Declaration on Corporate Governance

The Board of Management and Supervisory Board issued a Declaration of Conformity in December 2020 that is posted on Covestro’s website.

In the year under review, Covestro AG was in compliance with all recommendations of the Government Commission on the German Corporate Governance Code as published by the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection in the official section of the Federal Gazette (Bundesanzeiger), and will remain so in the future.

Declaration of compliance by the Board of Management and the Supervisory Board of Covestro AG on the German Corporate Governance Code pursuant to Section 161 of the German Stock Corporation Act

The recommendations of the Commission of the German Corporate Governance Code, as amended on 7 February 2017, published by the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection on 24 April 2017 in the official part of the Federal Gazette, have been complied with since the last declaration of compliance was issued in October 2019.

The recommendations of the Commission of the German Corporate Governance Code, as amended on 16 December 2019, published by the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection on 20 March 2020 in the official part of the Federal Gazette, are being complied with. Covestro AG will continue to comply with them in the future.

Leverkusen, December 2020

Composition, duties and activities of the Board of Management and Supervisory Board

Board of Management

Duties and activities of the Board of Management

The Board of Management runs the company on its own responsibility with the goal of sustainably increasing the company’s enterprise value and achieving defined corporate objectives. In doing so, it takes into account the interests of shareholders, employees, and other stakeholders. The Board of Management performs its duties according to the law, the Articles of Incorporation, the Board of Management’s rules of procedure, and the recommendations of the GCGC as stated in the Declaration of Conformity. It ensures compliance with the law and internal company policies, and works with the company’s other governance bodies in a spirit of trust.

The Board of Management defines the long-term goals and strategies for the company and sets forth the principles and policies for the resulting corporate policies. Furthermore, it coordinates and monitors the most important activities, defines the company’s portfolio, develops and deploys managerial staff, allocates resources, and decides on the financial steering and reporting of the Covestro Group.

The members of the Board of Management bear joint responsibility for running the business as a whole. However, the individual members manage the areas assigned to them on their own responsibility within the framework of the decisions made by the full Board. The allocation of duties among the members of the Board of Management is defined in a written schedule appended to its rules of procedure.

The full Board of Management makes decisions on all matters of fundamental importance and in cases where a decision of the full Board is prescribed by law or otherwise mandatory. The rules of procedure of the Board of Management contain a list of topics that must be dealt with and resolved by the full Board.

Board of Management meetings are held regularly and are convened by the Chair of the Board of Management. Any member of the Board of Management may also request that a meeting be convened, notifying the other members of the matter for discussion. The Board of Management makes decisions by a simple majority of the votes cast, except where unanimity is required by law. In the event of a tie, the Chair casts the deciding vote.

According to the Board of Management’s rules of procedure and schedule of duties, the Chair bears particular responsibility for coordinating all Board of Management areas. The Chair represents the Board of Management as well as Covestro AG and the Group in dealings with the public and other third parties.

Composition of the Board of Management

Under the schedule of duties, each Board member is assigned responsibility for particular duties and areas. The Board of Management members manage the areas assigned to them on their own responsibility within the framework of the decisions made by the full Board. The Chair of the Board of Management is appointed by the Supervisory Board. The Board of Management currently has no committees.

Objectives and concept for the composition of the Board of Management

Assisted by the Human Resources Committee and the Board of Management, the Supervisory Board arranges long-term succession planning for individual Board of Management members. It conducts a systematic process for selecting candidates for the Board of Management, while following the recommendations of the GCGC. In accordance with Covestro’s corporate values, it also observes the diversity principle, i.e., balancing the Board’s composition in terms of age, educational and professional background as well as a balanced ratio of male and female members. For instance, Board of Management members will generally not be appointed if they are over the age of 63. The Board of Management as a whole should represent a variety of backgrounds and possess extensive experience in corporate strategy, innovation, production and technology, marketing and sales, finance, leadership and sustainability management.

When filling specific Board of Management positions, the Supervisory Board also develops a skills profile that is based on the diversity criteria and used to evaluate candidates from within and outside the company. Decisions are made in the company’s interest and taking into account all of the circumstances of each individual case.

Implementation status of the objectives

Covestro AG’s Board of Management currently has four members. The goals regarding age structure and function-specific expertise were generally met in fiscal 2020. The Board of Management additionally meets the education and professional background requirements. The Board of Management’s members ranged in age from 48 to 58 in fiscal 2020. As a whole, the Board of Management features members with a range of different educational backgrounds. In particular, they possess many years of experience in the following areas: engineering, physics and chemistry, business administration, and finance. The members of the Board of Management have extensive professional experience in Germany and abroad as well as in the petroleum and chemical industries. In the course of their careers, they have held leadership positions in marketing and sales, innovation, corporate strategy, production and technology, and finance, among others, and possess extensive experience in human resources management and project management.

Promotion of equal participation of women and men in leadership positions

The German Law on Equal Participation of Women and Men in Leadership Positions in the Private and Public Sectors of May 24, 2015, requires certain companies in Germany to define target quotas for appointing women to their Supervisory Boards, and Boards of Management and the two management levels below, and to establish dates by which this quota is to be achieved in each case.

In accordance with Section 96, Paragraph 2 AktG, the Supervisory Board of a company which is both listed and subject to codetermination rules should be composed of at least 30% women and at least 30% men. As of December 31, 2020, the Supervisory Board of Covestro AG comprised five women and seven men. The minimum legal requirement has thus been met.

At the end of the first target attainment period on June 30, 2017, the Supervisory Board decided on a target quota of at least 40% for women on the Board of Management of Covestro AG and an implementation period through June 30, 2022. As of December 31, 2020, one woman and three men served on the Board of Management. Women therefore made up 25% of the Board of Management.

In addition, in 2017 the Board of Management set new targets for the first two management levels below the Board of Management. For the period until June 30, 2022, the goal of Covestro AG and the Covestro Group is to achieve a minimum of 30% women at both levels.

Supervisory Board

Duties and activities of the Supervisory Board

The Supervisory Board advises and oversees the Board of Management. The Supervisory Board is directly involved in decisions on matters of fundamental importance to the company, regularly conferring with the Board of Management on the strategic alignment of Covestro AG and the Covestro Group, and on the implementation status of the business strategy. The Supervisory Board Chair coordinates its work and presides over the meetings. The Chair also represents the Supervisory Board outside the company and, in this capacity, is generally prepared to conduct Supervisory Board-specific discussions with investors. In accordance with the Articles of Incorporation, the Supervisory Board has issued rules of procedure governing its activity. These rules of procedure are applicable to the Supervisory Board as a whole as well as to individual Supervisory Board committees. They also include rules concerning the composition and work of the committees.

In fiscal 2020, the Supervisory Board discussed at length the results of its effectiveness and efficiency review performed as a self-evaluation based on a written questionnaire answered by Supervisory Board members. The main topics covered were the Supervisory Board meeting process; cooperation with the Board of Management; the provision of information to the Supervisory Board; the responsibilities, composition and work of the committees; and cooperation with the shareholder and employee representatives. On the whole, the Supervisory Board’s activity was evaluated and found to be efficient by its members.

The Board of Management informs the Supervisory Board about business policy, corporate planning, and strategy in regular and open discussions. The Supervisory Board approves the annual budget and financing framework. It also approves the financial statements of Covestro AG and the consolidated financial statements of the Covestro Group, along with the Group anagement report, taking into account the auditor’s reports and explanations. The Supervisory Board also regularly meets without the Board of Management in attendance. Employee representatives often hold discussions with members of the Board of Management prior to Supervisory Board meetings.

Composition of the Supervisory Board

The Supervisory Board has 12 members, half of whom are shareholder representatives and half employee representatives pursuant to the German Codetermination Act. The six members representing employees comprise four Covestro employees and two union representatives. The shareholder representatives are elected individually by the Annual General Meeting. The term of office of the six shareholder representatives on Covestro AG’s Supervisory Board ended at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting on July 30, 2020. The shareholder representatives were newly elected or reelected at the 2020 Annual General Meeting.

The Supervisory Board discussed the requirements stipulated by Section 100, Paragraph 5 AktG. Based on its composition, the Supervisory Board as a whole has in-depth industry expertise in the chemical and polymer sector in which Covestro operates. This industry knowledge was acquired by the members either through their jobs or the requisite continuing education.

Committees of the Supervisory Board

Following the election of the new shareholder representatives to the Supervisory Board at the Annual General Meeting on July 30, 2020, the members of the Supervisory Board’s committees and their chairs were newly elected at the constitutive meeting of the Supervisory Board on the same day. The Supervisory Board currently has the following committees:

Presidial Committee: The Presidial Committee comprises the Supervisory Board Chair and Vice Chair along with an additional shareholder representative and an additional employee representative. The Presidial Committee serves primarily as the mediation committee pursuant to the German Codetermination Act. It has the task of submitting proposals to the Supervisory Board on the appointment of members of the Board of Management if the necessary two-thirds majority is not achieved in the first vote at a plenary meeting. Certain decision-making powers in connection with capital measures, including the power to amend the Articles of Incorporation, have also been delegated to this committee.

Members: Dr. Richard Pott (Chair), Petra Kronen, Petra Reinbold-Knape (since February 2020), and Regine Stachelhaus

Audit Committee: The Audit Committee comprises three shareholder representatives and three employee representatives. The Chair of the Audit Committee in the reporting year, Prof. Dr. Rolf Nonnenmacher, satisfies the statutory requirements concerning expertise in the field of accounting or auditing that at least one member of the Supervisory Board and the Audit Committee is required to possess, and is independent pursuant to GCGC. The Audit Committee meets four times a year. Its main responsibilities include auditing the accounts; monitoring the accounting and financial reporting process; monitoring the effectiveness of the internal control system, the risk management system, and the internal audit system; financial statement audits; and compliance. The accounting comprises in particular the consolidated financial statements and the Group Management Report (including sustainability reporting). The Audit Committee is responsible for examining the financial statements, consolidated financial statements and management reports, and for discussing the quarterly and half-yearly reporting with the Board of Management. On the basis of the auditor’s report, the Audit Committee develops proposals for resolutions by the Supervisory Board relating to the confirmation of the financial statements, the approval of the consolidated financial statements, and the use of the distributable profit.

The Audit Committee is also responsible for the company’s relationship with the external auditor. It submits a proposal to the full Supervisory Board concerning the auditor’s appointment and may award the audit contract to the audit firm appointed on behalf of the Supervisory Board and agree the auditor’s remuneration. It also suggests areas of focus for the audit and monitors the quality of the audit as well as the independence and qualifications of the auditor. To this end, the Audit Committee has obtained a statement of independence from the auditor. The auditor is required to immediately inform the Audit Committee about all possible grounds for exclusion or lack of impartiality arising during the audit or review, and all findings and incidents material to the Supervisory Board’s responsibilities, particularly suspected accounting irregularities. Moreover, the Audit Committee has requested that the auditor inform the Committee and make a note in the audit report if facts are identified during the financial statement audit process that indicate an error in the Declaration of Conformity with the German Corporate Governance Code submitted by the Board of Management and Supervisory Board.

Members: Prof. Dr. Rolf Nonnenmacher (Chair), Christine Bortenlänger (since July 2020), Johannes Dietsch (until July 2020), Petra Kronen, Irena Küstner, Dr. Richard Pott (until July 2020), Petra Reinbold-Knape (since January 2020), and Patrick W. Thomas (since July 2020)

Human Resources Committee: On the Human Resources Committee, too, there is parity of representation between shareholders and employees. It consists of the Supervisory Board Chair and three other members. The Committee prepares the personnel decisions of the full Supervisory Board, which resolves on appointments or dismissals of members of the Board of Management. The Human Resources Committee resolves on behalf of the Supervisory Board on the service contracts of the members of the Board of Management. However, it is the responsibility of the full Supervisory Board, based on the recommendations submitted by the Human Resources Committee, to resolve on the total compensation of the individual members of the Board of Management and the respective compensation components, as well as to regularly review the compensation system. The Human Resources Committee also discusses the long-term succession planning for the Board of Management.

Members: Dr. Richard Pott (Chair), Johannes Dietsch (until July 2020), Petra Kronen, Dr. Ulrich Liman, and Regine Stachelhaus (since July 2020)

Nominations Committee: This committee carries out preparatory work when an election of shareholder representatives to the Supervisory Board is to be held. It suggests suitable candidates for the Supervisory Board to propose to the Annual General Meeting for election. The Nominations Committee comprises the Supervisory Board Chair, another shareholder representative on the Presidial Committee, and an elected shareholder representative.

Members: Dr. Richard Pott (Chair), Ferdinando Falco Beccalli, and Regine Stachelhaus

Special committee: A special committee was formed temporarily in fiscal 2020 to monitor and approve preparations for and performance of the capital increase for the planned acquisition of the Resins & Functional Materials (RFM) business of the Dutch company Koninklijke DSM N.V. This special committee solely met twice on October 13, 2020.

Members: Dr. Richard Pott (Chair), Petra Kronen, Prof. Dr. Rolf Nonnenmacher, and Petra Reinbold-Knape

Details on the Supervisory Board’s activities and its committees are provided by the Supervisory Board in its Report.

Objectives for the composition of the Supervisory Board and diversity concept

The composition of the Supervisory Board should be such that its members jointly possess the necessary expertise, skills, and professional experience to properly perform their duties, and are sufficiently independent. The Supervisory Board assesses the independence of its members according to the recommendation contained in the GCGC.

Covestro AG’s Supervisory Board has agreed the following specific goals for its composition that align with the recommendations of the GCGC and at the same time provide for diversity in terms of age, independence, and professional experience:

• The Supervisory Board has resolved that 75% of its members and more than half of the shareholder representatives on the Supervisory Board are to be independent.
• Absent of special circumstances, a Supervisory Board member shall not serve more than three full terms of office and shall not hold office beyond the end of the next Annual General Meeting following his or her 72nd birthday.
• The Supervisory Board shall not include more than two former members of the company’s Board of Management. Supervisory Board members may not perform executive functions or consulting activities for major competitors of the company or any Group company, and they must not be exposed to other significant conflicts of interest.
• At least two Supervisory Board members must have function-specific knowledge in each of the following areas:
  • Accounting and/or auditing
  • Strategy, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets
  • Marketing, sales, supply chain
  • Research and development, innovation
  • Sustainability, circular economy and new technologies
  • Digitalization
  • Human resources, change management
  • Corporate governance, compliance
• The Supervisory Board must have at least two members with experience in industries, sales markets, and/or divisions of importance to Covestro, e.g., (polymer) chemistry, production, and technology.
• Taking into account the specific situation and international operations of Covestro and its affiliated companies, the Supervisory Board strives to ensure sufficient diversity among its members. Moreover, at least three members should have managerial experience in an international enterprise and/or experience serving on other supervisory boards or supervisory bodies.

The objectives described refer to the Supervisory Board as a whole unless resolved otherwise. However, since the Supervisory Board can only nominate candidates for election as shareholder representatives, it can only consider the objectives in making these nominations.

Implementation status of the objectives

The Supervisory Board has several members with international business experience and an international background. The objectives pertaining to age limits, length of service, and independence are being met. To ensure continued compliance with these requirements, Ferdinando Falco Becalli was reelected to the Supervisory Board only until he reaches the stipulated age limit. In the opinion of the Supervisory Board, the shareholder representatives Dr. Richard Pott, Ferdinando Falco Beccalli, Dr. Christine Bortenlänger, Prof. Dr. Rolf Nonnenmacher, Regine Stachelhaus, and Patrick W. Thomas are independent pursuant to the GCGC. The requirements for function-specific knowledge are generally being met, but the specific goal of having at least two shareholder representatives per field of expertise is not fulfilled in all areas.

Shareholdings and reportable securities transactions by members of the Board of Management or Supervisory Board

In the year under review, members of the Board of Management and Supervisory Board and their close relatives are legally required to disclose all transactions involving the purchase or sale of Covestro AG securities where such transactions total €20,000 or more in a calendar year no later than three business days after the date of the transaction. Covestro publishes the details of reportable transactions in suitable media in the European Union and on its website without delay, but no later than three business days after the date of the transaction, and also provides this information to the company register for archiving.

Systematic risk management

Covestro’s enterprise risk management system ensures early identification of any financial or nonfinancial risks. We attempt to avoid or mitigate identified risks, or to transfer them to third parties (such as insurers) to the extent possible and economically acceptable.

The internal control system (ICS) for accounting and financial reporting enables the timely monitoring of risks to prevent or correct potential errors in accounting for business transactions. It thus ensures the availability of reliable data on the company’s financial situation.

However, the control and risk management system cannot provide absolute protection against losses arising from business risks or fraudulent actions.

Detailed reporting

We provide regular and timely information on the Covestro Group’s position and significant changes in business activities to shareholders, financial analysts, shareholders’ associations, the media, and the general public to maximize transparency. Four times a year we report to our shareholders about the company’s business performance, its net assets, financial position, and results of operations, and the risks it faces. Covestro’s reporting thus complies with the provisions of the GCGC.

In line with statutory requirements, the members of the company’s Board of Management provide assurance that, to the best of their knowledge, the financial statements of Covestro AG, the consolidated financial statements of the Covestro Group, and the Combined Management Report provide a true and fair view.

The financial statements of Covestro AG, the consolidated financial statements of the Covestro Group, and the Combined Management Report are published within 90 days following the end of each fiscal year. During the fiscal year, Covestro additionally informs shareholders and other interested parties about developments by means of the half-year financial report and interim reports for the first and third quarters. The half-year financial report is voluntarily subjected to a review by the auditor appointed by the Annual General Meeting.

Covestro also provides information about the current corporate strategy, important growth areas, the financial position and results of operations, and financial targets at regular press conferences and analysts’ meetings. The company uses the internet as a platform for the timely disclosure of information, with major publications, such as annual reports, half-year financial reports, and quarterly statements, and the dates of events, such as Annual General Meetings, posted on the Group’s website.

In line with the principle of fair disclosure, Covestro treats all shareholders and other key stakeholders equally as regards the communication of valuation-relevant information. All significant new facts are disclosed immediately to the general public. In addition to our regular reporting, we issue ad-hoc statements on developments that otherwise might not become publicly known but have the potential to materially affect the price of Covestro stock.

Shareholders and Annual General Meeting

Covestro’s shareholders exercise their rights within the scope provided for by the law and the Articles of Incorporation at the Annual General Meeting and there exercise their right to vote. Each share of Covestro AG confers the same rights and carries one vote at the Annual General Meeting. Shareholders can exercise their voting rights by way of a proxy, e.g., a credit institution, a shareholders’ association, or another third party. Shareholders can issue and revoke proxies in respect of the company electronically using the company’s online proxy system. The company also makes it easier for its shareholders to exercise their personal rights by appointing voting proxies to cast their votes, subject to their instructions. They are also available during the Annual General Meeting. The Board of Management can enable shareholders to take part in the Annual General Meeting without in-person attendance and without a proxy, and exercise all of their rights or individual rights in whole or in part through electronic means of communication. All of the company’s shareholders and interested members of the public may watch the opening of the Annual General Meeting by the meeting chair and follow the report of the Board of Management live online. The Annual General Meeting on July 30, 2020, was held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic. All documents and information on the Annual General Meeting such as the invitation, including the agenda, and the annual report are available on our website as well.