Through our business activities and our products, we aim to make a valuable contribution to society. The basis for this is our vision to make people’s lives easier, better and more beautiful with our brands and technologies. We have always done this in a sustainable and socially responsible manner, combining excellent performance with responsibility toward people and the environment. We systematically focus our activities throughout the value chain on the challenges of sustainable development as they relate to our operations. We have grouped these according to five focal areas. At the heart of all our actions are our “Vision and Values.

Climate change is a complex environmental issue and one of the global challenges of our time. The manufacture of our consumer products, industrial brands and technologies is not particularly energy or greenhouse gas intensive. Energy consumption and the associated carbon dioxide emissions during the use of our products are usually more significant. We therefore focus on creating energy efficient products and technologies while optimizing our own production processes. By doing so, we contribute to the more efficient utilization of energy resources worldwide and hence to climate protection.

The earth’s water resources are unequally distributed and are threatened by increasing pollution and overexploitation. In some regions this poses a serious risk to stability and growth. We therefore regard the reduction of our water consumption during the production and use of our products as an important aim. This applies to household products as well as to technologies for our industrial customers. Our detergents, household cleaners, cosmetics and toiletries, which end up in wastewater after use, are designed so that they will not impact the quality of surface waters. At Henkel we have more than 50 years of experience in responsible water management. We use this know-how so that we can continue to contribute to the conservation of worldwide water resources in the future.

The needs of a steadily growing population are making the Earth’s available resources ever scarcer. In order to cut our consumption of raw materials and the amounts of waste we generate, we use resource-conserving production techniques. With the help of increasingly efficient formulations, we can reduce the necessary dosage of our products needed during use and application by our customers and consumers. Many of our products contribute to extending the service life of durable goods and hence to preserving values. We continuously improve our packaging to limit the amount of materials used and the resultant waste. We use ingredients based on renewable raw materials wherever this is compatible with ecological, economic and social considerations, thereby contributing worldwide to the conservation of resources.

The safety of production plants, products and product ingredients is a subject of keen public debate. At Henkel, the safety and health of employees, customers and consumers has always been a top priority. This applies to our plants and processes, as well as to the use of our products by our customers and consumers. Moreover, the issue of hygiene is of crucial importance for human health all over the world. In all markets in which we operate, our detergents, household cleaners and toiletries make important contributions to hygiene and therefore to health in the home.

The task of ensuring socially balanced economic development is a major challenge for society and those who shape it. In the context of our business activities and the associated value creation, we make an important contribution to society as a whole in the approximately 125 countries in which we operate: We create jobs with fair conditions of employment, and provide training for our employees and our customers. We purchase goods and services, cooperate in a spirit of partnership with our suppliers, and transfer knowledge and technologies. Our product ranges are adapted to local consumer needs and incomes. We also support the social involvement of our employees. In this way, we contribute to economic development as well as social equality and progress.