Evolution of Ethics
A Code of Ethics sounds very up-to-date and it is one of the fundamental documents for any large sustainability-oriented company. But in fact, this document has a long history that can be traced back to ancient civilizations.
The history of the emergence of codes of ethics is rooted in the development of society and culture. To show the dramatic changes of the public ethics it is enough to provide a couple of examples. For instance, in ancient Roman law there was a principle according to which the fathers in the family had the right to cut off their children’s tongues for slander or blasphemy. And even more recently, in the twentieth century, ethical documents in the United States regulated racial segregation and discrimination against dark-skinned citizens.
However, today such examples seem savage existing in some other world. In the run, the society has become more humane, complex, and dynamic. New laws and behavior rules emerged, industries and professional associations developed. The first professional and ethical codes appeared in the period of craft division of labor, when the formation of medieval workshops took place in the 11th -12th centuries. Since the end of the twentieth century, more and more new codes of ethics related to industrialization and scientific and technological progress have been published, such as the "Code of Conduct for Journalists" or the "International Code of Conduct for Scientific Research".
The first corporate code of ethics was developed and introduced at Cadbury, a British chocolate manufacturer, in 1887. The company's founder, quaker John Cadbury, created it as an element of social responsibility and to set the best standards of business practice.
Cadbury's Code of Ethics was based on the values and principles of quaker religious beliefs such as honesty, integrity, respect for people and social responsibility. It governed various aspects of business practices including quality of goods, employee relations, supplier relations and community engagement.
This first Cadbury corporate code of ethics served as an example for other companies to develop their own codes to reflect their values, mission and commitment to their stakeholders.
Nowadays, there are many different codes of ethics, each having its own characteristics and aimed at regulating certain aspects of society. For EL5-Energo PJSC, the code of ethics is a document reflecting our understanding of decent behavior in accordance with the ethical principles.
Our Code of Ethics is updated on a regular basis. This time we have reflected in it the changes in our values and its compliance with the latest national and international standards. We believe that it forms an integral part of our path towards sustainability of the company.
The updated Code of Ethics tells us about respect for the personality, honesty in business relations and the core values of EL5-Energo PJSC: safety, reliability, leadership, responsibility and care for people. Please, meet the updated Code of Ethics and help us become better!