“An increasing number of customers now demand more than quality, product performance and innovations. They also want proof of sustainable development – that is, meeting the needs of today’s generation without endangering the opportunities of future generations. We have decades of experience in this area, which we can put to good use.

Markets and customers expect companies to recognize that contributing to society is part of their corporate responsibility. The need to balance economy, ecology and social responsibility has always been self-evident for Henkel. This standpoint has helped us to build an excellent reputation as a company and to attain leading market positions worldwide.

It is essential for us to maintain this lead, as many companies have now come to realize that they can only attain leading positions in the market if they also contribute toward meeting the global challenges – climate change, resource scarcity, social progress.

In other words, only companies that develop intelligent processes and that can assure product performance and quality long-term allied with the greatest possible environmental compatibility, will prevail in the market. The public demands quality and this means performance plus responsibility or, as in the name of the initiative launched by the Laundry & Home Care business sector: “Performance based on sustainability.”

At Henkel, sustainability – that is, acting responsibly throughout the value chain – is part of our DNA. The challenges in five areas are especially important. These are: Energy and Climate, Water and Wastewater, Materials and Waste, Safety and Health, and Social Progress. We must be willing to strike out in new directions, to take an open approach to finding new solutions. This means viewing the global challenges that face us as an opportunity and not as a threat. This is why we have set ourselves the goal of ensuring that each new product contributes to sustainable development in at least one of these focal areas.

We need a new mindset – globally. Each one of our 52,000 colleagues all over the world must understand and internalize sustainability and act in accordance with its principles. By simultaneously considering economic, ecological and social aspects we can generate enormous potential for the development of innovative, powerful and smart products.

Our objective must be to position Henkel as a leading sustainability partner for our industrial customers, for retailers, and for consumers. We have a long history of experience in quality and performance – and “Performance based on sustainability” is our business.”