Sustainability

The global challenges of sustainable development are continuing to increase as a result of world population growth, rising standards of living and consumption, and the associated use of resources. Worldwide, growth and quality of life must be decoupled from resource consumption and emissions. We recognize this challenge and take it into account in our strategy. Our contribution as a company is to develop innovative products and processes that consume fewer resources while still offering the same or better performance.

The Henkel Management Board bears overall responsibility for our sustainability strategy. The Sustainability Council, as a central decision-making body headed by the Chairman of the Management Board, steers Henkel’s global sustainability activities. Its members represent the business sectors and all corporate functions.

The daily conduct of our around 47,000 employees plays a key role in ensuring that sustainability does not remain merely an abstract intention. Only if all employees know and understand the principles of sustainability, they will become a guideline to behavior and decision-making in day-to-day work. It is for this reason that, in the course of the Vision and Values workshops conducted in 2010, all Henkel employees defined what our “sustainability” corporate value means for them, for their team, and for Henkel. Furthermore, through regular communication – such as in employee newspapers or various training programs – we point out the diverse areas where sustainability can provide inspiration in each employee’s own job. Work modules on sustainability are also an inherent part of our vocational and advanced training programs. In cross-functional workshops on specific topics – such as logistics, packaging or purchasing – our employees do not only create a shared knowledge base, but ensure that the developed solutions take into account all aspects of sustainable development.

Henkel's sustainability strategy has evolved continuously. From the very beginning, Henkel has taken responsibility for its employees, neighbors and the community. Since 1927, Henkel has continuously improved its occupational safety through systematic accident prevention. In 1959, the introduction of regular ecological quality checks for detergents and household cleaners was one of the first steps to ensure that products and production had no harmful effect on the environment. In 1991, Henkel was one of the first companies to sign the Business Charter for Sustainable Development of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Today, worldwide management systems for safety, health and environment are in place, and the concept of sustainability is firmly anchored in Henkel’s corporate policy.

Yes. Already in 1992 Henkel published its first environmental report and developed it continuously towards today's Sustainability Report. Thus, it has been publishing yearly for already 20 years. The combination of our Annual Report and our Online-Sustainability Report illustrates our integrated approach of company reporting. Please click here to download the current Sustainability Report or previous issues.

Research institutes and sustainability analysts regularly assess how companies balance economic, ecological and social factors. Henkel welcomes these external assessments of sustainability performance, which result in greater market transparency. Cross-sector sustainability and ethical indexes also play an increasingly important role in international capital markets. Henkel’s leading role in sustainable development and corporate social responsibility is confirmed by many international rating organizations and sustainability analysts.

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We are convinced that our continued focus on sustainability will help to grow the long-term value of our company and to realize our strategic priorities. Our insistence that each new product must combine excellent performance with responsibility toward people and the environment results in increasingly efficient products and improved technical solutions. Thereby sustainability becomes an important driver of economic growth and the generation of competitive advantage in the market. By sharing our decades of experience in sustainability we can offer effective solutions to our customers for improving their own sustainability performance. With our brands and technologies, which combine top quality with responsibility toward people and the environment, we can position Henkel as a leading sustainability partner for our industrial customers, for retailers, and for consumers. In addition, corporate social responsibility strengthens the motivation of our employees and their identification with the company.