Taking a stand when it comes to sustainability and social responsibility: This is essential to our corporate strategy in many respects – and an obligation we take seriously. That's why we have taken a close look at what we can do as a company and how each and every one of us can make our contribution. We have set out the result in our sustainability strategy: clear, concrete and binding for all of us.
When it comes to sustainability, we like to go in depth, creating a solid foundation for the guidelines we follow. Our company's sustainability strategy is therefore based on the United Nations' Agenda 2030: This defines a total of 17 relevant points as principles for action, taking into account the three dimensions of comprehensive sustainability management – social, environmental and economic. Five core values, to which we are also committed, precede these principles:
In addition, the recommendations of ISO 26000 as well as the guiding principles of the OECD and EMAS (Eco Management and Audit Scheme) were incorporated into the development of our sustainability strategy. With this orientation, we as a company want to and can make a significant contribution to achieving the global sustainability goals.
Within the scope of our possibilities and structures, our aim is to define and pursue precisely those goals for gat where our corporate actions have the greatest impact on people, the environment and society. With this in mind, we have selected the following focal points from the 17 goals of the United Nations:
High-quality education
"Ensure inclusive, equal and high-quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all."
Well-trained employees are the basis for our business success. School opportunities for the next generation are the basic prerequisite for this. With measures in the areas of education for our own employees (e.g. training and further education) and support for younger employees (e.g. school internships and bachelor/master jobs for students), we contribute to diverse educational opportunities.
Gender equality
"Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls."
Gender equality is a human right that should be reflected not only in how we treat each other, but also in very concrete terms in terms of development opportunities, working time models and salary. The most important issues for us therefore include equality at work and working hours and remuneration models that are adapted to individual life situations (e.g. part-time, mobile working).
Affordable and clean energy
"Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all."
Wherever feasible, we rely on renewable energies in the company, which we can use to reduce the burden on the environment and actively drive forward the energy transition. This includes, for example, our photovoltaic system for self-sufficiency and the use of green electricity wherever possible. We use energy-efficient equipment and handle it in an energy-saving manner.
Decent work and economic growth
"Promote durable, broad-based and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all."
Our responsibility for decent work encompasses not only a respectful and appreciative working environment within the company, but also the working conditions at our partners and suppliers. That's why, for example, we only work with companies that have an appropriately fair footing and have strict evaluation criteria for our suppliers. In the area of occupational safety, we have binding guidelines that protect our employees.
Sustainable consumption and production
"Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns."
We are committed to responsible, conscious use of our natural resources, both in our daily work processes and in the purchasing of our components and choice of production processes. Our extensive catalog of measures includes the use of materials from sustainable supply chains as well as, for example, the needs-based procurement and recycling of printer cartridges.
Climate protection measures
"Taking immediate action to combat climate change and its effects."
In all areas of our company, we have agreed on measures with which we can actively contribute to climate protection: For example, we are reducing our environmental footprint by minimizing business travel, cutting CO2 emissions from our vehicle fleet, using energy-efficient technology and giving preference to regional products. In addition, we have integrated many other measures into our everyday operations, from environmentally friendly cleaning agents to a Code of Conduct for our suppliers.