal data
 
• GL0658 Handle harassment/bullying complaint
 
• Binding Corporate Rules
 
• GL0473 Guideline for Processing of Personal Data
• Corporate policy CP03 - Security policy
• CP02-Human Rights Policy
3
 
Conducting our operations
 
3.1
 
Anti-Corruption
Corruption undermines legitimate business activities, distorts
 
competition, ruins reputations and exposes
companies and individuals to risk. We have zero
 
tolerance for corruption in any form, including bribery,
facilitation payments and trading in influence. We will
 
comply with all applicable anti-corruption laws and
regulations and take active steps to ensure that corruption
 
does not occur in relation to Equinor’s business
activities.
Transparency is vital in the combat of corruption.
 
We are committed to conducting our business
 
activities in an
open and transparent manner,
 
promoting transparency in our industry and supporting
 
efforts to combat
corruption worldwide.
What this means for you
 
 
Never engage in, authorise or tolerate corruption at any
 
time for any reason.
 
 
Never offer or accept an improper advantage. An
 
improper advantage is an advantage that has no
legitimate business purpose and is given to influence the
 
recipient’s decision making.
 
Payment extorted from you under threat of life, health,
 
safety or illegal detention is allowed and will not
result in any form of retaliation, but you must report the
 
payment immediately.
 
Know your business partner,
 
follow our integrity due diligence requirements and never
 
engage others to do
something we cannot ethically or legally do ourselves.
 
Participate in required anti-corruption training and understand the
 
risks you face in your work.
3.2
 
Conflict of Interest
Equinor respects your right to manage your personal affairs
 
and investments. However,
 
a conflict of interest may
occur when your personal interests and Equinor’s interests are different,
 
and this may interfere with your ability to
make the right decision for Equinor.
 
We expect you to always act in the best interest
 
of Equinor when you are
representing the company.
 
You should
 
avoid situations with actual, potential or perceived conflict
 
of interest.
 
What this means for you
 
 
Do not work in connection with any Equinor or Equinor-related
 
transaction, procurement, contract award or
other matter in which you have, or a related party has
 
a financial interest. A related party means your
partner, close relative, or any
 
other person with whom you have close relations.
 
 
The same restriction applies where there are other circumstances
 
that undermine trust in your ability to act
in the best interest of Equinor.
 
 
Ensure you understand what a conflict of interest is, and ensure
 
you have the necessary information to
assess it. Be open, disclose and discuss with your leader
 
any actual, potential or perceived conflict of
interest. The leader will then decide whether any measures
 
should be taken, for instance stepping back
from the situation that caused the conflict of interest.
3.3
 
Directorships, Secondary Employment
and Ownership Interests
 
We expect you to spend your full working day on
 
Equinor matters. Before accepting external directorships,
secondary employment or other material assignments,
 
you must obtain prior written consent from your leader’s
leader or, for employees reporting
 
directly to senior vice president level, or above,
 
your leader. Volunteer
 
work and
directorships in non-commercial entities held in a private capacity,
 
do not require prior written consent. Approved
directorships shall be registered in relevant personnel
 
data systems, be kept updated and verified once a year.
Directorships in Equinor subsidiaries or when representing
 
Equinor in non-controlled companies do not require
registration.
If you hold directorships on behalf of Equinor,
 
you are not entitled to board remuneration, but
 
if you hold
directorships where you are not representing Equinor,
 
you may retain any remuneration paid. Elected employee
representatives on the board of Equinor ASA may receive
 
the remuneration decided by the corporate assembly.
The CEO, executive vice presidents and senior vice presidents
 
and employee representatives on the board of
Equinor ASA shall register their direct ownership interests
 
in other companies. This information must be kept
updated and verified once a year.
 
It is not necessary to register shares in securities
 
funds or shares in Equinor ASA.
Furthermore, persons in these groups cannot hold ownership
 
interests, or options to ownership interests, directly or
indirectly, in any company
 
that does or seeks to do business with Equinor
 
if they can exert influence on business
decisions related to such company.
 
The same applies to companies that are competitors
 
to Equinor. This prohibition
does not apply to ownership interests in securities funds
 
or shares in Equinor ASA.
 
What this means for you
 
 
Ensure you have the required approval before
 
accepting an external directorship,
 
secondary employment, or
other material assignments.
 
Ensure that registered information regarding
 
directorships and ownership interests
 
is kept updated.
 
Note the special prohibition of ownership
 
interests in other companies for
 
certain employees.
3.4
 
International Trade Restrictions
Countries can impose various economic sanctions restrictions
 
targeting business dealings with specific countries,
economic sectors, entities or individuals of concern. Export
 
controls on the export or in-country transfer of certain
restricted items, technology and software are also common.
 
We will comply with all applicable economic sanctions
as well as export and import control laws. We will
 
assess whether government authorisation is required before
engaging in activities involving restricted items, sanctioned
 
parties or countries and will obtain and comply with
 
all
required authorisations.
 
What this means for you
 
 
Screen your business partners, suppliers and other parties (including any
 
ownership of the same) against
relevant restricted parties’ lists.  
 
 
Obtain and comply with necessary governmental licences
 
where cross-border export or import activity
involves restricted items, technology or software.
 
 
Be mindful that both sanctions and export control regulations
 
are complex and subject to frequent changes.
Stay updated on the rules applicable to your business activity.
 
Seek advice from the legal department if asked to deal with
 
a sanctioned party,
 
market or country.
3.5
 
Anti-Money Laundering and
 
 
Facilitation of Tax
 
Evasion
Money laundering
 
is illegal and
 
supports other
 
criminal activities,
 
including drug
 
trafficking,
 
terrorism, corruption,
human rights
 
violations and
 
tax evasion.
 
Money laundering
 
is the processes
 
of disguising
 
the proceeds
 
of crime in
order to hide
 
its illegal origins
 
or otherwise
 
dealing with
 
the proceeds
 
of crime. Criminal
 
proceeds include
 
not only
money, but all forms
 
of assets, real
 
estate and intangible
 
property that
 
are derived from
 
criminal activity. We will
comply with
 
all applicable
 
anti-money laundering
 
laws.
Tax evasion is an illegal
 
practice where
 
a person or entity
 
evades paying
 
their actual tax
 
liability. We do not tolerate
the facilitation
 
of tax evasion
 
by persons who
 
act for or on
 
behalf of Equinor.
What this means for you
 
 
Be attentive to unusual payments, invoicing and banking arrangement
 
as well as unusual tax status of
suppliers.
 
Seek advice from the legal department if you need a better understanding
 
of money laundering or tax
evasion and how to mitigate such risk to Equinor.
 
Know your business partners and make sure you follow our integrity
 
due diligence requirements.
3.6
 
Financial and Business Records and
Reporting
 
Recording and
 
reporting financial
 
or non-financial
 
information
 
completely, accurately
 
and objectively
 
are essential
 
for
Equinor’s
 
credibility and
 
reputation. It
 
is also a prerequisite
 
for meeting legal
 
and regulatory
 
obligations and
 
reporting
standards. We
 
are committed
 
to transparency
 
and accuracy
 
in all our dealings,
 
and we will provide
 
full, fair, accurate
and understandable
 
disclosures in
 
our financial
 
and non-financial
 
reports, in documents
 
filed with regulatory
 
authorities
and in other
 
public communication.
 
What this means for you
 
 
The data and information you enter in our records must be
 
accurate, complete, and reliable. This includes
financial and non- financial information for both internal
 
and external use.
 
Any accounting information you provide must be complete,
 
accurate, valid, and recorded in accordance with
applicable laws, relevant accounting and reporting standards
 
and the Equinor accounting manual.
 
 
Make sure you are familiar with and comply with internal control
 
over financial reporting requirements
relevant to your work.
 
Never enter false, misleading, or artificial entries in our
 
records and reports. Any such intentional act may
be treated as fraud.
 
The highest standard of care should always be exercised
 
when recording and reporting financial or non-
financial information.
 
If you suspect or become aware of any indications of fraud, improper
 
financial business records and
reporting or allegations of such, you must report it to your
 
leader or the Ethics Helpline immediately. 
3.7
 
Property and Assets
We trust you
 
with Equinor’s
 
assets so that
 
you can effectively
 
do your work.
 
You are responsible for
 
safeguarding
those assets
 
against loss,
 
theft, and misuse.
 
Equinor’s
 
assets include
 
facilities,
 
equipment, IT
 
solutions and
 
IT
equipment, information,
 
intangible property
 
rights and financial
 
assets. We will
 
not tolerate
 
any misuse of
 
our assets or
work processes
 
for personal
 
benefit.
 
What this means for you
 
 
Any use of Equinor’s assets for purposes not directly related to our
 
business, unless specifically provided
for in this Code, requires permission from your leader.
 
 
Ensure that documentation used to obtain property or payments
 
from the company is accurate and
complete. This includes time sheets, invoices, benefit claims
 
and travel and expense reimbursement reports
and underlying documentation. Inaccurate or unsubstantiated records
 
may be treated as fraud.
 
 
As a leader you must ensure proper control before you
 
approve any time sheets, invoices, benefit claims
and travel and expense reimbursement reports and underlying
 
documentation for people in your team.
3.8
 
IT Solutions and IT Equipment
Our IT solutions and IT equipment shall be used for business
 
purposes. Information produced and stored on our
authorized IT solutions and IT equipment is Equinor’s property and
 
may be accessed in accordance with applicable
law.
 
Cyberattacks and malicious activities are a continuous threat to
 
Equinor, and the use of our
 
authorized IT solutions
and IT equipment is monitored to detect such risk. This
 
includes blocking access to inappropriate web sites and
interception of any information transmitted by or stored
 
on our IT solutions.
 
What this means for you
 
 
Handle and archive documents according to Equinor’s information management
 
requirements and security
classification system.
 
 
Never use our IT solutions or IT equipment to perform
 
illegal or unethical activities, including downloading,
streaming, or sharing of offensive material.
 
 
Respect computer software copyrights and comply with the terms
 
and conditions of software licences.
 
Limited private use of our IT solutions and IT equipment is permitted,
 
but such use should be kept to a
minimum and have no adverse effect on cost, IT security
 
or productivity. This
 
includes private use of social
media.
 
 
You must
 
be vigilant of cyberattacks and malicious activities, such as
 
phishing, and immediately report any
incidents.
3.9
 
Information Management and
Confidentiality
During the course of business, we gain and produce information
 
that is vital to our financial and business integrity.
Such information may,
 
however, also be valuable for competitors
 
and others. We will protect information created by
us, or given to us, to ensure appropriate confidentiality and
 
integrity. It is important
 
to share information across the
organisation to ensure collaboration, efficiency
 
and experience transfer,
 
but information transfer and access must
take place in accordance with our security classification system for
 
information management.
 
What this means for you
 
 
Make sure you are familiar with
 
and comply with our information management and security
 
classification
system when handling company information.
 
 
Do not use Equinor’s information acquired through your
 
work for personal advantage or for the purpose
 
of
competing
 
with Equinor.
 
You have a duty of confidentiality, which applies
 
even after your employment or assignment with Equinor
 
has
ended.
3.10
 
Inside Information
Equinor supports fair and open securities markets wherever
 
we operate. You
 
may become aware of information
about Equinor or other companies that is not publicly available.
 
Such information may constitute inside information.
Inside information is precise information likely to have
 
a significant effect on the price of securities and
 
which is not
publicly available or commonly known to the market. If you
 
are in possession of inside information, even if acquired
incidentally, you have
 
a legal duty of confidentiality and due care of handling
 
to prevent such information from
coming into the possession of unauthorised persons. Any
 
use of inside information about Equinor or other publicly
traded companies for personal gain is prohibited.
Certain persons, such as members of the Board of Directors
 
and Corporate Executive Committee, are considered
primary insiders. Additional restrictions apply for primary
 
insiders.
What this means for you
 
 
Never buy or sell Equinor’s or other companies’ shares or other securities,
 
or provide advice to others’
investment decisions, when you have access to inside information.
 
Holders of inside information must treat this confidentially
 
and can only pass such information to individuals
who need it in their work for Equinor based on authorisation
 
from the information owner.
 
 
Holders of inside information relevant for the Equinor share
 
price must be listed in Equinor’s insider listing
system.
 
 
The restriction on buying Equinor shares when you hold inside
 
information does not prevent you from
participating in our share savings program.
• FR14 Finance and control
 
• WR0158 Manage data and information
• WR2893 IT Rules
• WR1366 Accounting manual
 
• WR1921 Primary insiders
 
• WR2305 Handling of Inside Information related
 
to commodities
• WR2401 Inside information
 
• WR2988 Integrity due diligence
• GL0358 Legal recommendations for compliance-
 
selected sanctions
• GL0548 Equinor Board of directors handbook
 
• FR19 Legal and compliance
• Anti-corruption compliance manual
 
• Anti-Corruption Compliance Program
• Sanctions lists on the integrity due diligence
 
portal
4
 
Relating to our business partners
 
4.1
 
Suppliers and Business Partners
Business relationships based on trust and transparency
 
are vital to our business. Our suppliers and business
partners are essential to our ability to do business but
 
can also cause or contribute to harm people and expose
 
us
to reputational, operational and legal risk. We expect
 
our suppliers and business partners to comply with
 
applicable
laws, respect internationally recognised human rights
 
and adhere to ethical standards which are consistent with our
ethical requirements when working for or together with
 
us. We seek to work with others who share our commitment
to ethics and compliance, and we manage risk through
 
in-depth knowledge of our suppliers, business partners
 
and
markets. Equinor will not voluntarily enter into partnerships
 
with anonymously owned companies.
What this means for you
 
 
Before you establish or amend any business relationship,
 
you must follow our procedures for integrity due
diligence and human rights due diligence.
 
 
Communicate and follow-up regularly and clearly our
 
expectations to our suppliers and business partners.
 
Report any misconduct by a supplier or business partner to your
 
leader or any of the other reporting
channels listed in the Code.
4.2
 
Intermediaries
Intermediaries are a particular type of business partner and include
 
agents, consultants, lobbyists and others who
act as a link between Equinor and others. The use of
 
intermediaries may pose a particular risk to us, and we
therefore have additional requirements for hiring intermediaries.
 
It is mandatory to perform integrity due diligence
 
on
all intermediaries. The agreed compensation must be proportionate
 
to the service rendered and only paid against
satisfactory documentation of work performed, which must be
 
regularly monitored. The agreement with the
intermediary must be made in writing, describe the true
 
relationship with Equinor and include an obligation to
 
follow
the Code.
 
What this means for you
 
 
Any intermediary you plan to hire must be subject to
 
integrity due diligence.
 
 
Monitor regularly the work performed by the intermediary
 
to ensure it is in line with the Code.
4.3
 
Fair Competition
 
We believe in the benefits of competition, and Equinor
 
will always compete in a fair and ethically justifiable manner.
We will comply with applicable competition and
 
antitrust laws. We will not engage in or tolerate
 
anyone who
engages in anti-competitive behaviour,
 
such as price fixing, bid rigging, market sharing or
 
abuse of market power.
Collaboration with other companies must not have an
 
anti-competitive purpose or effect. It may also
 
be a violation
of competition and antitrust rules to receive or share
 
non-public commercially sensitive information with actual
 
or
potential competitors. Commercially sensitive information includes
 
information which may reduce uncertainty about
future market conduct, such as prices, competitive bids,
 
commercial strategies, costs, customers, and suppliers.
 
What this means for you
 
 
Do not enter into anti-competitive agreements or engage in
 
anti-competitive conduct, such as agreeing with
competitors to fix prices or to allocate markets by territory,
 
by products or by customers.
 
Be vigilant of situations where non-public commercially
 
sensitive information may be exchanged and speak
out against disclosure of information by others to you.
 
Never share such information with competitors.
 
Competition laws are complex and often require a detailed
 
assessment of facts. If you are in doubt, seek
advice from the legal department.
 
Participate in required competition and antitrust compliance
 
training.
4.4
 
Gifts, Hospitality and Expenses
 
Relationships with our business partners can be built and strengthened
 
through legitimate networking and social
interaction. However, giving or
 
accepting gifts and hospitality may be regarded as
 
corruption in certain situations,
and we have strict limits for when we allow the giving or
 
acceptance of gifts and hospitality.
As a general rule, we do not offer or accept
 
gifts, except for promotional items of minimal value. In a situation
 
where
it would clearly give offence to refuse, the gift
 
may be accepted if it is of reasonable value and handed
 
over to
Equinor immediately.
 
We only offer or accept hospitality
 
where there is a clear business reason for Equinor to
participate and the costs involved are reasonable. We
 
will always pay our own costs related to travel,
accommodation and other related expenses. Except as
 
otherwise stated in the Code, we do not pay travel,
accommodation and other related expenses for others.
 
What this means for you
 
 
Never offer or accept gifts, except for promotional items
 
of minimal value.
 
Before accepting or offering hospitality,
 
ensure that it is in line with our requirements. Written
 
approval from
your leader is required unless the hospitality clearly is
 
acceptable.
 
 
Ask yourself how the acceptance or offer would be perceived
 
by others and never offer or accept anything
that is or could be perceived as an improper advantage.
 
Ensure that all acceptance and offering of hospitality
 
are open, transparent and properly documented.
 
• Corporate policy CP02-
 
Human rights policy
 
• WR1837 Inspections by authorities
 
 
• WR2447 Competition law compliance
 
 
• WR2452 Joint venture management related to
 
anti-corruption compliance
 
 
• WR2988 Integrity due diligence
 
 
• WR1803 Management of social investment
 
• GL0349 Guidance on anti-corruption for non Equinor
 
operated joint ventures
 
 
GL0754 Guidance on partnerships with anonymously
 
owned companies
 
• GL0537 Offering and accepting gifts, hospitality and expenses
 
 
• GL0782 Compliance Guideline on Social Investments
 
• Integrity due diligence portal
 
 
• Competition compliance manual
5
 
Communities and Environment
5.1
 
Local Stakeholder Engagement
 
Stakeholder
 
engagement is
 
a central element
 
of our commitment
 
to create lasting
 
local value.
 
Timely and meaningful
 
engagement with
 
potentially
 
affected stakeholders,
 
including through
 
appropriate and
 
effective
grievance mechanisms,
 
is a central
 
element of our
 
commitment to assess
 
actual and potential
 
human rights
 
impacts
linked to our
 
activities or
 
business relationships.
 
Where needed,
 
we aim to take
 
appropriate and
 
mitigating actions.
Where we have
 
caused or contributed
 
to adverse human
 
rights impacts,
 
we will provide
 
or cooperate in
 
providing
appropriate
 
remediation.
In our engagement
 
and dialogue
 
with all stakeholders
 
we seek to understand
 
their expectations
 
and explore
opportunities
 
for mutual benefits.
 
Solutions identified
 
must be relevant
 
to local conditions
 
and our business
 
needs, and
comply with
 
our values, policies
 
and local regulations.
 
Our contribution
 
to communities
 
may include direct
 
and indirect
employment, procurement
 
of goods and
 
services, infrastructure
 
development and
 
competence building
 
as well as
social investments.
 
What this means for you
 
 
Familiarise yourself with our human rights policy and report any
 
potential or actual negative human rights
impact related to our operations or those of our business
 
partners.
 
 
Through human rights due diligence, systematically assess
 
and address the impact our activities may have
on stakeholders and take this into account when making
 
business decisions, including in relation to their
use of land, water and other natural resources.
 
 
When seeking to apply effective prevention and mitigation
 
actions, ensure that they are addressing potential
impacts fairly and without discriminating to any affected
 
members of the local community.
 
 
Be particularly attentive to those most vulnerable to adverse
 
impacts, including women, children and
indigenous peoples.
 
 
Actively identify opportunities related to our activities that can
 
contribute to local value creation through local
employment, procurement and capacity development.
 
 
Ensure that social contributions are made in compliance with our
 
anti-corruption requirements.
5.2
 
Environment
 
We systematically manage our environmental aspects
 
in accordance with good international practices and
principles and have to comply with applicable environmental
 
laws and regulations. Recognising that our activities
may have impacts on the environment, we apply a precautionary
 
approach and the principle of continual
improvement of our environmental performance, aiming to
 
protect nature and support nature conservation and
restoration initiatives. We work actively to limit greenhouse
 
gas emissions from our activities.
 
What this means for you
 
 
Ensure that the impacts our activities have or may have on
 
the environment are assessed and
communicated.
 
Ensure that relevant measures are taken into account when
 
making business decisions, including
application of the mitigation hierarchy (to avoid, minimise,
 
restore and offset potential significant direct
impacts in our projects), and the use of environmentally friendly
 
technologies.
 
 
Contribute actively to efficient use of resources, carbon
 
efficient operations and mitigation of negative
impacts and enhancement of positive impacts on the natural
 
environment.
 
 
Follow up and evaluate results and contribute to continual
 
improvement.
5.3
 
Public Communication
 
We believe that open, honest and accurate communication
 
is essential to our integrity and business success.
 
We
will communicate about Equinor in a consistent manner,
 
and only authorised persons may talk to the media,
members of the investment community or make statements on
 
Equinor’s behalf on social media. Any private use of
social media must not breach confidentiality obligations
 
and should not compromise Equinor’s reputation or
business interests.
 
What this means for you
 
 
Do not speak on Equinor’s behalf unless authorised to do so. Enquiries
 
from the media shall be directed to
corporate communication.
 
 
If you participate in social media, use good judgement and
 
show respect towards your colleagues, business
partners and communities. Be vigilant that participating in social
 
media may represent a security risk.
5.4
 
Public Affairs
 
We will make Equinor’s position known on important industry
 
matters through proactive engagement with
government policy makers and other stakeholders, such
 
as the media, civil society and international institutions.
However, we will not make
 
gifts, donations or otherwise support political parties or
 
individual politicians. We may
nevertheless be members of interest organisations relevant
 
for our industry that support political parties or certain
political issues. Any hiring of lobbyists will be in accordance with
 
applicable law and subject to full disclosure to any
external party they wish to influence that the lobbyist represents
 
Equinor.
 
What this means for you
 
 
Do not use company funds or resources to support any
 
political candidates or party.
 
Never use your
position in Equinor to try to influence any person to make
 
political contributions.
 
Ensure that all contracts with lobbyists impose an obligation
 
to disclose to any external party they wish to
influence that the lobbyist represents Equinor.
 
If you choose to participate in political activities or give
 
any public contributions, this must be personal and
not linked to Equinor.
.
5.5
 
Public Officials
 
In our business operations or public affairs activities,
 
we often interact with public officials. Many countries
 
have
rules regarding accepted conduct when dealing with public officials,
 
such as prohibiting giving anything of value. We
will never offer or authorise anything of value
 
or payments to public officials unless specifically
 
provided for in the
Code. We can, however,
 
cover the reasonable and legitimate travel, accommodation
 
and other related travel
expenses of public officials when they are related
 
to the promotion or demonstration of our products or services
 
or
the execution of a contract with a government.
 
What this means for you
 
 
Take
 
particular care when interacting with public officials.
 
 
Never offer or agree to pay travel or accommodation
 
for any public official unless a hosting application
 
has
been completed and properly approved by the Chief Ethics
 
and Compliance Officer and the relevant EVP.
• Corporate policy CP02-
 
Human rights policy
• FR11 Sustainability
 
• FR13 Communication
 
• WR1803 Management of social investment
 
• WR2297 The rights of indigenous and
 
tribal people
 
• WR2614 Community grievance mechanisms
 
• WR9623 Human Rights Due Diligence
• GL0626 Community engagement guidelines
 
• GL0782 Compliance Guideline on Social
 
Investments
• Hosting form for public officials
 
• Social Media Guidelines
• Equinor Biodiversity position