The Henkel Management Board bears overall responsibility for sustainability policy and aligns our business policy to the requirements of sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

Led by the Chairman of the Management Board, the Sustainability Council, whose members are drawn from all areas of the Company, drafts decision papers and monitors their implementation. The Council steers global activities in collaboration with the corporate functions, the operative business sectors and the regional and national companies.

The corporate functions present their experience and necessities to the Sustainability Council via their delegates. At the same time, they are responsible for the implementation of the sustainability strategy in their respective function. For example, they develop appropriate supplier assessment instruments, or ensure compliance with our standards for product safety. Overarching sustainability issues are coordinated by the corporate communications department which serves as the company-wide interface for sustainability and CSR.

The responsible managers in the regional and national companies steer the implementation of Henkel standards and compliance with legal requirements in their respective region. With the support of the corporate functions and the operative business sectors, they develop an implementation strategy appropriate to the individual sites and their local circumstances.

The research and development departments of our three business sectors work on key technologies and supply the basis for sustainable products. Also in their area of responsibility is shaping our sustainability strategy to their operative needs, as well as providing the resources needed for its implementation. They align their brands and technologies, and the sites involved, to sustainability in line with the specific challenges and priorities of their product portfolio.

In this forum, product developers and applications engineers regularly meet with the experts of the Biology/Product Safety unit to discuss, assess, and share information about all aspects of product stewardship. These include new scientific findings, experience gained in the field, changes in legal requirements, and current issues. The focus is always on the relevance for Henkel products in relation to their entire life cycle.

International conferences are an important platform for the continuous development of our sustainability policy. The purpose of the conferences is to coordinate and implement new strategies within Henkel and to promote the exchange of experiences within the Company.