ASML

ASML supports girls and young women in rural China in following a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. It also discloses employment and taxes paid in its main markets of operation and reports its community investments.

ASML is a partner in Welkom Online, a program that helps senior citizens in the Netherlands become digitally self-reliant. The company is also part of a joint initiative TechMeUp, which facilitates the retraining of people from underserved or vulnerable populations for a future career in technology.

ASML follows industry norms in disclosing senior-level oversight of cybersecurity. The company also considers data privacy a key topic in its materiality assessment. 

ASML collaborates with universities on research. The company also makes venture capital investments and supports start-ups in other ways. Further, it commits to the Sustainable Development Goals and uses them as a framework for measuring goals and progress. ASML demonstrates leading practice by disclosing the number of women employees in research and development (R&D) and discloses information about its R&D facilities.

There is an opportunity for ASML to disclose how it supports universal and affordable access to digital technologies for vulnerable groups. The company also has an opportunity to disclose the number of its employees with disabilities and the steps it has taken to create an inclusive workplace for them. 

The company has an opportunity to enhance support for technical digital skills development. It can also make contributions to school connectivity.

ASML could consider making a high-level commitment to cybersecurity. While the company states that it has an information security management certificate, it can follow best practice and make it publicly available. As a digital company, ASML can also make a high-level commitment to child online safety.  

ASML has the opportunity to further its commitment to open source initiatives and standards. The company can also consider disclosing information about how ethics are considered in its R&D activities.

ASML commits to respecting human rights; however, the company’s statement referring to the ILO core labour rights cannot be considered a formal commitment. The company states that it has conducted a risk assessment to identify the inherent risks related to human rights. Although ASML assesses human rights risks in its business relationships, it does not do the same for its own operations. However, the company provides examples of the specific conclusions reached and actions taken or to be taken on health and safety issues as a result of assessment processes in at least one of its activities/operations in the last three years.

ASML has a publicly available policy statement committing to respect worker health and safety, and it places expectations on its business relationships to do the same. The company discloses that it has achieved paying all its workers a living wage; however, it does not describe how it determines the living wage in the regions where it operates. The company publicly states that it does not require workers to work more than the regular and overtime hours. Additionally, the company commits to promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment, and it discloses a time-bound target on the subject. Nevertheless, ASML has an opportunity to improve its disclosure on workforce diversity by reporting on additional indicators of diversity per employee category.

While ASML publishes a tax strategy in its 2021 Annual Report, there is no evidence that this strategy can be found in a formal policy document approved by the highest governance body. The company does not disclose any relevant information in relation to its income tax payments in individual tax jurisdictions. It does, however, have a publicly available policy statement prohibiting bribery and corruption, and it includes anti-bribery and anti-corruption clauses in its business relationship contracts. It also has a grievance mechanism for stakeholders to raise concerns and complaints on the topic. The company does not disclose its approach to lobbying and political engagement. But it does have a publicly available statement indicating that it does not make political contributions.